Cooperation and Conflict Co-operation means working together or as defined by one dictionary working together

to share the profits. Perhaps this is the essence of teamwork that people put the teams objectives before their own and share both the financial and psychological rewards of their efforts. Co-operation implies that individuals are committed and willing to be involved in the work they do, and that they are ready to share their skills and information with the rest of the team, knowing that the others will reciprocate. People trust each other and encourage others to use their ideas. Everyone in the team is open about their strengths and weaknesses, knowing that they are accepted. This in itself places a great responsibility on the team to foster and maintain the spirit of cooperation and one finds that the members of the team remind and help individuals who may be falling behind with some task. Co-operation implies ability to consider their interests equally with their own and is willing for people to undertake assignments that contribute to the groups objectives. People are less suspicious of individuals motives in carrying out important assignments. Without trust and openness co-operation cannot occur. It is essential that people are able to talk frankly and without fear of looking foolish. The group leader and members need to work hard at achieving co-operation, for without it there is no real teamwork. When there is a co-operative atmosphere members are more ready to be involved and committed, and information is shared rather than hidden. Individuals listen to the ideas of others and build on them. People find ways of being more helpful to each other and the team. Cooperation encourages high morale-individuals accept each others strengths and weaknesses and contribute from their pool of knowledge and skills. All abilities,

knowledge and experience are fully utilized by the team and individuals have no inhibitions about using other peoples abilities to help with their problems. Where true cooperation is alive, a degree of conflict is also seen as a necessary and useful part of organizational life. The effective team works through issues of conflict and uses the result to help achieve objectives. Conflict is so often seen as the opposite of cooperation. It is true that if a group of people are in constant disagreement they will find achievement difficult, but a certain amount of conflict also prevents a team becoming complacent and lazy and often is the source of new ideas.

THE CONCEPT OF PRIMA DONNASTraditionally, conflict has been seen as something caused by trouble makers or ` PRIMA DONNAS and something which by definition can be avoided or stifled. A more enlightened approach to conflict suggests that it is inevitable and an integral part of the process of change. If this is true, the management of conflict should be aid to cooperation, not an obstacle. However, there are two sides to conflict. One is destructive and unhealthy, the other constructive and healthy. Destructive conflict, which defeats cooperation, can occur when individuals carefully built images are threatened, when personalities intrude, when conflict is expected and the expectation becomes selffulfilling or when two parties are arguing about different things without realizing it. Constructive, healthy conflict has a problem solving base. Those involved in solving the problems are willing to sublimate personality differences, to listen to others views, to be open and candid to each other, to be supportive and helpful. With such behavior, not only is each problem solved with total commitment, but subsequent team interaction becomes more effective, and cooperation improves.