Three ways to handle project team conflict, and when each works best Following good conflict-management procedures can have a highly positive effect on your project: - You’ll be able to reduce the disruptive effects of interpersonal conflict, making members willing to participate on the team. - At the same time, you’ll allow the task-related conflict that comes from productive differences of opinion – differences that can help you come up with better solutions.

1. Helping Teams Work 4 of 12
Team Based
Conflict
Management
Approaches
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2. Hello – I’m Mike Cardus of
Create-Learning Team
Building & Leadership. An
expert in creating &
sustaining high
performance teams.
www.create-learning.com

3. Do’s and Don’ts For Dealing With Resistance To Your Project
Identifying Reasons People May Resist Your Project
Recognizing Resistance To Your Project
Is Your Data Persuasive?
Influence Strategies
Dealing With Team Problems
Dealing With Difficult Team Members
Handling Team Conflict Through Compromising vs. Consensus-Seeking
Conflict Management Approaches
Making Team Decision Through Consensus
Running the Team Meeting
Team Leaders’ Biggest Team Meeting Mistake
www.create-learning.com

4. Three ways to handle project team conflict,
and when each works best
Following good conflict-management procedures
can have a highly positive effect on your
project:
 You’ll be able to reduce the disruptive effects
of interpersonal conflict, making members
willing to participate on the team.
 At the same time, you’ll allow the task-related
conflict that comes from productive
differences of opinion – differences that can
help you come up with better solutions.
www.create-learning.com

5. www.create-learning.com

6. All teams have conflict.
(+) Team conflict can be a positive thing if:
o It is able to move the team forward and
create a better approach.
o Positive Team Conflict requires teams to have
a shared Purpose (Goal) – sufficient Trust in
each other the team leader, and the
organization - plus known and clear individual
goals, roles and accountability plus authority.
(-) Team conflict can be a negative thing if:
o It holds the team back from achieving its
purpose
o It iss disruptive to the team members getting
their work done.
www.create-learning.com

7. As a Manager / Team Leader / Team Member when conflict happens,
deciding whether to Not Deal With It; Give In; or Hold Out; is a choice
that you must make.
Next is a checklist with some indicators based upon Team Conflict
Approaches. The idea is for you to:
o slow down
o decide if the conflict is something that you need to Deal With, Give In,
or Hold Out
o then make the best plan and choices to keep the team moving
forward
As a Manager or Team Leader not every issue needs to be dealt with,
and you don’t have to win every battle…
The individuals on the team are important and you need them more
than they need you.
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9. Don’t deal with it:
Knowing that not all issues are worth arguing, either ignore the conflict,
postpone dealing with if, or simply agree to disagree.
 It’s a non-issue: the conflict topic is not important or central enough to
be worth the time.
 Tempers are too high to allow for a reasonable discussion.
 You’re reasonably certain it will blow over with no adverse effects.
 Acknowledging the issue or trying to resolve it will cause more harm than
good.
 There is little or no chance of coming to a satisfactory agreement.
 There is a better chance of reaching a resolution if you wait for time to
pass, more info to be available, or another event to occur.
Checklist:
Conflict Management Approaches
www.create-learning.com

10. Give in:
Let the other person have his/her way:
 The issue means a lot more to the other person than it does to you.
 Team solidarity is more important than the issue itself.
 An interpersonal relationship is more important than the issue itself.
 You have no chance of prevailing.
 You want to show goodwill.
 You’re willing to concede on this so that the other person will later return
the favor on an issue that means more to you.
 It occurs to you that you could be wrong, so perhaps it’s better not to
push the issue.
Checklist:
Conflict Management Approaches
www.create-learning.com

11. Hold out:
Explore issues, exchange perspectives, and strive for a solution that gives
everyone some of what they want (compromise) or that fully satisfies all
parties’ concerns (consensus).
 The issue is important
 Commitment to the resolution is highly important
 Different perspectives are likely to lead to a higher-quality solution
 The process of working through the conflict will enhance the team’s
understanding and performance
 The need to resolve the issue outweighs any potential difficulties the
process resolution might cause
Checklist:
Conflict Management Approaches
www.create-learning.com

12. TO-DO
1. Determine the area(s) of conflict.
2. Ask and Respond to the following question: If this conflict was not happening, what would
be happening in its place? What would the team/person/I be doing instead?
3. Go through the ‘Checklist: Conflict Management Approaches’ and determine whether to not
deal with it; give in; hold out.
4. Create an experiment to see what happens (begin your Plan: Do: Check: Act Cycle)
5. Test your experiment – and document What Worked; What did not Work; and exactly what
you did and how you did it.
6. Repeat as needed
www.create-learning.com

13. Do’s and Don’ts For Dealing With Resistance To Your Project
Identifying Reasons People May Resist Your Project
Recognizing Resistance To Your Project
Is Your Data Persuasive?
Influence Strategies
Dealing With Team Problems
Dealing With Difficult Team Members
Handling Team Conflict Through Compromising vs. Consensus-Seeking
Conflict Management Approaches
Making Team Decision Through Consensus
Running the Team Meeting
Team Leaders’ Biggest Team Meeting Mistake
www.create-learning.com

14. Helping Teams Work 4 of 12
Team Based
Conflict
Management
Approaches
www.create-learning.com