Whenever there is a team of people working together conflict will be present. Many people will avoid conflict without realizing that doing so is like taking a poisoned pill. Conflict is defined as a strong disagreement between people, groups, etc., that results in an often angry argument. Being skilled at conflict resolution will help you lead your team more effectively.
Team building is a frequent task especially if you bring new people onboard often. Anytime there is even just one new team member the whole team is new again and must go through the team-building process. When this happens conflict is surely right around the corner.
Phycologist Bruce Tuckman first came up with the phrase “forming, storming, norming and performing” in an article he wrote in 1965 called the “Development Sequence in Small Groups”. He used this article to describe how most teams reach high performance. Later on, he added the fifth stage of adjourning or mourning.
When you aren’t allowing your team to reach the storming phase you are preventing conflict and keeping everyone from sharing controversial ideas. When your team falls short of experiencing storming they never learn how to deal with differences.
Is your fear of conflict causing you to lose good teammates because you won’t let them engage with differing points of view? Building strong conflict resolution skills is an important part of building a sustainable team and business. Here is how to overcome your fear of conflict.
1) Acknowledge it
Conflict will happen and it is healthy. If you try to pretend that it won’t happen and you put your rose-colored glasses on you will be bound to avoid it. However, it will be there like a slow pot of boiling water.
2) Agree to the ground rules
When the team is forming, clearly outline the ground rules and acceptable behaviors for disagreement and how the conflict will be handled. Design a framework for how decisions will be made and the collaboration process. Having these things clearly on the table will help your team feel safe to bring up controversial ideas and learn how to deal with them.
3) The facts and only the facts
Beware of emotions because they can drive conflict avoidance. If you like to appease people and be accepted you are likely to avoid conflict. Sticking to the facts will disarm your need to feel accepted because it won’t be about you and making others happy, it will be about the facts of reality.
4) Seek a panoramic view
If you are avoiding conflict you are missing great opportunities for success. Without conflict and debate, you will not be making the absolute best decisions. Seek to understand the whole situation, not just one perspective to make sure something isn’t being overlooked. Ask everyone to put their thoughts on the table. Solicit information from as many people as possible to fully understand how everyone will be affected by the outcome.
If you have a fear of conflict bleach it out like a laundry stain. When it is managed and dealt with head on it can be a constructive tool. Maintain a healthy and creative team atmosphere by confronting it straight away, encouraging respect for everyone’s point of view, and resolving it when it happens.
Last updated on July 26th, 2020 at 07:22 am
