Your team is divided on project priorities. How do you navigate conflicting opinions to ensure success?

I think the need for a skilled facilitator can't be overstated. These external guides play a crucial role in steering the group through milestones while nurturing deep connections. Their confidentiality allows vulnerability too. Almost like our work on vulnerability leading to authenticity! The facilitator ensures every voice is heard as both mentor and mentee.

Start by actively listening to all team members' opinions and perspectives. Create an open forum where everyone feels comfortable expressing their views. Understanding the root of each person's concerns and suggestions can provide valuable insights into the underlying issues and motivations.

Navigating conflicting opinions requires a strategic approach. By using gathered information to define and communicate clear priorities, you can create a unified vision that incorporates key elements from differing perspectives, ensuring every team member understands their role in achieving the project's goals.

Based on your objective analysis, clearly define the project priorities. Ensure that these priorities align with the organization's goals and strategic objectives. Clearly communicate the reasons behind the chosen priorities to the team.

Once priorities are set and consensus is achieved, empower your team to take action. Provide the necessary resources, support, and autonomy to execute the tasks. Trust your team to carry out their responsibilities and encourage proactive problem-solving. Personal Experience: By delegating tasks and giving team members the authority to make decisions within their areas of responsibility, I saw an increase in engagement and productivity. Empowered teams are more motivated and efficient.

I have seen leaders miss this first step: In case of a priority conflict, the temptation of a CEO is to get into an exercise of bringing the team together, listening, analysing, bringing consensus, actioning etc. This also looks logical. The most successful resolutions, in my experience, have always begun with asking: Where is the alignment missing with the vision/strategy? Which function/leader brings their opinion tied with the vision/strategy, and which one doesn't? Is the difference of opinion a result of vision lost in translation? I call this "translation over details". Diagnose if translation of vision is flawless first, leat you risk entanglement into details. All the best, we got this!