Play & Enjoy

Everyone do something and enjoy in their life. For example Tiger Woods, him playing goft everyday and get money. So if you are atlete, give your 100% for your games.

Blind Kick Ball ( 18+ GAMES)

The game is simple and would work with any group of 18+. The rules are the same as kickball (3 outs/inning, foul balls, force outs, etc.). The twist is that the students play with a partner and one is blindfolded. At bat, the seeing player kicks the ball, but the blind player runs the bases. The seeing player can run alongside and coach, but may not touch the runner. In the field, the seeing player can catch or stop the ball, but not throw or tag a runner.

They can, however, touch their own blind partner to guide them to throw the ball or lead them to tag the runner. Players alternate being blindfolded each inning. This game is HILARIOUS to watch! It enjoyed games and funny.

(We had an audience at the public park where we were playing.) The Point: Trust, faith, helping each other along in our faith journeys.

Negotiation

Although there are common patterns, there is no one best way to deal with conflict. Disputes arise for different reasons and every team is unique. Varney proposes that negotiation is the most effective response to conflict when both parties stand to gain something, each has some power,and there is interdependency.

Negotiation offers flexibility and viability other responses, such as Avoidance, Confrontation, and Diffusion lack. The process of negotiation involves listening to both sides, seeking out common areas of interest and agreement, and building on them so that individuals can understand each other's points of view.

Varney believes there are four essential skills team leaders need to learn and apply to effectively resolve disagreements using the negotiation process:

Diagnosis: Recognizing areas of understanding and areas of differences.

Initiation: Bringing the disagreements to the surface.

Listening: Hearing not only what the other person is saying, but the Emotional aspects as well.

Problem Solving: A process with numerous steps including data gathering, Considering its impact, examining alternatives, identifying solutions, and developing a plan of action.

Five-P's of Conflict Management

Perceptions:
People associate conflict with negative responses such as anger, fear, tension, and anxiety. Rarely do we perceive any benefits from being involved in a dispute. Our negative perceptions impact ourapproach in resolving conflict as we strive to eliminate the source of these negative feelings.

Problems:
Anyone can be involved in a conflict, and the amount of time, money, and equipment needed for resolution will vary according to its complexity.

Processes:
There are different ways to go about resolving disputes: Suppress the conflict, give in, fight, litigate, mediate, etc.

Principles:
We determine the priorities of all resolution processes on the basis of an analysis of our fundamental values regarding efficiency, participation, fairness, compliance, etc.Practices:
Power, self-interest, and unique situations are all factors relating to why people resolve disputes the way they do.

Stulberg proposed these patterns as an aid for formal mediators, but anyone dealing with conflict can benefit from understanding the elements common to disagreements.

Team Resolution Process

Rayeski and Bryant (1994) recommend using the Team Resolution Process to handle conflict when it occurs in teams. Conflict should first be handled on an informal basis between the individuals involved. This, they say, will allow time for resolution or self-correction by the individuals. If the conflict remains unsettled, a mediator can be brought in to help resolvethe situation. If resolution is still not achieved the dispute should be openly discussed in a team meeting. A formal discipline process needs to occur, if resolution is not achieved after being addressed at the team level.

The escalating process of Team Resolution is as follows:

1. Collaboration (One-on-one):
Handle the new problem person-to-person. Use as many facts as possible and relate the issue to customer, team, or organizational needs. Be open and honest and conduct the session in a private setting. Document the concerns or issues, the dates, and the resolution, if any, and have both parties sign it.

2. Mediation (One-on-one with Mediator):
If collaboration did not work or was inappropriate, handle the problem with a mediator. The mediator must be trained in conflict resolution, understand policy and ethics, be trusted by the team, and have the ability to remain neutral. Gather facts and talk over the issue with the people involved. Bring up as many facts as possible and relate the issue to customer, team, ororganizational needs. Be open and honest and conduct the mediation session in private. Document it and have all parties sign.

3. Team Counseling:
The conflict is now a definite issue to the team. Collaboration and/or Mediation could not be done, were not appropriate, or did not work. Handle the conflict at a team meeting; put the problem on the next agenda and invite the necessary individuals. Again, bring up the facts, relate the issue to customer, team, or organizational needs. Be open and honest, discuss it in a private setting, document it, and have all parties sign it. Anyone on the team can put an issue or problem on the team agenda, however, this step should be used only after Collaboration, and Mediation has beenruled out.

Managing Cooperative Conflict

Though we often view conflict through a negative lens, teams require some conflict to operate effectively. Cooperative conflict can contribute to effective problem solving and decision making by motivating people to examine a problem. Encouraging the expression of many ideas; energizingpeople to seek a superior solution; and fostering integration of several ideas to create high-quality solutions (Tjosvold, 1988). The key is to understand how to handle it constructively. If members understand how to doit, differences that arise can result in benefits for a team.

While it is true that suppressed differences can reduce the effectiveness of a team, when they are brought to the surface, disagreements can be dealt with and problems can be resolved. The actual process of airing differences can help to increase the cohesiveness and effectiveness of the team through the increased interest and energy that often accompanies it. This in turnfosters creativity and intensity among team members. In addition, bringing differences to the surface can result in better ideas and more innovative solutions. When people share their views and strive toward reaching a consensus, better decisions are reached. Team members also improve their communication skills and become better at understanding and listening tothe information they receive when differences are freely aired. Fisher,Belgard, and Rayner (1995) offer these tips on improving listening skills

1. Listen for meaning.

2. Understanding is not agreeing.

3. Seek clarification before responding, if needed.

4. Apply listening skills when receiving a message.

5. Evaluate yourself for how well you listened at the end of anyconversation.

The tension of well-managed conflict allows teams to confront disagreement through healthy discussion and improve the decisions made (Rayeski & Bryant, 1994). This leads to greater team efficiency and effectiveness. Effectively managing conflict allows teams to stay focused on their goals.Swift and constructive conflict management leads to a broader understanding of the problem, healthy expression of different ideas or alternatives, and creates excitement from the positive interaction and involvement which will help the team through periods of transition and on to greater levels ofperformance.

As teams become more responsible for managing themselves, it is important for organizations to help them by identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to handle conflict. Then developing plans to transfer these skills and capabilities over to their teams. Becauseconflict is inevitable in teams, the focus needs to be on how it is managed. Conflict that is poorly handled creates an environment of fear and avoidance of the subject. On the other hand, if properly managed, it can lead to learning, creativity, and growth.

Handling Negative Conflict

When negative conflict does occur there are five accepted methods forhandling it: Direct Approach, Bargaining, Enforcement, Retreat, andDe-emphasis (Nelson, 1995). Each can be used effectively in differentcircumstances.

1. Direct Approach: This may be the best approach of all. It concentrateson the leader confronting the issue head-on. Though conflict isuncomfortable to deal with, it is best to look at issues objectivelyand to face them as they are. If criticism is used, it must beconstructive to the recipients. This approach counts on the techniquesof problem-solving and normally leaves everyone with a sense ofresolution, because issues are brought to the surface and dealt with.

2. Bargaining: This is an excellent technique when both parties haveideas on a solution yet cannot find common ground. Often a thirdparty, such as a team leader, is needed to help find the compromise.Compromise involves give and take on both sides, however, and usuallyends up with both walking away equally dissatisfied.

3. Enforcement of Team Rules: Avoid using this method if possible, it canbring about hard feelings toward the leader and the team. Thistechnique is only used when it is obvious that a member does not wantto be a team player and refuses to work with the rest. If enforcementhas to be used on an individual, it may be best for that person tofind another team.

4. Retreat: Only use this method when the problem isn't real to beginwith. By simply avoiding it or working around it, a leader can oftendelay long enough for the individual to cool off. When used in theright environment by an experienced leader this technique can help toprevent minor incidents that are the result of someone having a badday from becoming real problems that should never have occurred.

5. De-emphasis: This is a form of bargaining where the emphasis is on theareas of agreement. When parties realize that there are areas wherethey are in agreement, they can often begin to move in a newdirection.

Conflict Issues

1. Administrative Procedures: If the team lacks good groundwork for whatit's doing, its members will not be able to coordinate their work.

2. People Resources: If the team does not have enough resources to do thejob, it is inevitable that some will carry too heavy a load.Resentment, often unexpressed, may build, so it is crucial that teamleaders ensure adequate resources.

3. Cost overruns: Often inevitable, cost overruns become a problem whenproper measures are not taken. The whole team should know early onwhen cost becomes a problem so additional funding can be sought by theteam. This way the problem can be resolved before it grows into aproblem for management.

4. Schedules: The schedule is highly consequential to the team's projectand should be highly visible. All members should be willing to worktogether to help each other meet their deadlines.

5. Responsibilities: Each team member must know what areas are assignedand who is accountable for them.

6. Wish Lists: Stick to the project at hand and avoid being sidetrackedinto trying to fit other things into it. Wait and do the other thingsyou would like to do after successful completion of the originalproject.

Conflict Arises From Differences.

When individuals come together in workteams their differences in terms of power, values and attitudes, and socialfactors all contribute to the creation of conflict. It is often difficultto expose the sources of conflict. Conflict can arise from numerous sourceswithin a team setting and generally falls into three categories:communication factors, structural factors and personal factors (Varney,1989). Barriers to communication are among the most important factors andcan be a major source of misunderstanding. Communication barriers includepoor listening skills; insufficient sharing of information; differences ininterpretation and perception; and nonverbal cues being ignored or missed.Structural disagreements include the size of the organization, turnoverrate, levels of participation, reward systems, and levels ofinterdependence among employees. Personal factors include things such as anindividual's self-esteem, their personal goals, values and needs. In orderfor conflict to be dealt with successfully, managers and team members mustunderstand its unpredictability and its impact on individuals and the teamas a whole.

Conflict in work teams is not necessarily destructive, however. Conflictcan lead to new ideas and approaches to organizational processes, andincreased interest in dealing with problems. Conflict, in this sense, canbe considered positive, as it facilitates the surfacing of important issuesand provides opportunities for people to develop their communication andinterpersonal skills. Conflict becomes negative when it is left to escalateto the point where people begin to feel defeated, and a combative climateof distrust and suspicion develops (Bowditch & Buono, 1997). Nelson (1995)cautions that negative conflict can destroy a team quickly, and oftenarises from poor planning. He offers this list of high potential areas fromwhich negative conflict issues commonly arise:

Resolving Conflict in Work Teams

A major advantage a team has over an individual is its diversity ofresources, knowledge, and ideas. However, diversity also produces conflict.As more and more organizations restructure to work teams the need fortraining in conflict resolution will continue to grow. Varney (1989)reports that conflict remained the number-one problem for most of the teamsoperating within a large energy company, even after repeated trainingsessions on how to resolve conflict and how to minimize the negative impacton team members. One reason for this may be that mangers and other leaderswithin organizations are not giving the issue of resolving conflict enoughattention. Varney's research showed that although most managers are awareof disagreements and have received training in conflict resolution, theyseldom assign a high priority to solving conflict problems. With this inmind, it is critical that team members possess skills to resolve conflictamong themselves.

Beckham Back To Real Madrid

David Beckham is back in the reckoning at Real Madrid after Fabio Capello reversed his decision to sideline the former England captain and included him in the squad for Saturday's league match at Real Sociedad.
Capello said Beckham's continued professionalism had persuaded him to backtrack on his pledge that the midfielder would never again play for Real following his announcement that he would be joining LA Galaxy at the end of the season.
We had doubts after he signed such an important contract with the American side," Capello told a news conference at Real's training base in Valdebebas.
"We doubted he could train with the same enthusiasm after that, but he has been training perfectly. He has always had the full support of his team mates. He has behaved like a great professional and is now returning to the squad.
"I'm counting on him until the end of the season."
Capello, whose position is under threat after back-to-back defeats in the league, said that the decision was his own and that he had not been pressured by either the players or the club's directors.
"It was down to Beckham's hard work and attitude. The intelligent thing to do is to correct things when mistakes are made. I spoke with him a week ago and again today. We are
very happy and he is too."
Club captain Raul, midfielder Guti and several other first team players had come out in support of Beckham in recent weeks saying he should continue playing until the end of his contract.
Beckham was embraced by several team mates including Raul after being given the news of his inclusion in the squad.
The 31-year-old midfielder said earlier this week he was desperate to play for Real again. "It is very hard for me because I would like to help the team," he told sports daily Marca.
"I'm desperate to play again ... I don't know if I will but I've got to keep on training. I want to leave this club on a high."
Spanish media have pointed to the fact that other players such as Barcelona's Javier Saviola and Valencia's Roberto Ayala, whose contracts also terminate at the end of the season, are still playing for their respective clubs. Beckham's last appearance for Real was when he came on as a substitute in their 2-0 defeat at Deportivo Coruna on January 7 a few days before announcing he had signed a five-year deal with LA Galaxy worth $250 million (128 million pounds

Beckham go MLS

Former England captain David Beckham is likely to make his Major League Soccer debut on August 5 when the Los Angeles Galaxy travel to Canada to take on the league's newest franchise Toronto FC.
According to the MLS schedule released on Tuesday, Beckham and the Galaxy will make stops in every league city except Dallas after he completes his contract with Real Madrid in mid-July.
Beckham has signed a five-year $250-million deal with Los Angeles.
Dallas could become the first North American city to welcome Beckham with the Galaxy scheduled to take on FC Dallas in a Super League clash in late July.
With the MLS schedule now confirmed, the announcement is likely to trigger another rush on ticket sales as fans look to catch a glimpse of the world's most recognizable soccer player.
News of Beckham's signing sparked a surge in ticket sales in Toronto with the club selling more than 3,000 seasons tickets in the days following the announcement.
The 12th MLS season will kick off on April 7 when four-times MLS Cup champion D.C. United visit the Colorado Rapids.