Conflict is inevitable in a team environment.

Project teams bring together a variety of personality and skills, each perceiving tasks and actions is in different ways. This diversity is what gives the team depth and broad range of skills required to successfully achieve the project objectives. Yet, this diversity will inevitably bring conflicts ranging from simple disagreements on task details to fundamental personality clashes. A project manager's job is to bring a team together to accomplish a defined goal. In the course of persuing the goal, conflict is inevitable. Conflict is the discrepancy between what is the perceived reality of the situation and what the is seen as the ideal. The key for good Project Management is to recognize that conflicts will occur between: Team members Team members and the Project Manager Project Manager and the project sponsor Project sponsors and the team members

A great deal of this conflict is actually healthy and will allow participants to expand their understanding of issues and tasks. By encouraging consensus, Project Managers can increase buy-in from the client and team members. Project Managers must consider two aspects of any conflict to successfully mange conflict: The affect of conflict on the personal relationship between participants The affect conflict will have on the tasks being performed on the project In order to foster strong relationships between participants and promote the continued progress toward project objectives, Project Managers will need to employ a variety of conflict resolution styles. Managers will also need to recognize the type of style other project participants are employing in order to identify the common ground between individuals involved in a conflict. Each style has its time and place, but in most cases the ultimate goal is to achieve a consensus on issues.

Conflict Resolution in Project Management

Introduction
Conflict in project management is inevitable. The potential for conflict in information systems development projects is usually high because it involves individuals from different backgrounds and orientations working together to complete a complex task. The cause of conflict in team projects can be related to differences in values, attitudes, needs, expectations, perceptions, resources, and personalities. Proper skills in dealing with conflict can assist project managers and other organization members to handle and effectively resolve conflicts which can lead to a more productive organization as a whole. Top of Page

Project Management Overview

Project management is a methodological approach to achieving agreed upon results within a specified time frame with defined resources. (1) It involves applying knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a

wide range of activities in order to meet the requirements of a project. The major objectives of project management include performance, cost, and time goals. (2) The focus is to meet customer expectations, deliver projects within budget, and complete projects on time. Project management is helpful in achieving these objectives by organizing, planning, monitoring, controlling, and correcting the project activities. These activities consist of creating a workable project environment, keeping the work environment healthy, planning the essential activities to build the information system or product, and controlling execution of the plan. (3) Using project management principles brings value to an organization. Applying these principles give managers the ability to establish success measures, quantify value proportionate with cost, use optimal organizational resources, allow customer focus and alignment, incorporate quality principles, implement the practice of strategic plans, resolve problems more quickly, work within the scope of the project, address future risk before becoming a problem, and create a higher quality product the first time. The time and resources put into project management will make up for the cost over the life of the project. (4, 5) Project management relies on proven and repeatable processes and techniques. These processes and techniques are utilized to coordinate resources to accomplish predictable results. (5) Although success is never guaranteed, a project is more likely to be successful when conventional project management processes are practiced. The four phases of the project management process are explained below. (6) 1. Project Initiation The first phase of the process involves performing activities to evaluate the project size, scope, and degree of difficulty and to establish procedures for supporting later project activities. Examples of activities at this phase are forming a project initiation team, building the customer relationship, developing effective management procedures, and constructing a project workbook. 2. Project Planning The second phase of the process involves defining clear, distinct activities and work required to complete the activities for each individual project. Examples of activities at this phase are defining the project scope, defining the work breakdown structure, estimating resource requirements, outlining communication procedures among managers, team members, and the customer, identifying and evaluating risk, and developing a Baseline Project Plan. 3. Project Execution The third phase of the process involves implementing the plans created in the earlier phases, Project Initiation and Project Planning. Examples of activities at this phase are executing the baseline plan, managing changes to the baseline plan, monitoring project progress, and communicating project status to managers, team members, and the customer. 4. Project Closedown The final phase of the process involves bringing the project to an end. Examples of activities at this phase are evaluating team members, conducting final project reviews, and closing the customer contract. The project manager is responsible for carrying out the initiation, planning, execution, and closedown phases of a project. The success of a project relies strongly on the project manager. The role of this person is to evaluate project feasibility and to create the plan of activities required to meet the objectives. This individual must be able to build an environment in which the project can be executed while protecting the environment from factors that could impede progress, planning the work that has to be completed to reach the goal, and keeping the course of the project in control. (7) It is important for a project manager to possess a diverse set of skills - management, leadership, technical, customer relationship, and conflict management.(6) Managers spend 42% of their time on reaching agreement with others when conflict occurs. (8) Conflict

management within a team environment requires the ability to solve problems, set goals, compromise, settle personality differences, and resolve conflicts. Training for project managers in this area is necessary for their success, as they are typically responsible for handling conflict during a project. (9) The remainder of this paper will address conflict and its resolution in project management.