My Reading on ASQ CQA HB Part III

Part IIIC
Team Conflict.
Conflict responses include the following guidelines:
• Avoiding an issue or a person is not an option if the conflict is relevant to the audit. If the conflict is a nonaudit
issue, avoiding the conflict allows everyone to save face, but the conflict goes unresolved.
• Smoothing over may be an option if the issue is minor or irresolvable. Those in conflict should focus on
what they agree on instead of what they disagree on. Trying to address the conflict may detract from the
effectiveness of the audit team.
• Forcing someone to accept an opinion or overpowering him or her is not good practice unless it remains the
only course of action to ensure a successful audit. In some situations, a quick decision is needed and there
is no time for investigating and evaluating the issue. The “my way or the highway” approach can lead to
resentment and detract from team effectiveness. The lead auditor should consider all inputs before making
a final decision.
• Compromising assumes everyone can accept less than their original position. Compromise can result in no
one getting what they wanted. A compromise may be to agree to cite both clause numbers in the
nonconformity statement when the team cannot agree on which requirement is more applicable. A less
desirable compromise may be to remove the nonconformity because the audit team could not agree on the
best clause to cite in the nonconformity statement.
• Collaboration or problem solving seeks to find a mutually agreeable solution to the conflict. It is a win-win
approach. Tactics include stating the problem, identifying core issues, and listening to each other. The basis
is that given the same facts, two reasonable people will come to the same conclusion. Collaboration should
be used when resolution of the conflict is very important an there is sufficient time to explore rational and
alternate solutions.
Charlie Chong/ Fion Zhang