Tagged with: christina bowen • conflict mediation • conflict resolution • managing conflict • resolving conflict • workplace conflict
Most people would like to run away when a conflict in the team arises. Should you run away or should you stay?
If a Project Manager spots a conflict between two team members, should he intervene?
These are important questions for any Project Leader, and they will be answered in episode 25 of The Project Shrink Podcast.
In this episode I am talking to Christina Bowen about conflict resolution in project teams. Christina is lead facilitator and founder of Advance Facilitation.
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If there is a conflict between two team members then first as a project manager
1.encourage them to resolve the issue on there own.
2. If things don’t work out then intervene and be a open listener and reslove the issue using questioning skill to help both of them reach
Christina makes a great point that we should expect conflict in teams because good teams are made up of people with diverse backgrounds, cultures, and strengths. So we should expect conflict. More positively stated, we should encourage dialogic discourse. Groupthink does not move problem solving forward. So, as a project manager, we need to recognize positive and negative conflict and, as Christina points out, talk about how to handle conflict with the team members.
As project managers, we also need to recognize that some team members may serve many masters and our team is only one of their responsibilities. So they may be experiencing conflict within the team as well as conflict among various project teams she or he is a member of.
Addressing the issue of those team members who may not appreciate the “touchy-feely” stuff, as PMs we need to get over that. Dysfunctional teams will kill our projects and we need to nip conflict in the bud and move on to the goals of the team. Often, technical folks are skeptical of talking about the process because you have not earned their respect. Find a way to do that and you’re halfway there.
As usual, excellent stuff, Bas! Thanks!
-Don Erwin
Buffalo, NY
Bas, another great episode. This is good advice for handling conflict and channeling in a constructive manner. Airing issues is important, so project managers need to be skilled in knowing how, and when, to enable this. Usually taking it offline to a sub-team to allow the exchange is the best approach.
Christina points out three examples of when the following lyrics from the (aptly named) band “The Clash” apply:
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
Hi Guys, thanks for your kind comments. I can tell from the comments and the traffic (huge) that people like this topic. I will look for more.
I too appreciate the feedback and response. Ironically, I heard that Clash song referenced by Pradeep tonight (which I love by the way) and just to set the record straight my take is that if you stay there will be trouble, if you go it will be double.
Great topic & discussion – but I wonder what a project leader should do when he notices a complete lack of conflict among the team, ala the Abilene Paradox.
That is, what if people are going along, keeping their head down, not making any waves or generating any friction (either out of apathy or fear)? How can a project leader bring about the honest expressions that will move the project forward over an unavoidably bumpy road?
I’m sure Bas and others have some great thoughts on this too – but since I’ve run into Dan’s either hypothetical or real situation recently I’m going to weigh in.
If a team is achieving their goals and objectives – they’ve probably figured out a way of managing conflict that doesn’t present in the way you (or I) might expect.
However, since you described a cause of apathy or fear Dan, I’m guessing that’s not the case. Here’s what I recommend:
If the team is performing relatively well and there are no immediate threats to achieving goals and objectives:
Begin by listening for even the smallest differences in opinion and then applauding or praising people for voicing them: “Thomas, it’s great that you’re keeping us on our toes, it would be helpful if you could turn that statement into a question.
Question yourself in front of your team: “I’m torn between these two directions and would really like your input.”
Call out individual strengths and expertise on the team and encourage them to tap into them: “John, I know you’ve worked on project x and y which were similar to this – any thoughts?
In a more critical situation:
Set aside some time to have a meeting specifically about increasing individual and team growth.
Either at that meeting or prior to do a team check-in and ask some questions.
Sometimes it’s helpful to have the team type out the answers to these questions and throw them into a “hat” of sorts before coming a meeting. Some of the things I would ask are as follows:
What are the strengths of this team?
Are you clear about our organization’s vision, values and mission and how this team is helping to achieve them? ?
What weaknesses (if any) are preventing our team from achieving it’s goals?
What challenges has our team failed to meet in the recent past and why?
What challenges have we met in in the recent past and what helped us to meet them?
Team leaders should provide honest answers to these questions as well.
During that meeting, list the answers and then work with the group to turn each OFI into an action item complete with timeline.
I’d by lying if I said I thought that a project leader was the best person to do this type of meeting. A neutral third party is almost always a better choice.
Good thoughts – thanks! The third-party idea is particularly insightful… hmmm….