Half Baked Idea #4 - I knew you were truffle when you walked in
Lessons in agility from the Great British Bake Off
During chocolate week on the Great British Bake Off the contestants seemed to be battling each other, as well as the British weather. It wasn’t the wind or rain causing havoc though, it was the heat! Stress levels were high, the chocolate and the contestants were melting, and poor Tasha had to take a break from the tent and was unable to finish the challenge.
This time, tempering chocolate got us thinking about conflict.
At a high level, conflict usually arises due to an unmet need or expectation.
People often think conflict is inherently bad and avoid it, but in fact healthy conflict is necessary in high performing teams and organisations. Once a team has built trust and believes that everyone has the best intentions, it enables people to share ideas, disagree but come together to find the best recipe for success.
Some tips for navigating conflict
If you are a coach or a leader working with a team you’ll probably have spotted some ‘elephants in the bakery’ quickly- don’t jump in straight away! Observe for a while, to see if the team can navigate and self-organise it’s way out of it themselves. (If you’re an individual experiencing conflict, don’t put it off.)
Don’t keep kicking issues down the road as that can lead to bigger issues and the team won’t learn and grow from it. So if conflict is becoming unhealthy, rise to the occasion and address the dough-lema! Simply asking the question in a retrospective and neutralising the language might help. It might also help to ask someone independent to facilitate a discussion.
You could use techniques like Clean Language and Impact Feedback to clearly express the issue:
Try not to avoid, yield (give in for the sake of harmony) or force your needs with the aim of winning
You could try to compromise by giving everyone a part of what they want but not enough to make them really happy, but…
…the best outcomes usually come from problem-solving or integration to find ways that meet the needs of all involved. New and creative solutions can come about from objectively evaluating different viewpoints and experiences.
Want a few more Twix up your sleeves? Here’s a few more useful resources:
https://medium.com/@johnpcutler/of-course-psychological-safety-but-how-21adb8d97ba7