Conflict Resolution in Project Teams

At Amazon, two of my top engineers had a shouting match that ended in tears. This could be a sign of a toxic workplace or a sign of passion and motivation. Whether it becomes toxic or not all comes down to how management deals with conflict. In order to deal with conflict in your team, it is first essential to understand it. A Harvard study has identified that there are 4 types of conflict that are common in teams: 1. The Boxing Match: Two people within a team disagree 2. The Solo Dissenter: Conflict surrounds one individual 3. Warring Factions: Two subgroups within a team disagree 4. The Blame Game: The whole team is in disagreement My engineers shouting at each other is an example of the boxing match. They were both passionate and dedicated to the project, but their visions were different. This type of passion is a great driver for a healthy team, but if the conflict were to escalate it could quickly become toxic and counterproductive. In order to de-escalate the shouting, I brought them into a private mediation. This is where one of the engineers started to cry because he was so passionate about his vision for the project. The important elements of managing this conflict in a healthy and productive way were: 1) Giving space for each of the engineers to explain their vision 2) Mediating their discussion so that they could arrive at a productive conclusion 3) Not killing either of their passion by making them feel unheard or misunderstood Ultimately, we were able to arrive at a productive path forward with both engineers feeling heard and respected. They both continued to be top performers. In today’s newsletter, I go more deeply into how to address “Boxing Match” conflicts as both a manager and an IC. I also explain how to identify and address the other 3 common types of team conflict. You can read the newsletter here https://lnkd.in/gXYr9T3r Readers- How have you seen team member conflict handled well in your careers?

Conflict gets a bad rap in the workplace. Early in my career, I believed conflict had no place in a healthy workplace. As I progressed, I realized that it was quite the contrary. The lack of conflict isn't a sign of a healthy work culture, rather it is an indication that important debates, discussions and differing viewpoints are being disregarded or suppressed. This insight revealed another key aspect: high-performing teams do not shy away from conflict. They embrace it, leveraging diverse opinions to drive optimal outcomes for customers. What sets these teams apart is their ability to handle conflict constructively. So how can this be achieved? I reached out to my friend Andrea Stone, Leadership Coach and Founder of Stone Leadership, for some tips on effectively managing conflict in the workplace. Here's the valuable guidance she provided: 1. Pause: Take a moment to assess your feelings in the heat of the moment. Be curious about your emotions, resist immediate reactions, and take the time to understand the why behind your feelings. 2. Seek the Other Perspective: Engage genuinely, listen intently, show real interest, and ask pertinent questions. Remember to leave your preconceived judgments at the door. 3. Acknowledge Their Perspective: Express your understanding of their viewpoint. If their arguments have altered your perspective, don't hesitate to share this with them. 4. Express Your Viewpoint: If your opinion remains unswayed, seek permission to explain your perspective and experiences. Remember to speak from your viewpoint using "I" statements. 5. Discuss the Bigger Objective: Identify common grounds and goals. Understand that each person might have a different, bigger picture in mind. This process can be taxing, so prepare beforehand. In prolonged conflict situations, don't hesitate to suggest breaks to refresh and refuel mentally, physically, and emotionally. 6. Know Your Limits: If the issue is of significant importance to you, be aware of your boundaries. For those familiar with negotiation tactics, know your BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement). 7. Finalize Agreements: Once an agreement has been reached, continue the engagement to agree on responsibilities and timeframes. This ensures clarity on the outcome and commitments made. PS: Approach such situations with curiosity and assume others are trying to do the right thing. 🔁 Useful? I would appreciate a repost. Image Credit: Hari Haralambiev ----- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

85% of employees encounter workplace conflicts, but most leaders avoid addressing them. This used to be one of my weaknesses too, till I learnt the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model. This categorizes all forms of conflict resolution into five distinct strategies, based on a balance between assertiveness and cooperation. Here are the 5 strategies it teaches you, and when to use each: 1. Competing You push your agenda with authority or strong arguments. It’s great for quick decisions but might strain relationships. Example: A project manager insists on a specific vendor, though the team doesn't like working with them, leading to resentment but meeting tight deadlines. 2. Accommodating You put others’ needs first to keep the peace. Best for when harmony matters more than the issue itself. Example: A team leader agrees to extend a colleague’s project deadline, even if it delays their own work, to maintain team morale. 3. Avoiding Sidestepping conflict altogether, ignoring the problem for the time being. This can be helpful when the issue is minor, but often leads to unresolved tensions. Example: An employee is unhappy with a project they’re assigned, but it’s only for 2 months, so they avoid raising concerns. 4. Collaborating You and the other party work together, investing time and resources to find a solution that satisfies everyone. Perfect for complex problems. Example: Two team leads work together to split resources between projects, ensuring both teams meet their goals without sacrificing quality. 5. Compromising You both give up something to reach an agreement. It’s a middle ground between competing and accommodating. Example: Two managers agree to split the budget increase, each getting half of what they initially wanted to support their projects. - The Thomas-Kilmann Model isn’t just a theory - it’s a practical tool you can apply daily. Consciously finding the right type of conflict handling style to use is a game changer for leaders - and will lead to a stronger team. #companyculture #leadership #strategies

A recent post about Project Aristotle, our study on team effectiveness at Google, brought back a key personal learning. In that work, psychological safety, as defined and deeply researched by Amy Edmondson, emerged as the single most important factor behind team success. A key aspect of psychological safety is creating an environment where it’s safe to disagree. When we talk about conflict on teams, we often think in terms of “more” or “less.” But that framing is incomplete. What matters just as much as the presence of conflict is the quality of it. Here’s a 2x2 I find helpful, inspired by the work of Liane Davey, Priya Parker and Kim Scott. For me, the most insidious quadrant here is unhealthy peace, where surface-level harmony conceals deeper dysfunction. It often feels like saying “Sure, that works” even when your inner voice is saying “this doesn’t sit right.” You see avoidable mistakes happen. You may be in the room physically but are checked out mentally. Healthy conflict feels very different. You can disagree openly while still feeling like you belong. You walk out of a hard conversation with more clarity and more trust. You experience being stretched and challenged in a way that sharpens you and your team. So how do you know where you stand? Here are a few reflection cues that are helpful: -- Am I holding back because I want to be thoughtful, or because I’m afraid? -- Do I leave hard conversations feeling like something real got said? -- If I disagree with someone in power, do I trust they’ll listen? Like any muscle, the ability to engage in healthy conflict takes practice: -- You have to start with curiosity: “Can you help me understand how you got there?” -- You need to muster courage to name the discomfort: “This is hard to talk about, but I think it matters” -- Reflect after the disagreement: Did we learn? Did we grow? It’s one thing to have healthy conflict with peers. It’s much harder when there’s a power gap and when the person across from you controls your ratings, promotions, or future opportunities. That’s why leadership role modeling matters. If leaders don’t create environments where disagreement can be surfaced safely, they are setting their teams back. Make it easier for others to be both brave and heard -- that's the kind of leadership I've aspired to.

85% of employees experience workplace conflict. Imagine this: Two senior managers aren’t talking. Their teams feel the tension. A big deadline is approaching. The outcome? It’s not looking good. Master conflict resolution with these 4 frameworks: 1. Dual Concern Model for Conflict Resolution Pick the right approach: → Commanding (use power when necessary) → Collaborating (win-win solution) → Compromising (both give a little) → Avoiding (when a pause helps) → Accommodating (yield to maintain harmony) 2. Principled Negotiation     Focus on interests, not positions: → Separate people from the problem → Focus on interests → Brainstorm options → Use objective criteria     3. Nonviolent Communication     Speak without blame: → “I’m noticing…” (Observation) → “I’m feeling…” (Feelings) → “I would like…” (Needs) → “Would you…” (Requests) 4. The LEAPS Method     Build understanding: → Listen → Empathize → Ask → Paraphrase → Summarize For example, in the case of those two managers: You could meet with each manager one-on-one. Listen carefully. Ask clarifying questions. Understand their interests. Find the real issue, and the solution will follow. Great teams don’t avoid conflict. They master resolving it. ♻️ Find this valuable? Repost to help others. Follow me for posts on leadership, learning, and systems thinking. 📌 Want free PDFs of this and my top cheat sheets? You can find them here: https://lnkd.in/g2t-cU8P Hi 👋 I'm Vince, CEO of Sparkwise. We help teams rapidly build skills like this together with live group learning, available on demand. Check out our topic library: https://lnkd.in/gKbXp_Av

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. - You’re logical. They say you’re cold. - You’re decisive. They say you’re rude. - You’re kind. They say you’re unclear. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝. Before you jump into a debate, share feedback, or speak up in a meeting… 👉 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭. 👤 Real Story: Chris from Australia Chris was a Product Director managing two senior leads: 🔹 Daniel – fast-paced, blunt, outcome-focused 🔹 Sophie – cautious, analytical, detail-first They were constantly at odds. Every meeting turned into a silent war. 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱: “I feel like I’m managing a debate club.” They weren’t resisting the project. They were just wired differently. 🔁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱? We helped Chris decode both styles. ➡ Daniel was a Bottomline Thinker. ➡ Sophie was an Analyzer. Instead of trying to get them to “agree,” Chris adapted his own language: 𝗧𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹: ✅ “Let’s lock this in by Friday. What will stop us?” To Sophie: ✅ “Can you walk us through the risk analysis one more time?” 💥 Conflict dropped. Respect rose. Results followed. 📩 This week’s D.N.A. of Influence™ newsletter shares: ✔ Why logic often leads to miscommunication ✔ The 4 most common behavior clashes ✔ How decoding people helps you lead without pushing 🔗 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 → #Leadership #DNAofInfluence #peakimpactmentorship #success

Managing conflict in my team is never easy but it's part of the job. Handling conflict within my team is a task that comes with its set of challenges, but it's essential for keeping the team functional and happy. Here's how I typically go about running a team meeting to address conflict: 1. Recognizing the Source: First, I identify what's causing the conflict. Before we even sit down for a meeting, I pinpoint what's causing the issue by talking to everyone involved. This usually involves speaking privately with the team members involved to understand their viewpoints. 2. Establish Objectives: Before calling the meeting, I define what we aim to achieve. Is it conflict resolution, finding a middle ground, or simply airing out grievances? Knowing the objective helps structure the conversation. 3. Set Guidelines: I establish ground rules for the meeting to ensure a safe space. This includes allowing everyone to speak without interruption and keeping the conversation respectful and on-point. 4. Facilitate Dialogue: During the meeting, I act as a facilitator rather than a dictator. I guide the conversation, ensure everyone has a say, and keep the discussion focused on the issue, not personal attacks. 5. Reach an Agreement: Once everyone has had their say, we work towards a solution. This is usually a compromise that may not satisfy everyone entirely but serves the greater good of the team. 6. Action Plan: We end the meeting by laying out an action plan, defining who will do what, by when, to resolve the issue. 7. Follow-Up: A few days to a week after the meeting, I follow up with the individuals involved and the team as a whole to ensure that the action items are being implemented and to see if the conflict has been resolved or reduced. By approaching conflict with a structured, open dialogue, and a focus on resolution, I find we can often turn what could be a divisive issue into an opportunity for team growth. "The best way to resolve conflicts is facing them, not avoiding them." Have a Positive, Productive and Safe Day! #TeamConflict #ConflictResolution #Leadership #TeamGrowth #EffectiveCommunication

Dan and Todd? They used to be best friends. But things got messy, and now they can't stand each other. Dan's ready to move on, but Todd? Not so much. Problem is, they work on the same team you manage, and now Dan's knocking on your door, hoping you'll step in and fix things. Sure, you could tell them, "Just avoid each other and carry on." Sounds easy, right? Why make two people who aren't friends anymore work together if they don't want to? But here's the catch: avoiding this issue might be an easy short-term fix, but it's not a long-term solution that actually works. In most workplaces, people can't just steer clear of each other, especially if they need to interact on the daily. So instead of hoping it all blows over, try these steps to get Dan and Todd back on the same page professionally—even if the friendship ship has sailed. Step 1: Acknowledge the drama, privately. Don't cross your fingers and hope they'll magically "work it out." Have a quick, private chat with each of them to figure out what's going on. Listening to them (without playing favorites) shows them you're taking this seriously. Step 2: Shift the focus to work goals. The end game? You want them thinking about work, not their personal beef. Remind them that the team has goals, and their collaboration matters for everyone's success (including their own). Step 3: Set some ground rules. Lay down clear expectations for communication, respect, and behavior. They don't have to be besties, but they do need to keep it professional and act with respect. That way, everyone's on the same page. Step 4: If it's still tense, bring in a mediator. Sometimes a neutral third party can get things out in the open, defuse the tension, and help them both refocus on moving forward. Step 5: Keep an eye on things. Conflict resolution is never a "one and done." Check in now and then to make sure they're meeting expectations and catching any new issues early. Bonus step: Document everything. Keep records of your conversations and any actions taken. If Todd's behavior begins to impact the team or work quality, documentation will support any future action you might need to take. Bottom line: Telling them to avoid each other sounds easy, but it's not sustainable. By helping them work through this professionally, you're building a culture of respect and collaboration—and a stronger team all around.

Scrum Master: How would you manage team conflict? Conflict is inevitable. Staying stuck is optional. Ever found yourself in the middle of a heated conversation during a Sprint Retrospective or a planning session? You’re not alone. Conflict is a sign that people care but without the right approach, it can derail progress fast. Here’s a 5-Step Conflict Resolution Framework from Harry Karydes I’ve used (and coached teams on) to turn tension into TRUST 1. Identify the Root Cause ↳ Get beyond surface-level complaints. ↳ Ask open-ended questions: “What’s really bothering you?” ↳ Separate symptoms from the real issue. 2. Acknowledge & Validate Perspectives ↳ Let each person speak without interruptions. ↳ Reflect back what you heard: “What I hear you saying is…” ↳ Validate emotions, even if you don’t agree. 3. Focus on Solutions, Not Blame ↳ Shift from “Who’s at fault?” to “What’s the best way forward?” ↳ Brainstorm options together. ↳ Align solutions with team goals. 4. Create a Clear Action Plan ↳ Define who does what by when. ↳ Set measurable steps and accountability. ↳ Write it down; verbal agreements fade. 5. Reinforce the Resolution ↳ Follow up: “Is the solution working?” ↳ Address lingering issues early. ↳ Celebrate progress to rebuild trust. Pro Tip: The BEST Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches don’t avoid conflict. They facilitate healthy resolution that strengthens the team. What’s your go-to approach when conflict surfaces in your team? Drop your thoughts or tips in the comments!

I used to lose sleep over team conflicts. I'm a natural people-pleaser. I'd do anything to keep the peace. But after 20+ years in leadership, I learned something crucial: The best teams aren't conflict-free— They're conflict-SMART. Here are 5 things every manager needs to know: 1/ The People-Pleaser's Paradox ↳ Being liked feels safe ↳ But avoiding conflict hurts your team ↳ Leadership requires comfort with discomfort 2/ Task vs. Relationship Conflict ↳ Task conflict = Productive disagreement about work ↳ Relationship conflict = Personal friction that kills teams ↳ Know the difference, encourage the first 3/ The Hidden Cost of Avoidance ↳ Teams who dodge conflict build resentment ↳ Small issues become major disruptions ↳ Every week you wait multiplies the recovery time 4/ Your Conflict Management Toolkit ↳ Schedule regular 1:1s to catch issues early ↳ Use "I noticed..." statements instead of accusations ↳ Create structured debate spaces in meetings 5/ When to Step In (And When Not To) ↳ Let task conflicts play out (with boundaries) ↳ Step in immediately for personal attacks ↳ Coach team members to address peer conflicts directly Being comfortable with conflict isn't about being aggressive. It's about creating safety for honest conversations. What's your biggest challenge in handling team conflict? Share below 👇 (Swipe ➡️ for the visual carousel version) — ♻️ Repost to help other leaders build stronger teams ➕ Follow me (Chris Laping for more leadership truths