Although unseen, everyone knows it is there and will eventually ignite, burning a gaping hole in the team's structure. Team members who practice avoidance do not take risks such as decision-making until they have all the facts in hand. They need ample time to evaluate all possible alternatives to make the best decision. Being fearful of appearing unconfident, these individuals do not participate in conflicting conversations or disagreements for the sole purpose of taking in all the facts before speaking. Once they have had time to absorb and assess the situation or conflict, only then do they feel confident enough to contribute their opinion, and offer ways to resolve the issue. Often these individuals are perceived as insecure or shy, when in reality they are waiting to gather data, analyze it, and then present their side.
An equally difficult, but sometimes is less obvious problem, in dealing with conflict in a team, is over-accommodation. Over-accommodation, if handled incorrectly, can potentially turn hazardous in any environment, whether it is a learning team, work, or at home. In team situations, one person or set of persons may disagree with the way a situation is being handled. However, instead of working through the problem, they decide the best course of action is simply to give in, possibly resulting in feelings of bitterness or anger. Once this occurs, it prevents the best solutions from being presented. People, who use over use accommodation as a coping mechanism, are frequently the ones who should not give in so easily, because they have a lot to contribute to the team. Nonetheless, when they do this it is because they are being too nice and do not want their actions to result in anyone's feelings being hurt. Eventually, when team members are too accommodating, deadlines are not met, conflict is left unresolved, and the environment becomes toxic and unproductive.
