Conflicts as an opportunity for team building in kindergarten

Table of contents

1 My motivation

2 Introduction

3 What is a conflict?
3.1 Definition conflict
3.2 Intrapersonal conflict
3.3 Interpersonal conflict

4 Types of conflict and their causes
4.1 The distribution conflict:
4.2 Perception conflict
4.3 Value conflict
4.4 Role conflict
4.5 Conflict of objectives/ conflict of interest
4.6 Organization/information conflict
4.7 The relationship conflict:

5 Conflict analysis

6 10 questions about conflict diagnosis
6.1 The 9 Stages of Conflict according to Friedrich Glasl
6.2 Conflict resolution models
6.3 Win-win model
6.3.1 Compulsion/ Pressure
6.3.2 Yield
6.3.3 Avoid
6.3.4 Compromise
6.3.5 Direct confrontation

7 A conflict discussion is pending
7.1 Rules in conflict discussion
7.2 Attitude in conflict discussion
7.3 Confrontation formula

8 Seize the opportunity of conflict
8.1 Prerequisite in the team
8.2 The role of management

9 Conclusion
9.1 Own reflection

10 Appendix

11 Reference

12 Bibliography

1 My motivation

Conflict management, what does that involve? I asked myself this question before the teaching topic and I was captivated from the first moment. I think that it is a very important and far-reaching topic, which unfortunately did not receive the necessary attention in my training as a state-approved educator. How do I deal with conflict situations? The topic inspired me very much to self-reflection and directed my gaze much more consciously to my handling of conflicts, as well as observing the behavior of my colleagues in conflict situations more intensively. It was noticeable that conflicts are very often avoided by people putting back. I myself experimented with the different models and also with the confrontation formula in conflict talks. I experienced the conflicts differently and the way I dealt with colleagues and parents was "different" than before. I wondered what this meant. I could only explain it to myself by consciously noting and taking up the conflict and wanting to achieve a solution to the conflict. This gave rise to the thesis "Seeing conflicts as an opportunity for team building in kindergarten."

I am currently working as a group leader in a crèche group, together with 2 other specialists and an intern in the Voluntary Social Year. The entire house comprises 9 groups and thus 28 employees, all of which contribute to team building with their own values, expectations and needs.

2 Introduction

Conflicts are quite natural in living together and in the cooperation of people and yet not welcome. We all long for harmony and not for conflicts that cost a lot of time and energy. In kindergarten, as in any other way of coming together, these conflicts are the order of the day, because each employee brings her own professional view, her personal ideas, her own values and experiences with her. Whether a conflict can be an opportunity to build a team depends on the way it is handled and that's what the following chapters will be about.

3 What is a conflict?

In order to be able to use the energy of a conflict constructively as a leader, there must be space and time in the team for a common framework for reflection, and a common understanding of what constitutes a conflict must first be found out.¹

3.1 Definition conflict

The word "conflict" is derived from the Latin word "confligere" and means "meeting", "fighting" or "conflict" of opposing forces of roughly equal strength.²,³ Roswitha Burchat-Harms writes in her book, "Conflict is the incompatibility in thinking, feeling and/ or wanting [...] with the impairment of the goals, interests, feelings [...] which must be felt at least by one actor (person, group or organization). Conflict is therefore a process in which conflicting forces collide either in a person (inner-psychologically) or between individual persons and/or groups, organizations (socially)."⁴

A conflict can take place on two levels: on the one hand "intrapersonally", i.e. within a person and on the other hand also "interpersonal", i.e. between two or more persons and groups. In kindergarten, the "interpersonal" or social conflict very often plays a role.

3.2 Intrapersonal conflict

An intrapersonal conflict is when a conflict takes place within a person. This can occur if the management has to decide between two applicants or if there is a conflict in the room for which no solution has yet been found and this is felt burdensome for further cooperation. An intrapersonal conflict can unbalance and unsettle a person⁵. If the person does not see any alternative courses of action, it can then also lead to helplessness, resignation and burn-out. As a leader, I also need to know my limits and, if necessary, encourage my colleague to seek professional help in this already well-advanced conflict.⁶

3.3 Interpersonal conflict

The interpersonal conflict takes place between at least two people or a group. This conflict is characterized by different intentions to act, there are feelings and attempts to influence are made. This conflict becomes clear in dealing with each other, the tone becomes sharper and more direct, information is deliberately withheld and the mood is cold. Those involved are suspicious of each other and hostilities can ensthre.⁷

4 Types of conflict and their causes

Conflicts exist in a variety of ways, the language is of distributional conflict, perception conflict, value conflict, role conflict, conflict of objectives and conflicts of interest, organizational and information conflict as well as relationship conflict. The conflicts cannot always be clearly differentiated, but they are important in the investigation of the causes.

4.1 The distribution conflict:

In the case of a distribution conflict, a comparison takes place between at least one other colleague. There is a feeling of unequal distribution. You feel unfairly treated and envy arises. In the example: Educator A. has received the same share as colleague B. despite additional work in the performance-related payment. Mrs A. feels disadvantaged and treated unfairly.

4.2 Perception conflict

A conflict of perception can arise if the pedagogical specialists attach different importance and interest to a topic in the team.

4.3 Value conflict

Each person has their own idea of right and wrong, everyone has their own scale of values. In a conflict of values, at least two people come into conflict because they add different meanings to a thing. Nevertheless, a conflict of values can also take place as an intrapersonal conflict. If an institution attaches great importance to a Christian education and mediation of Christian values, but one does not represent these values for oneself, it can happen very quickly that one gets into an inner conflict.

4.4 Role conflict

A role conflict can again be based on two levels of conflict. The intraroll conflict and the interroll conflict. In the intra-role conflict, the educator should meet and meet various expectations and needs as a role of the educator. The parents, the management and also the child have an expectation of her as a "kindergarten teacher". One speaks of the interroll conflict when a person in different roles is to meet the expectations. As group management, for example, the role of the educator, the colleague and the group leader comes together. In the case of actuators and the line itself, the respective role is also added.

4.5 Conflict of objectives/ conflict of interest

This is usually about the fact that the pedagogical specialists pursue different goals and interests. Often a mistake also takes place in communication and you could also call it a "path conflict". The educators have the same goal, but different paths that lead there.

4.6 Organization/information conflict

This conflict brings with it a great deal of chaos. There is a lack of agreements, the flow of information and communication among the specialists is disrupted. There is a lack of rules and standards in everyday life, activities or festivals. In a very large team, not everyone can always meet for the team meetings, so once a week the group leaders meet with the management for the team meeting. Many important points are discussed here. However, this information must also reach the other colleagues in order to ensure cooperation on the same level of knowledge and a smooth process in everyday life.

4.7 The relationship conflict:

Here, the conflict takes place very strongly on the emotional level. The factual level, which was at stake, is becoming more and more in the background and will at some point no longer really be able to be named by both sides. A relationship conflict is very emotional and an old, unresolved conflict usually plays a role. This conflict can go so far that the colleague is rejected as a whole person and anger, hatred and anger play a very important role.⁸ The relationship conflict brings with it tunnel vision, i.e. Educator A hears in everything that educator B says, all with the Apell ear.⁹ See the 4-ear model after Schulz von Thun. He assumes that each message contains four different aspects, regardless of whether this is intended by educator B or not. The communication model shows how a message is structured and how the meaning can be correctly recognized.¹⁰

Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten

Figure 1

5 Conflict analysis

In order to use a conflict as an opportunity, a conflict must be closely examined and analyzed. In a conflict investigation, the following 10 aspects are important aids to get to the cause of the conflict. It should be noted that one looks for the cause and not for the culprit

6 10 questions about conflict diagnosis

1. Who is directly involved in the conflict? 2. Are there any other participants? (relatives, colleagues, friends,...) 3. What is it all about? (Identify a conflict) 4. Are there any side conflicts? 5. What is my share of the conflict? 6. What was the cause of the conflict? 7. Follow the course in steps. 8. What are its short- or longer-term effects? 9. What happens if the conflict is not resolved? 10. How should it continue - what are the possible solutions?¹¹

[...]

¹ According to Roswitha Burchat-Harms, conflict management: Wie Kindergärten TOP werden, Herman Luchterhand Verlag GmbH, Berlin 2001, page 19

² after http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konflikt, read on 4.3.2012

³ After Viva Fialke, kindergarten heute- Wie Sie mit Konflikte souverän umgehen, Title number 245, Verlag Herder GmbH, Freiburg im Breisgau 2010, page 3

⁴ Roswitha Burchat-Harms, Conflict Management: Wie Kindergärten TOP werden, Herman Luchterhand Verlag GmbH, Berlin 2001, page 19

^5cf. Kerstin Rohdenburg, Konflikte beinhalten auch eine Chance- intrapersonale und interpersonelle Konflikte in Kindertageseinrichtungen, GRIN Verlag, 1st edition 2009, page 5

^6cf. Roswitha Burchat-Harms, Conflict Management: Wie Kindergärten TOP werden, Herman Luchterhand Verlag GmbH, Berlin 2001, page 20

^7cf. Kerstin Rohdenburg, Konflikte beinhalten auch eine Chance- intrapersonale und interpersonelle Konflikte in Kindertageseinrichtungen, GRIN Verlag, 1st edition 2009, page 6f

^8cf. Teaching content Subject Social and personal competence on December 2, 2011, Lecturer Mrs. Aloisia Brenner

^9cf. Teaching content Subject Social and personal competence on December 2, 2011, Lecturer Mrs. Aloisia Brenner

¹⁰ cf. Gabriele Kelch, Teamkonflikte gemeinsam lösen, Verlag Herder GmbH, Freiburg im Breisgau 2009, page 98f

^11cf. Teaching content Subject Social and personal competence on December 6, 2011, Lecturer Mrs. Aloisia Brenner