As a leader you might be used to draw on a 360-degree analysis to enforce your personal leadership. To look at your leadership through different eyes and thereby observe something you could not have caught sight of from your own perspective.

But what about your leadership team? What vital information would a 360-degree team analysis provide for you who are commonly responsible for running and developing your company?

3 ways to include the stakeholders

Including internal and external stakeholders and their view on your productive and relational team skills is equally essential to the continued development and common quality of your team as the individual 360-degree analysis is to your personal development as a leader.

There are many ways of including the experiences, thoughts and needs of your stakeholders. Here is three for inspiration:

1. Invite stakeholders for a visit
2. Game of chairs
3. Use an online assessment

Ad 1) Invite stakeholders for a visit

If you invite your stakeholders to join your table and honestly ask their advice you can build a trustful relation that will provide the vital information you need to enlarge your own picture. It might be internal stakeholders such as employees, other parts of the company or the board of directors. It might also be external stakeholders such as key costumers, suppliers, partners or legal or advisory agencies.

Relevant questions could be:

• What is it our job to deliver?
• What are we currently doing right or wrong to fulfill our mission?
• What defines our collaboration internally and in relation to you?
• What should we learn to fulfill our mission in the future?

Ad 2) Game of chairs

You could also pretend to have a visit from your primary stakeholders when you host a leader team meeting. You will be surprised at how much new you will become aware of from adding some empty chairs around your table and in this way invite your stakeholders’ voices into the discussion.

If you take turns in occupying the “stakeholder-seat” it will help you to put yourself in the shoes of others and in this way discover things that you are usually blind to.

Ad 3) Use an online assessment

It can prove difficult to obtain precise, direct and relevant information from the outside world. Especially if you are at chief executive level. Too often the feedback is vague and indirect. Not concrete.

To overcome this obstacle an online based 360-degree team assessment could be the solution. I suggest “Team 360 View™” created by Team Coaching International.

It provides valuable information on how you are perceived – on several parameters – by those who you are often in contact with. Compared to visits or Game of chairs, the online test provides the opportunity to expand and clarify your questions to gain more knowledge in depth as well as on numerous subjects.

The assessment will provide a report from which you can begin your own discussion, or you can invite your stakeholders to take parts in the discussion based on the report.

New opportunity for learning and growth

By comparing your own opinions of the primary tasks, strengths and weaknesses of the leadership team with the results of the assessment a new and clearer picture of what already works and what needs improving to succeed as a leadership team occurs.

The goal is not simple bottom line but to reach the full potential. And you need help to see how!

This article is based on the thoughts and models by Team Coaching International and leadership expert Prof Peter Hawkins, respectively.

Your cooperative skills mean a lot when it comes to productivity and well-being but so does your style of conflict.

To support at constructive – and productive – teamwork it can be helpful to agree on what to do when disagreements and conflicts arise.

In these situations it may be good to know what strategies each person will automatically use, what that will result in, and how to utilize the strengths of the different styles of conflicts in the group.

There is not a right way to handle conflict. This depends on the situation and the need.

5 different styles and how each style is recognized

The Thomas-Kilmann model of conflict describes 5 styles of conflict. Each profile has strengths and challenges depending on the situation and the amount in which they are expressed.

Competing – “I’m in charge”

• This style is good if there is a need to fight for something or someone, set a clear limit or in any way challenge the norms.
• There is a large commitment to the case and a low commitment in the relation to others. It is about winning the war not regarding relational loses.
• This style is controlling, competing and impatient when it comes to conversation and data gathering.

Collaboration – “Let’s fix this together”

• This style is good at uncovering all aspects and possibilities and choosing a mutual solution based on sober information. It will take longer to produce results, but it is typically worth-while.
• There is a big commitment to the case AND the relation.
• This profile gathers information, engage in dialogue, look for alternatives and have an interest in every point of view, all values and all needs.

Compromising – “I’ll budge if you do too.”

• This style might be appropriate if not much is at stake. Used in the right way it might make time and room for bigger issues to have attention.
• Commitment is intermediate to both case and relation. Neither big or small.
• This profile tries to decrease the expectations of the others, negotiates, gives and takes, and is careful.

Avoiding – “Conflict – what conflict?”

• This style is good if a lot of tension is present. It might be useful, then, to defuse and not (unnecessarily) fuel the fire. It might also be a useful strategy to protect oneself.
• This avoiding style shows low commitment to the case and to the relation with others.
• The profile will step back or avoid getting involved.

Accommodating – “You decide”

• This style is good to let everyone feel seen and heard and to calm troubled waters. It might be necessary to make room for problem solving.
• The commitment to the interpersonal relationships is great but small to the case. The most important thing is to feel good.
• This profile moderating and soothing and is typically very interested in the views and accept of others.

How do you extend your personal conflict style

Few of us have only one style. We have several assets. Still, there is reason to develop and to gain understanding of others.

The more you develop yourself, the better you know your personal style of conflict and can manage it constructively. It also means that your understanding and accept of other styles are larger and you will find it easier to adapt your response to what is needed in that specific situation.

If you find it easy to fight you might fight in a more constructive way if you practice stepping back and listen or seek information. If you find it easy to step back, you might contribute more if you practice speaking up.

If you always consider all options, you might practice prioritizing in what situation a quick solution is needed.

If you are the person who always tries to make people get along then put on the clothe of a problem-solver and try looking for a third – common – solution. And if you are always busy making sure everybody is okay both the fellowship and the bottom line might benefit from hearing your ideas. You might have thought of something that the others have not, which might loosen the conflict.

When you are aware of your different style of conflict (or styles) in the team you will not have fewer disagreements. But you might be able to exploit differences and disagreements more constructively.

Also read the article ”Common rules for handling conflicts”

Sources:
– http://www.kilmanndiagnostics.com/overview-thomas-kilmann-conflict-mode-instrument-tki
– http://recome.dk/
– http://living-leadership.dk/teams/mediation