NCS Interpersonal Skills: Teamwork, Conflict, and Leadership at Work

Interpersonal skills (대인관계능력) measures your ability to work effectively with others — in teams, in conflict, in leadership, and in customer-facing situations. For public enterprise roles, where collaboration across departments and service to the public are central, this competency is closely tied to real job performance.

Sub-Competencies

Sub-competency	Korean	Focus
Teamwork	팀워크능력	Contributing to and supporting team goals
Leadership	리더십능력	Guiding and influencing others
Conflict management	갈등관리능력	Resolving disagreements constructively
Negotiation	협상능력	Reaching mutually acceptable agreements
Customer service	고객서비스능력	Meeting external and internal customer needs

1. Team Development (Tuckman Model)

Teams move through predictable stages:

Stage	Characteristics	Leader’s role
Forming	Polite, dependent on leader, unclear roles	Direct clearly, set expectations
Storming	Conflict, resistance, power struggles	Coach, mediate, keep focus
Norming	Cohesion, shared norms, growing trust	Facilitate, step back
Performing	High productivity, collaborative problem-solving	Delegate, support
Adjourning	Project end, closure	Recognize contribution, debrief

Key exam insight: A team experiencing conflict is likely in the Storming stage — this is normal and not a sign of failure.

2. Leadership Styles

Situational Leadership (Hersey & Blanchard)

Leadership style should match the development level of the follower (Readiness = competence + commitment).

Readiness Level	Style	Characteristics
R1 (Low comp, High commitment)	Telling	High task, low relationship
R2 (Low-mid comp, Low commitment)	Selling	High task, high relationship
R3 (Moderate comp, Variable commitment)	Participating	Low task, high relationship
R4 (High comp, High commitment)	Delegating	Low task, low relationship

Transformational vs Transactional Leadership

Type	Focus	Method
Transactional	Exchange — reward for performance	Contingent reward, management by exception
Transformational	Inspiration — elevate followers’ motivation	Idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration

4 I’s of Transformational Leadership: Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, Individualized Consideration.

Servant Leadership

Leader’s primary role is to serve others — remove obstacles, develop people, ensure team has what it needs to perform.

3. Conflict Management (Thomas-Kilmann)

Five styles on two axes: Assertiveness (own concerns) × Cooperativeness (others’ concerns).

Style	Assertive?	Cooperative?	Use when
Competing	High	Low	Emergency; you are clearly right
Accommodating	Low	High	Issue more important to them; preserving relationship
Avoiding	Low	Low	Issue trivial; emotions too high
Compromising	Medium	Medium	Temporary solution; equal power
Collaborating	High	High	Complex, both sides’ needs matter

Collaborating is the preferred long-term style for workplace conflict.

Sources of Workplace Conflict

Resource scarcity (budget, headcount, equipment)
Goal incompatibility between departments
Role ambiguity — unclear responsibilities
Communication failures
Personality and value differences

4. Negotiation (Harvard Principled Negotiation)

Fisher & Ury’s four principles:

Principle	Meaning
Separate people from problems	Address behavior/interests, not personalities
Focus on interests, not positions	Understand why, not just what they want
Invent options for mutual gain	Brainstorm creative solutions before evaluating
Use objective criteria	Base agreements on standards, not power

BATNA (Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement)

The best outcome you can achieve if negotiation fails. Knowing your BATNA gives you a realistic walk-away point.

Strong BATNA = more negotiating power. Improve your BATNA before entering a negotiation.

Negotiation Tactics to Recognize

Anchoring: First offer establishes a reference point — counter by establishing your own anchor
Good cop/bad cop: One negotiator is reasonable, the other extreme — recognize as a team tactic
Deadline pressure: “This offer expires today” — often a tactic; test by asking for an extension

Dimension	Description
Reliability	Ability to deliver promised service accurately and consistently
Assurance	Knowledge and courtesy of staff; ability to inspire trust
Tangibles	Physical facilities, equipment, staff appearance
Empathy	Individualized attention; understanding customer needs
Responsiveness	Willingness to help; prompt service

Handling Complaints

AHA Process (Acknowledge, Handle, Assure):

Acknowledge: “I understand why you are frustrated…”
Handle: Investigate and resolve the issue
Assure: Confirm resolution and what will prevent recurrence

Recovery paradox: Customers whose complaints are resolved well often have higher satisfaction than those who never had a problem. Complaint handling is an opportunity.

6. Building Trust in Teams

Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions (bottom to top of pyramid):

Absence of trust → 2. Fear of conflict → 3. Lack of commitment → 4. Avoidance of accountability → 5. Inattention to results

Solution: Build trust first — through vulnerability, consistency, and follow-through.

Exam Checklist

Tuckman’s 5 team stages in order
Situational Leadership 4 styles matched to readiness levels
4 I’s of Transformational Leadership
Thomas-Kilmann 5 conflict styles — when to use each
Harvard Negotiation 4 principles
BATNA definition
SERVQUAL 5 dimensions
Lencioni 5 dysfunctions