FIRO-B® Test Team Results, Behavior and Team Conflict
Though your FIRO-B® test results do not necessarily directly cause team conflict, they can reinforce certain types of problematic situations and lay the groundwork for unhealthy conflict. As a team leader, or team member, you want to understand what specific issues can arise from each team member’s FIRO-B interpersonal needs. With this information, you will be able to better recognize the specifics of non-productive team functionality, and once identified, you will be better equipped to manage your team and dissolve these issues in a healthy matter, keeping the team intact and productive. Matching your team’s FIRO-B test results to the information provided in this blog will greatly improve your chance of success and productivity. Hereinafter we will discuss “Common Types of Team Conflict” as explained in the text, “Participating in Teams” authored by Eugene R. Schnell and published by CPP Inc. We will also discuss team behavior and conflicts that are caused by certain FIRO-B interpersonal needs.
If your team results show the following, you can make these conclusions regarding behavior and common types of team conflict:
Results
Low levels of Expressed and Wanted Control will result in your team conflict and behavior to be:
Team Behavior and Conflict
“Free Riding”- your team will have inconsistent amounts of responsibility taking with some team members being overworked and others not carrying their share of the workload.
Results
Low levels of Total Inclusion Needs and Low Expressed Control will result in your team conflict and behavior to be:
Team Behavior and Conflict
“Unclear Goals”- your team will work towards varying goals or not understand or be aware of specific team goals.
Results
High levels of Expressed or Wanted Control will result in your team conflict and behavior to be:
“Domination”- an individual or group within the team would have an excessive amount of power over decision-making, resulting in new ideas being taken less seriously by the team.
Results
High levels of Expressed or Wanted Inclusion will result in your team conflict and behavior to be:
Team Behavior and Conflict
“Suppression of Differences” your team will generally prefer to go along with the team rather then express differences and usually only implements decisions that are weakly supported.
Results
High levels of Expressed or Wanted Affection will result in your team conflict and behavior to be:
Team Behavior and Conflict
“Diversion of Differences”- your team has difficulty processing disagreements while disagreement do not surface during meetings, only afterwards in private.
Results
Low levels of Wanted Control or Wanted Inclusion will result in your team conflict and behavior to be:
Team Behavior and Conflict
“Isolation”- your team believes that their work is best kept secret for possible retaliation or loss of control if outsiders were to hear of the team’s functionality, resulting in people from outside the team believing the team is too private.
While unhealthy team conflict can be detrimental to the efficiency of a team, constructive criticism and constructive conflict are necessary. A team cannot grow without constructive conflict, as this is where and when team members can learn from one another. As long as team conflict stays constructive and does not become a negative construct between team members it can help. The FIRO-B test can help team members understand what type of conflict is occurring within the team and will further aid the team from slipping into unhealthy conflict whereas team members will often make disagreements personal, adding negative connotations. To consider The FIRO-B test for yourself or your team click HERE or go to out FIRO-B test Page by clicking HERE.
To Read the remainder of The FIRO-B Common Types of Team Conflict you can purchase the booklet “Participating in Teams “ (Schnell, E. 2000. CPP) HERE.