Delegation and Conflict Management:

A Mini-WorkshopULS Leadership Program

Karen Calhoun5 February 2013

This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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Outcomes – Understanding and Paths to Personal Mastery1. Understand the principles and process of

delegating tasks2. Be able to delegate tasks at a variety of

levels (1-6)3. Understand the positive side of conflict and

keys to successfully managing it4. Be able to apply conflict management skills

using a variety of styles

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Agenda Topic Time

Arrival 1:00-1:05 pm

Delegation 1:05-1:20 pm

Personal delegation profile (exercise) 1:20-1:30 pm

Practice delegating a task (exercise) 1:30-1:45 pm

Short break 1:45-1:50 pm

Conflict management in organizations

1:50-2:10 pm

Conflict management styles and cases (exercise)

2:10-2:35 pm

Case study - reporting and discussion

2:35-2:50 pm

Close and get on shuttle 2:50-3:00 pm

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Naples Archaeological Museum Picture:Sculpture of Atlas with Farnese Globe on his shouldersCC BY SA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atlas_(Farnese_Globe).jpg

You, withoutdelegation

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Am I Willing to …Invest my time in delegating?Invest my time in following up and communicating?Model the behaviors that the organization needs?

Actively managing projects?Distributing responsibility and accountability?Being specific about expected results?Helping people get involved, learn and work together?Providing feedback, support and constructive criticism? Promoting honest communication on problems and

progress?

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Principles of DelegationSelect the right personDelegate the good and

the badTake the time you needIf you have been

under-delegating, don’t try to transfer everything overnight

Delegate in advance!Delegate for specific

results

Agree on level of authority, what is to be delivered, when, who else involved, what help is needed

Don’t hover, do support

Coach (if needed)Establish steps and

checkpoints

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Your Roles as Chair or Team Leader

Chair

Organizer

Facilitator

+ Delegator:Be specific – who,what, when, how?

+ Sometimes:Recorder – if you can’t recruit one

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Delegation = An Interaction Between a Project Manager and Team MemberDelegation checklist:

Describe the work package (task) and expected results (deliverable)

Pass on information needed to get started

Say if others will be involved and their roles

Ask for input on duration and availability; reach agreement

Ask if training or help is needed

Define any parameters or constraints

Explain how much feedback you expect and when

Spell out how much authority is being delegated

Communicate who is taking the lead on this work package (if multiple people are working on it)

Six Levels of Delegation1 Look into the situation. Get the facts and report back. I’ll decide

what to do.

2 Identify the issues, propose alternative actions, and list the pros and cons of each. Recommend one for my approval.

3 Examine the issues. Let me know what you intend to do but don’t take action until you check with me.

4 Take responsibility for this action. Let me know what you intend to do and then do it unless I say not to.

5 Take action on this matter and let me know what you did.

6 Take action. No further contact with me is necessary.

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Personal Delegation Profile (Individual Exercise) – 10 minutesA. Things I Have Already Delegated

B. Things I Could Delegate

C. Things I Am Uncertain About Delegating

D. Things I Cannot Delegate

Instructions:1. Think about your objectives and tasks (at work and/or at home). 2. Fill out the form above, paying particular attention to “things I could delegate”3. Choose one task from column B for the next exercise.

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Designing a Delegation (Pairs Exercise)Work in pairs – 10 minutes (5 minutes each

person)As a pair, take a minute to glance quickly through

slides 6 to 9 and summarize key pointsIn turns, and for the task you chose to delegate in

the previous exercise, work with your partner to:Choose the level of delegation andDesign the delegation of the task (using the

delegation checklist)Report out as a pair: describe what you learned

from the exercise (max 1-2 minutes each pair )

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Take a Bow and a Short Break!

By: Stoli151. CC BY NC NDhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/52441769@N02/4947073937/

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What is conflict?“A struggle between at least two parties who perceive they have incompatible goals.”

Image: from the Cornell University Collection of Political Americana1864. No known copyright restrictionshttp://hdl.handle.net/1813.001/5z90

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Conflict Can Have a Positive Side (If Managed)Increased ability to learn and growMore information and communicationMore group cohesionBetter decisionsMore buy-inGetting unstuck (out of the box thinking)

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Keys to Successful Conflict ManagementKnow your own

habitual thinking patterns (style)

Understand others’ habitual thinking patterns (styles)

Be able to use different conflict management styles

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Styles for Handling Conflict

Collaborating(Integrating)

Accommodating(Obliging)

Competing(Dominating)

Avoiding

CO

NC

ER

N F

OR

OT

HE

RS

High

Low

CONCERN FOR SELF

High Low

Compromising

Sources consulted: Thomas, K. W. and Kilman, R. H. 1974. Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. Xicom .Rahim, M. A. 1986. Managing Conflict in Organizations. Praeger.

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Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode InstrumentSelf-assessmentYou are not “stuck” with one style!All styles have their usesSee handouts (4) Competing/Dominating

Collaborating/Integrating

CompromisingAvoiding

Accommodating/Obliging

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Spontaneous or Nonspontaneous?Spontaneous – when people are exploding

with emotion or rigidly stubborn and an immediate response is needed

Non-spontaneous – when you have time to think about the best way to approach the conflict

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Some Conflict Management SkillsAttending, active listening, valuing the person

(showing interest and concern, paraphrasing, appreciating feelings)

Questioning – try to understand person’s viewpoint and position, ascertain, verify, clarify facts and perspectives (esp. perceived differences)

Disagreeing, confronting, contracting: one technique:I know ___ (give benefit of doubt) and I appreciate ___

(value person), but I feel ___ (your own feeling) when ___ (situation or behavior) and I would like ___ (desired results). How do you feel about this ____? Let’s deal with it now.

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Using Different Styles for Managing Conflict (Exercise)Work alone and in pairs – 25 minutes Case assignment (see handout of cases)Working alone, review the Rahim table and pages

10-14 of the Thomas-Kilman handout( “uses” sections under each style (5 minutes)

Working alone, use the Rahim and Thomas-Kilman handouts and the “worksheet,” to analyze your assigned case (10 minutes)

Working as a pair, prepare to report out: what did you decide about which styles to use for your cases? What did you learn from the exercise? (10 minutes)

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Closing – What Have You Learned Today About Delegation and Conflict Management?Answer this question:

What have you learned today that you will use tomorrow or before the end of the week? How will you use it?

How will you evaluate your progress over the next six weeks or so?

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Thanks for coming!

Please don’t forget to fill out the evaluation

form in SurveyMonkey!

Photo: Cover of Puck magazine, Feb. 8, 1911. From drawing by Frank NankivellRepository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Divisionhdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.printRights Info: No known restrictions on publication.