5 Steps To Manage Conflict Between Team Members

Enhance.training

10 Mar 202211:27

Summary

TLDRThis video, led by Jess Coles, offers a five-step guide to effectively manage conflicts between team members. It emphasizes the importance of being proactive, understanding the root causes of conflicts, and addressing difficult individuals or incompetence. Key steps include digging beneath the surface to find underlying issues, improving communication, and implementing changes. By following these steps, managers can reduce workplace tension, enhance team dynamics, and foster a more harmonious and productive environment.

Takeaways

🔍 Proactively addressing conflicts within teams is crucial to preventing them from worsening and impacting performance.
❓ Understanding the causes of conflict by asking questions and gathering specific examples helps to identify the root issues.
⚠️ Difficult people, such as bullies or those with behavioral problems, should be managed carefully, with coaching or, if necessary, removal from the team.
👎 Incompetent individuals causing conflict should be placed in roles where they can contribute positively, avoiding resentment from colleagues.
🔧 Investigating organizational setups, conflicting goals, and overlapping responsibilities can uncover underlying causes of team conflicts.
💬 Improving communication between conflicting parties helps them understand each other's perspectives, reducing tension and leading to better solutions.
🤝 Acting as a mediator, rather than a manager, helps guide individuals toward finding their own resolutions to conflicts, ensuring better ownership of outcomes.
📝 Implementing changes that address external causes of conflict, such as conflicting responsibilities or goals, is essential to resolving issues.
🔨 Building support for proposed changes within the team and across departments helps ensure that changes are successfully implemented.
🧠 Conflict can arise from various sources, including personal behavior, team dynamics, and organizational structure, requiring thorough investigation and tailored solutions.

Q & A

What is the first step to managing conflict between team members?
-The first step to managing conflict between team members is to be proactive. This involves addressing the conflict early and investigating what is causing it, as conflicts usually do not resolve themselves without intervention.
Why is it important to be proactive in addressing team conflicts?
-Being proactive is important because conflicts can negatively impact the team atmosphere and performance. If left unresolved, the conflict may escalate, affecting both the individuals involved and those around them.
What are some initial questions to ask when identifying the cause of conflict between team members?
-Some initial questions include: 'What does the other person do that you find difficult?' and 'What organizational rules or goals might be putting you in conflict?' These questions help pinpoint specific behaviors contributing to the conflict.
How can difficult people or incompetence contribute to team conflict?
-Difficult people, such as bullies, and incompetent employees can be significant sources of conflict. Their behavior or inability to meet job demands can create tension among team members, leading to conflict.
What steps can be taken to manage conflict caused by incompetent team members?
-To manage conflict caused by incompetent team members, it's important to find them a more suitable role where they can perform effectively, thus reducing the frustration and resentment felt by others who may be cleaning up after them.
What are some common organizational causes of conflict between team members?
-Organizational causes of conflict may include overlapping responsibilities, conflicting goals, differing performance levels, or pressures from management. These factors can create tension between employees or teams.
Why is it important to work on communication when managing conflict?
-Working on communication is crucial because it helps individuals understand each other's perspectives, assumptions, and pressures. Improved understanding can significantly reduce or even resolve the conflict.
What role should a manager play in mediating conflicts between team members?
-A manager should act as a mediator, asking questions to guide the discussion rather than imposing solutions. This helps the conflicting parties reach their own understanding or compromise, which increases the likelihood of long-term success.
What is an example of external factors causing conflict in a team?
-An example of external factors causing conflict could be conflicting goals between departments, such as a sales team focused on revenue and a finance team focused on profit. This type of conflict may require changes in organizational objectives to resolve.
How can a manager successfully implement change to resolve conflict?
-A manager can successfully implement change by clearly communicating the need for change, gaining support from team members, and persuading stakeholders to accept adjustments, such as altering responsibilities or aligning goals, to resolve the conflict.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ Managing Conflict in Teams

Managing conflict between team members can be challenging, with potential impacts on the team, individuals, and management. Conflicts often stem from individual thoughts, feelings, and actions, not always from those openly disagreeing. The speaker, Jess Coles, shares insights from a 25-year career on addressing conflicts by following five key steps. Step four focuses on handling employee conflicts caused by differing opinions. The speaker also shares an example of workplace conflict driven by fear and insecurity. The goal is to resolve conflicts for improved team dynamics.

05:01

🚨 Proactive Conflict Resolution

The first step to managing conflict is to be proactive. Conflicts rarely resolve on their own and can negatively affect the team atmosphere and performance. Leaders must identify the root causes of conflict by asking those involved specific questions about behaviors that cause friction. In addition to speaking with the involved parties, it’s crucial to gather input from their peers. The aim is to understand the causes of the conflict, avoid jumping to conclusions, and maintain impartiality. Proactive intervention can prevent conflicts from worsening.

10:02

👥 Handling Difficult and Incompetent Employees

The second step is addressing conflict caused by difficult people or incompetence. Behavioral issues, such as bullying, or poor performance, can lead to workplace conflicts. Some individuals may improve through coaching, while others may require more drastic measures, such as role changes or even termination. Similarly, employees promoted beyond their skill set can create tension as their incompetence burdens colleagues. Placing individuals in roles that suit their abilities and resolving behavioral problems are essential steps in reducing workplace conflict.

🔍 Digging Deeper into Organizational Conflict

Step three involves investigating underlying causes of conflict within the organizational structure. Conflicting goals, overlapping responsibilities, and recent changes can all be sources of tension. By carefully examining these areas and talking to many people involved, managers can uncover the true causes of conflict. This might include pressure from managers, fear over performance discrepancies, or misunderstandings. A thorough investigation helps in finding lasting solutions to resolve conflicts that are often not immediately obvious.

🗣️ Improving Communication Between Conflicting Parties

Step four focuses on improving communication as a way to resolve conflict. Understanding the underlying reasons for the conflict, such as differences in opinions or external pressures, can lead to better communication. Acting as a mediator rather than a manager, leaders can help conflicting parties reach a compromise or mutual understanding. The mediator’s role is to guide the discussion and help individuals find a solution themselves, increasing the likelihood of success. Effective communication fosters mutual respect and reduces conflict.

🔄 Implementing Change to Resolve Conflicts

The final step is implementing changes to address external causes of conflict. For conflicts rooted in organizational issues like misaligned goals or unclear responsibilities, managers must make necessary changes. This could involve redefining job roles or aligning goals across teams, such as resolving conflicts between sales and finance departments with conflicting objectives. Building support for change within the organization is essential to ensure its success. Without support, conflicts will persist. The key is to address the root of the issue through strategic changes.

📊 Summary of Conflict Management Strategies

In conclusion, workplace conflicts arise from various factors, ranging from individual tensions to organizational dysfunction. Managers should act swiftly to address conflicts and prevent them from affecting team performance. The five key steps include being proactive, addressing difficult individuals or incompetence, investigating deeper causes, improving communication, and implementing necessary changes. Taking these steps ensures conflicts are managed effectively, improving overall team dynamics and productivity.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Conflict

Conflict refers to a disagreement or clash between individuals or teams, often leading to tension. In the video, conflict is described as arising from differences in opinions, behaviors, or perceived threats, which can negatively impact team dynamics and productivity. Understanding the root causes of conflict is central to resolving it and improving team cohesion.

💡Proactive

Being proactive means taking early action to address potential problems before they escalate. In the context of conflict management, the video emphasizes the importance of identifying and addressing issues before they worsen, preventing a drop in team morale and performance. Managers are encouraged to intervene early to stop conflicts from festering.

💡Difficult People

Difficult people are individuals whose behavior disrupts the work environment, often leading to conflicts. The video discusses how these people, such as bullies or those with behavioral problems, need to be managed carefully through coaching or repositioning to reduce their negative impact on the team. This can prevent ongoing issues that fuel workplace conflicts.

💡Incompetence

Incompetence refers to individuals who lack the skills or ability to perform their jobs effectively, which can lead to frustration and conflict within the team. The video mentions that incompetence, particularly in fast-growing companies, can create problems as others have to compensate for their mistakes, leading to resentment and friction.

💡Underlying Causes

The underlying causes of conflict are the hidden factors contributing to disagreements, beyond surface-level issues. In the video, the speaker stresses the importance of digging deep to identify these causes, such as overlapping responsibilities, conflicting goals, or organizational changes, which are often not immediately obvious but essential for resolving conflicts.

💡Communication

Communication is the process of exchanging information and understanding between parties. The video highlights the role of effective communication in resolving conflicts, suggesting that facilitating open dialogue between conflicting team members can help them understand each other's perspectives and reduce tensions.

💡Mediator

A mediator is someone who helps conflicting parties reach an agreement by facilitating discussion. In the video, managers are encouraged to take on the role of a mediator, guiding team members in conflict towards understanding each other and reaching a fair compromise, rather than imposing solutions.

💡Organizational Setup

Organizational setup refers to the structure and distribution of roles, responsibilities, and goals within a company. The video suggests that conflicts can arise from poor organizational setup, such as overlapping duties or conflicting objectives between departments, and that addressing these structural issues can help resolve conflicts.

💡External Factors

External factors are influences outside the individuals involved in the conflict that contribute to the issue. The video notes that conflicts may be driven by external pressures, such as conflicting team goals set by management, and resolving these external causes may require organizational changes or management intervention.

💡Compromise

Compromise is the process of both parties in a conflict making concessions to reach a mutually acceptable solution. The video emphasizes that allowing team members to find their own compromise during mediation can lead to more lasting and successful conflict resolution, as they are more likely to take ownership of the outcome.

Highlights

Managing conflict between team members can be a challenging task and may persist despite efforts to resolve it.

Conflict impacts not only the individuals involved but the entire team and can affect overall performance.

Understanding that conflict arises from differences in thoughts, feelings, and actions helps to address its root causes.

The first step in managing conflict is to proactively address it before it escalates and harms the team atmosphere.

Gathering specific examples of behaviors causing conflict helps in diagnosing the root of the problem instead of relying on opinions.

Addressing difficult personalities and incompetence is essential, as these behaviors can be key drivers of conflict.

Coaching or removing individuals who are unable or unwilling to change problematic behaviors can help resolve conflict.

Digging beneath the surface to find underlying organizational causes of conflict, such as conflicting goals or responsibilities, is important for long-term resolution.

Communication plays a crucial role in conflict resolution; understanding different perspectives can reduce tension between conflicting parties.

A mediator should guide conflicting parties towards their own compromise, as solutions they create are more likely to be successful.

Improving communication involves holding separate discussions, acting as a mediator, and leading both parties to a fair resolution.

Implementing change may be necessary to remove external causes of conflict, such as conflicting team goals or responsibilities.

Persuading team members and other stakeholders to accept changes is key to successfully resolving external sources of conflict.

Conflicting goals between departments, such as sales and finance, can be resolved by aligning objectives to reduce tension.

Quickly addressing and resolving conflicts not only improves team dynamics but also prevents long-term issues and supports team performance.