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Dealing with Conflict among the Team

November 13, 2008 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Conflict Management, People Issues

Dealing with Conflict among the Team
By Global Knowledge

When there is conflict among team members, project managers must build consensus; in other words, get everyone to agree. If left alone and unresolved, conflict may cause high levels of stress, low morale, low productivity, staff turnover, lack of trust, and even a poisoned environment. There are three typical reactions to conflict: fight (argue about it), flight (give in and run away), and freeze (don’t know what to say/do).

The first step to dealing with conflict is to identify it. This is not always an easy process. Some team members will go out of their way to hide conflict from the project manager, while others will seek to misdirect the source of the conflict as a way of avoiding the situation.

Once identified, care must be taken to select the proper conflict resolution strategy. The goal of conflict resolution is to encourage trust and solicit feedback from everyone, (especially quiet/introverted members of the team). Acknowledge that there is disagreement, but focus your efforts on the commonalities. Take baby steps to build on incremental agreements. Conflict resolution is often a time-consuming task; be prepared to spend the time to make the process work. The process will be easier if everyone is using his or her best communication skills.

This article was originally published in Global Knowledge’s Business Brief e-newsletter. Global Knowledge delivers comprehensive hands-on project management, business process, and professional skills training. Visit our online Knowledge Center at www.globalknowledge.com/business for free white papers, webinars, and more.

© Copyright 2008, Global Knowledge. All rights reserved.

Related Articles

• Methods of Dealing with Conflict - Part II
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• Dealing With the Stress of Project Management

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