Your team is in turmoil, hindering your program's progress. How will you resolve conflicts effectively?

One tip I use when assessing the root problem is to ask everyone to quietly write down what they think the issue is for 5 min. Then have everyone share their idea and you can see if you are all aligned or not. Typically there is not consensus on the problem which then opens everyone up to collaboratively discuss each others perspectives and agree on what to solve first.

Having a regular planning and review meetings is a good practice that can boost the team spirit and a clear path on the way forward.

In my opinion, to solve a problem in a team, you need to know how healthy the team is. A healthy team always has a leader with his partners and a counter-leader with his partners too. As soon as a problem arises in a team, the leader will try to get everyone involved, rightly or wrongly. The counter-leader is the only dissenting voice, and it's crucial to listen to him or her to make an informed judgement about the problem before moving on to the second stage. If you have only a single voice, you can make a mistake in the judgement.

In my line of work i have always believed in Open Communication,this encourage open and honest communication within the team. Create a safe environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their opinions and concerns. It is important to create clear guidelines on communication and behaviors for the team. As a result team members will trust and depend on each other.

Differentiate between passion for beliefs and perspectives based on emotions. Leverage the passion and check the emotions. It’s not about personal feelings, rather personal values specifically related to the mission.

Whenever I deal with conflict on a project team, returning to the point of consensus works best then discussing where the team is diverging helps. When you start from agreement, the team is more collaborative and can more creatively solve the conflict.

Using the suggestion box to collect fresh ideas we meet daily to evaluate new ideas to implement. In this way, each staff member must be free to propose new ideas, present their ideas and defend the openly. Once this culture is established all team members develop open dialogue amongst themselves and in meetings. Although hierarchy is important when the issues are urgent, we all report to each other and request input for solutions. Our value is interdependency.

Don’t overlook the value of getting completely grounded on what the problem is. Jumping to solution generation, and modulating in depth problem discussion can lead to solutions that have nothing to do with solving the real problems. In most every case, uncovering simple solutions, is really hard work, but is always the most effective.

Schedule regular meetings where team members can openly and structuredly discuss issues and concerns. As the leader, facilitate these discussions to ensure everyone gets a chance to speak and focus on finding solutions together. Set clear action steps after each meeting to address any conflicts or challenges and follow up to ensure resolutions are implemented effectively. This approach promotes open communication, teamwork, and a supportive team environment, leading to better collaboration and productivity.

One thing I’ve found helpful is to list all the issues so people can get it out. Most people just want to be heard so give that some time. But then switch over to solutions mode and go through each problem and have the team discuss how to solve it. Sometimes the people in the room can’t solve it so it helps people understand what’s in their control vs not. Then focus on what is in your control to start making change bit by bit.

Establish clear communication and behavioural guidelines for the team. Define acceptable conduct and communication methods, ensuring everyone understands these expectations. Regularly reinforce these standards through team meetings and individual discussions. By setting clear boundaries, you create a respectful and accountable team culture that minimizes conflicts and promotes effective collaboration.

A great framework for conversations like this is called COIN (context, observations, impact, next steps). You open the conversation with giving Context of the situation in a very objective fashion. Then share your Observations of what you think went wrong. Next share the Impact of what you observed, which could be related to you personally, the team dynamic or a project at large. This is where you allow the other person/people to chime in to see if they are tracking the issue the same as you. Finally, align on Next Steps together, which makes you both accountable for the change you want to see.

Introduce a mediation process where conflicts are resolved impartially. Assign a neutral mediator to facilitate discussions between team members involved. Encourage understanding and find solutions that work for everyone. Follow up to ensure agreements are upheld, fostering a respectful and harmonious team environment.

If the program is high priority I’d try to bring the team together informally to get a more casual idea of the issues. Sometimes the issues can stem from beyond the workplace. For example, someone experiencing difficulty at home. Once I get a pulse, I’ll set a follow up, team based meeting so the team can collaborate on a potential solution. The focus is identifying blockers and documenting approaches to unblock the team.

Celebrate every victory, no matter how small, but they must be real. Celebrating accomplishments just for the sake of public acknowledgement, will fail as the team, and leadership, will see right through it. It will also diminish the effect of recognizing true successes that advance the mission.

Disruptive team conflict demands a structured, empathetic approach. I'd convene a meeting to openly address issues. Fostering a safe space for concerns (without fear) is a key. Active listening ensures all viewpoints are heard. Once root causes are identified, collaboration with the team on mutually beneficial solutions is crucial, promoting consensus. Techniques like mediation can aid in finding common ground. Clear expectations, roles, and responsibilities further prevent misunderstandings. Regular check-ins and team-building activities rebuild trust and strengthen cohesion. By proactively addressing conflict and maintaining a supportive environment, we can refocus and propel the program to success.

As Steven Covey conveyed, start with the end in mind. It’s critically imperative that the entire team, as well as the leadership team being reported to, fully understands what ultimate success looks like.

Two more things to add to this important topic: 1-establishing program cadence for continuous improvement for example regular retrospectives. This encompasses many of what has been articulated above (setting boundaries, reinforcing positives and focusing on problem solving etc) this is a proactive way to listen, share and improve even before an issue develops or festers. 2- prioritising what needs to be fixed among the team members. : no one can fix everything at once. One way to align and mobilise a team, especially during tough times, is to ask them to prioritise the issues they believe should be tackled first. Part of doing so is to help them understand what is a cause and what is an effect which can then be used in action planning.