How to deal with conflict in a team?

Misunderstandings may appear in any team, which eventually can develop into quarrels or passive aggression if not to deal with them.

The core point is not to avoid conflicts but to learn to resolve them.

Maintaining and strengthening the relationship, rather than “winning” the argument, should always be your first priority. Be respectful of the other person and their viewpoint.

Any dispute provides an opportunity to strengthen the bond between two people.

So what would you do as a leader of a team?

Keep the situation under control

Conflict is a contradiction. It can occur for internal or external reasons: a new person in the team and a mismatch of interests. It occurs whenever people disagree over their values, motivations, perceptions, ideas, or desires, and so on.

In any case, the conflict cannot be ignored. The main task of a person is to control the process so that he remains within the framework of the discussion and does not move on to clarify personal relationships.

The sooner you understand what is at the root of the conflict, the easier it will be for you to find a solution.

There are two sides to any conflict. The first thing a team leader needs to do is understand who stands for a particular point of view and why. At the same time, there should not be personal contradictions between the parties to the conflict: sometimes clashes over work issues mean that people do not understand well their own and others’ responsibilities. For a manager, a conflict is always a reason to analyze and, possibly, make adjustments to existing instructions and norms.

Don’t get into conflict

The role of the leader in the working discussion is the arbitrator. Listen to the arguments of both parties, try to take the place of each participant in the conflict, but do not take sides and do not allow yourself to be involved in the process. This will only slow down the solution to the problem and aggravate the situation.

Try to distract the participants from the discussion of the circumstances that led to the conflict, and create conditions for finding a solution to the problem, and not sorting out the relationship between the participants.

Don’t close your eyes to the problem

It is not enough to just close the work task. It is important that the parties to the conflict get out of this situation without feeling that their feelings and opinions have been neglected. Try to explain to everyone and the team as a whole how important it is to work together and find a solution together. Make it clear to each participant that their work is important.

The more clearly a person understands what his contribution to a common cause means, the higher his assessment of his own role in the team and, ultimately, the result of work.