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You can't escape it. Regardless of what you do or where you are, if you are dealing with people, you are going to be dealing with conflict. Conflict can be costly-it can even result in an expensive lawsuit. If two team members are having a personality conflict, it can destroy the productivity for the whole team, leaving every team member with bad feelings. It is important to know how to resolve conflict. By learning the steps of organizational conflict resolution, you can resolve conflicts before they become serious. Work Together to Find Out Where the Conflict Started Often team members will expect a supervisor or some other managing authority to settle a conflict. Unfortunately, putting this responsibility in the hands of another is often disappointing. It is important for team members to learn the steps of organizational conflict resolution themselves so that they can resolve difficulties on their own as often as possible. This will lead to more satisfactory solutions. You really can't expect a supervisor or manager who does little more than check in with the team occasionally to be able to get to the heart of the matter and find out what the true problem is. However, the person who works right next to you knows what you are doing day-in and day-out and vice-versa. Resolving differences with that person one-on-one will be much more meaningful and lasting than leaving the solution to an uninvolved third party who is highly likely to just want to get it over with. In addition, a non-team member brought in to deal with differences within the team can seem more hostile and the detective work they need to do makes team members feel attacked. The effort to solve the problem this way can lead to being more like a round of accusations and people getting emotional. For this reason, it is very important for the good of all parties involved to attempt internal conflict resolution before asking for managements assistance. You and your teams solutions will be more likely to be satisfactory to all at the work place. Any problem can be solved by appointing a team member to facilitate and work toward the inclusion of all of the teams needs with the company as a whole in mind while honoring internal members. Team Led Conflict Resolution Teaches Applicable Lessons If a team resolves a conflict on its own, the team will be able to apply what has been learned the next time a conflict arises. This is a benefit that the team will miss out on if it relies on managing entities to resolve conflicts. Organizations are not concerned with honoring the needs of team members or making adjustments that consider all points of view. They just want the problem to be over and the team to be producing. For this reason, they may not realize or care about inequities such as one team member getting unfair pay increases or other perks. If they see it as furthering their ends, they will make these kinds of decisions. This is when it is important for the team to address the conflicts that arise within the context of the team. By putting a protocol in place within the team for dealing with favoritism, the team will not have to reinvent the wheel the next time the situation arises. What to Do When Conflict Arises Recognize your part in the conflict. It takes two to tango, as the saying goes. Although one member of the team may believe that a conflict is entirely the fault of another team member, this is seldom true. Behavior doesn't happen in a vacuum. If one team member did something that annoyed you, look at your own behavior to see if you might have done something that contributed to that situation. Avoid the temptation to shoot off angry emails or send heated interoffice memos. Remember that words put in writing can come back to haunt you. Keep your conflict resolution at a verbal level so that you can adjust your thoughts as new facts and viewpoints emerge. What Not To Do When Conflict Arises Don't drag lots of people into your attempts at organizational conflict resolution. Remember that too many cooks can spoil the broth. When you have a lot of people involved in a situation you are bound to have gossip, and that never helps anything. Additionally, avoid engaging in an on-the-spot shouting match. Set a specific time and place to meet regarding the conflict, and then give yourself a chance to cool down, reflect, and organize your thoughts before meeting with the team member and a facilitator to resolve your conflict in a productive and mature manner. Steve Wilheir is a project management consultant and the founder of Leadership Development training. Visit his site for more information on Characteristics of an effective leader and Qualities of an Effective Leader
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conflict management, conflict resolution, leadership, management, project management,
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