Collaboration Development Exercise

THE ART OF WAR Dispute resolution procedures - Preliminary Exercise According to the ancient warrior-philosopher, Sun Tzu, the wisest and most efficient way of managing conflict is to render conflict completely unnecessary – the next best way is to nip it in the bud - and the last resort is to go into battle... Taoism and The Art of War by Sun Tzu

“A lord of ancient China once asked his physician, a member of a family of healers, which of them was the most skilled in the art. The physician, whose reputation was such that his name became synonymous with medical science in China, replied,

 ‘My eldest brother sees the spirit of sickness and removes it before it takes shape, so his name does not get out of the house. 

‘My elder brother cures sickness when it is still extremely minute, so his name does not get out of the neighborhood. 

‘As for me, I puncture veins, prescribe potions, and massage skin, so from time to time my name gets out of the and is heard among the lords”

‘Translator’s Introduction’ by Thomas Cleary 

One of the characteristics of a good collaborative practice is that you donot have to employ ‘dispute resolution procedures’. However, if conflict does arise you need to establish ‘rules of engagement’ and a way for you and the group to ‘get over it and move on’. This includes:

- Transparent and inclusive strategies for broaching and discussing collaborative issues. - A clear understanding of the (agreed on) consequences for an individual who transgresses - A commitment to allowing (indeed – helping) the group ‘heal’ after dealing with a ‘situation’ – this includes allowing the ‘transgressor’ to ‘redeem themselves’ or ‘make up for it’ and (preferably) be forgiven.

The following exercise is designed to help you think about and discuss potential problems before they happen, for, as Sun Tzu advocated – ‘knowledge of the problem is key to the solution’. 1. Make list of scenarios that have led to conflict and or difficulties during previous creative collaborations you and your group have worked within. Eg.

• There are personality conflicts in the group; one member feels ‘ganged up on’ – creating discord and an unhappy collaborative environment 
• A group member does not ‘pull their weight’ and is often absent – forcing others to do more than their ‘fair share’ and making them feel disgruntled (aka unhappy collaborative environment). 

2. Discuss and reflect on how you and your group members would deal with each of the listed situations. Ensure that each group member understands:

- The behaviours and actions are considered unacceptable by the group - The procedures for formally recognizing, broaching and dealing with transgressions to accepted group rules and expectations - The consequences and ramifications for an individual who transgresses - The process by which the group decides and indicates that the individual has adequately compensated or ‘made up for’ for their transgression.

3. Now that you have discussed and explored the worst-case scenarios – draw on hindsight and talk about the early ‘warning signs’ of conflict (regardless of whether conflict was expressed in angry exchanges or brooding, dissatisfied silence) – how did you feel, what did you observe in other’s behavior, how did it affect your work or engagement in the task, the impact on meeting attendance, how did it affect the relationships within the group and what you discussed? etc. If you been in a situation where the signs of impending conflict reared its head but didn’t eventuate – then share your ideas as to why/how you think actual conflict averted. 4. Reaffirm your commitment to maintaining good collaborative practice - working effectively and happily together. Discuss and reflect on what you need to do to achieve this.