Leadership Step 6

Outcomes

To achieve Step 6, learners will show that they can manage disagreements towards achieving shared solutions. 

In Step 5, the focus was on how to set up and manage a group discussion in the format of a meeting. This step focuses on when there are disagreements, how these can be positive opportunities, and how to work towards a shared solution. 

Learners need to be able to:

• Know when disagreements are helpful

• Recognise when disagreements can become helpful

• Know how to turn disagreements into shared solutions

Introduction

• Share and discuss reasons for why disagreements might occur when working in a group.

• Explain that not all disagreements are unhelpful. If we always agree with one another we risk ‘groupthink’: when it is easier to just agree than decide on something difficult.

• A good leader will encourage their team to contribute to discussions and actively encourage different views and perspectives. It can be helpful to have new ideas for solving problems or to consider new problems.

Teach & Apply

• Disagreements can also be negative if the timing or way they are delivered is wrong. Ask learners to consider a recent argument: “How did this make you feel? What happened next? Were you able to resolve it?” Emphasise that unresolved disagreements can lead to bad feelings in a team and hinder the progress of a team towards their goal.

• There are different strategies we can use to help reach a consensus:

  • Voting and agreeing to go with the outcome of the vote

  • Combining everyone’s ideas together to create new ideas

  • Agreeing that one person will make the decision this time but someone else will have the final say next time. 

• How to reach shared solutions:

  • Give everyone to the opportunity to share their views

  • Actively encourage a range of views

  • Reach consensus – If you do not all agree, then you can use voting to help make the decision or appoint a leader to decide.

Reflection & Assessment

Embed these strategies across your teaching and coaching to help learners apply what they’ve learnt.

• When groups of learners are observed using effective strategies to resolve disagreements, explicitly praise this and share this with the rest of the wider group, e.g. ‘Ryan showed great leadership by allowing another team mate to have the overriding vote for the best game of dodgeball.’

Use these ideas for ways of assessing this skill step to help you check learners’ understanding and confidence.

• Ask learners to volunteer a person who they felt resolved any disagreements the best within their team.

• Ask these reflective questions:

  • When have you experienced disagreements that end up being helpful?

  • When have you seen disagreements that are unhelpful?

  • What do you think works to turn disagreements into shared solutions?