You're struggling to foster a positive team culture. How can you minimize conflicts within your team?

How much of a safe space you are creating in your meetings or 1 one 1s to encourage honest conversation? This might be your starting point! Establishing a space that is safe enough for people to speak their minds, can help increase the motivation, candor, and quality of conversation in your own meetings by focusing on two key areas: giving permission for your team to ask questions, express concerns and creating a psychological safety during a meeting. As a result, you are building a team with more cohesiveness and collaborative approach. They may even look forward to these leading those meetings.

Keep communication open and clear. Start by inviting colleagues to a face-to-face meeting in which differences can be aired. Choose a neutral impartial location like the work cafeteria or a walk outside. Listen. Talk with everyone on all sides. Use the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model, which outlines five strategies for conflict resolution: Avoiding, Competing, Accommodating, Compromising, and Collaborating.

By earning the Trust of your team, encouraging Communication, consistent Transparency and incorporating a Recognition program.

Open dialogue cannot exist if trust is not a fundamental component of a team's dynamic. If there is no open dialogue, there is more than likely a wavering sense of trust. The antidote to this is to be honest and to ask for feedback; What's working well, what could we do different, etc. Meeting people where they're at is a great way to instill trust, along with acknowledging some of the potential pain points that might be impacting a team dynamic.

A tool I like to use is first explaining the stages of group/team development, as told defined by Bruce Tuckman. This sets the foundation for understanding what the team could be experiencing and letting them know it’s normal while giving them tools to move through the stages. Then I would focus on getting everyone to understand what team dynamics are and why they are important to the health of the team. “Team dynamics refers to the intricate patterns of communication, cooperation, and collaboration that transpires within a team” If we first build trust within the team, we can then focus on the other areas.

Para promover uma cultura de equipe positiva e reduzir conflitos, seguem algumas dicas: Primeiro, deixe claro para todos as regras, expectativas e responsabilidades, assim ninguém fica perdido. Invista em treinamentos de resolução de conflitos para que sua equipe saiba como lidar com desentendimentos de forma construtiva. Estimule uma comunicação aberta e honesta, criando um ambiente onde todos se sintam seguros para falar. Quando necessário, use a mediação para resolver disputas antes que elas cresçam. Além disso, promova atividades de team building para fortalecer os laços e a confiança entre os membros, incentivando a colaboração e o respeito mútuo. Essas ações ajudam a tornar o ambiente de trabalho mais harmonioso e produtivo.

I love expectations! High performing teams know what's expected, but it does not always have to be a quantitative measurable. For example, if a business is trying to scale a new team with new processes and procedures; working to clearly define what can't be done will allow others to be able to try something new and push the boundaries of how they support. If I were taking a phone call, and I knew exactly what I could not tell someone, then anything else is fair to try if it's going to support the other person. This ties back into trust by enabling people to make their own choices and tackle a solution their own way, which can be shared with others.

Conflict is the direct result of unmet expectations, and expectations are the result of personal values. Communicating these values offers an opportunity for connection, and leads to a collection of shared expectations co-created by all stakeholders. Speak these truths aloud routinely; change them as needed. Neither the team, nor the individuals that make it, are static beings. Our needs and values shift, and if this change is not reflected in our community then the seeds of discontent might be sewn in silence. When expectations are crowdsourced and rooted in values, we are able to shift from a compliance-based to an intrinsically motivated culture, empowering individuals and strengthening the team.

Guie al equipo para que de forma temprana establezaca sus propias reglas de manejo. Su contribución en el proceso, no debe entenderse como una imposición, si no como un elemento más de apoyo con el mismo interés.

There are 5 Cs of Leadership- Clarity, Context, Consistency, Courage and Commitment. Having an open dialogue and defining objective, goal and standards fall under clarity. Well defined and documented expectations create productive and harmonious environment, establishes common ground and fosters team alignment that remedy possible sources of ambiguity.

1) Ask "Why would/ wouldn't the team embrace the culture"? - Be realistic and check the company's current leadership approach, rigid dynamics, and its current business curve in the market. 2) Recognise and optimise individual strengths. Set group targets to draw the team tighter together to achieve it. Celebrate achievements and huddle (maybe with some drinks) when there are misses. 3) Think and stay true by exemplifying the positive culture through actions. It should not come across forced nor as a "delegated responsibility"! 4) Recognise that culture will always be fluid and alive as it is driven by people. It will always evolve and adapt, for better or worse. Consider identifying Culture Champions/ Leads to keep the energy positive

Never ask your team to do anything you are not willing to do yourself. Be with your team in both the victory and failure. Be the first to own your part of the event. Encourage your team to learn from mistakes. Foster a culture where mistakes are encouraged.

A good leader models the behavior they wish to see from their team. In the social play of life, all lines, however insignificant, serve the greater plot, its tones and themes. A good leader aligns their values, expectations and team mission with the choices they make for and with their team. "Rules for thee, but not for me" is a common wedge that can push apart team leaders from their employees.

As leader it is important to lead by example. Be sure to exemplify the behaviors and values you want to see in your team. It is also very important in my opinion to be fair and supportive. Being approachable is also very important for a team leader. I see that in my health systems CEO Mr Dowling. It is a great quality in a leader!

Here's a previous example. There was an organization wide change that enabled others to jump into a new role. There were a lot of conflicting emotions, sentiments, and overall confusion. Admittedly the role change was not planned, and now folks were brought into something new. To hear a leader, who also was affected by the change, jump into a team meeting and say "Hey I know this isn't a great feeling, and I know this isn't what anyone signed up for, but we're here for a reason. Let's try to make the most of it, and I'll be more than willing to listen to any concerns." was the best thing for everyone to hear. It was concise, empathetic, and supportive. It's what needed to be said, and formed trust.

When I joined the Governance team of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in 2020, I was excited but also apprehensive due to our team's diverse cultural backgrounds. Initially, it was difficult to connect with colleagues because our different communication styles that led to misunderstandings and minor conflicts so to say. However, this experience taught me the value of acknowledging and embracing differences. Our team grew stronger and more like a family as we learned to leverage each member's unique strengths. In hindsight, the initial challenges fostered a rewarding journey of respect, learning, friendship, mutual growth and rewarding experience. NA GODE TO MY TEAM

J'ai beaucoup travaillé sur cet aspect tout au long de ma carriere! Extrêmement difficile comme approche mais ô combien salvateur les compromis qui en decoulent! Une richesse inégalable et prometteur si nous savons nous en servir professionellement, et permet de garder la team soudée tout en exploitant ses propres competences! Pas très apprécier des CEO manipulateurs à souhait par contre!

El pensamiento diverso hace parte de un equipo competitivo. La variedad y en ocasiones la oposición creativa de ideas conduce a mejores escenarios de solución y resultados colectivos.

As humans, when we work together, differences in work styles, communication, perspectives, and methods of achieving success are inevitable. However, it is up to us to turn these differences into a boon rather than a bane. A respectful approach to these differences paves the way for an inclusive work culture.

OK, Let's start with the company, because it sets the tone of the culture and business philosophy. I always learn this the first month I am employed. This culture influences the team structures and business models. I have spent many years in company teams. The job expectations for all workers needs to recognized based on experience, knowledge and expertise. The team will have a mix of people that interact with the different levels of capabilities and duties. Your top line team members should contribute and be consistent in how they balance their time and trust with all team members. This is the core of success. This is how you keep your team connected with process and good management. Being able to work together to keep the services strong

Proporcionar formación. Inicialmente tuve dificultades en esta área, pero tuve la suerte de tener a la pastora Linda Skinner en mi equipo. Es una profesora y formadora excepcional. Como líder, mi función era potenciar sus talentos. Su capacidad para dirigir debates y sesiones de capacitación mejoró significativamente la respuesta práctica de nuestra organización a cuestiones importantes.

I have seen companies investing in a lot of training for conflict resolution, but when they don't have a strategy of implementing the learnings it's a waste of investment.

Create ‘Rules of the Road’ for conflict resolution and collaborative problem solving. As a team, create tenants that the team all agrees to adhere to that create a roadmap for conflict and resolution creation. While it can be done at any time, it is generally more effective at the start of team forming or when a new member has joined. Make it visible so that everyone has a copy, sees a copy and encourage all team members to use it, refer to it, and follow it. Review it periodically to insure that it still works as is or if need be, can be revised.

Permita al equipo realizar también ejercicios de autoevaluación, así como escenarios supervisados por expertos en la materai que proporcionen opiniones y herramientas objetivas al equipo.

I cannot understate the importance of good training. From a human services perspective, agencies throwing under-trained workers into the field to fend for themselves is all too common. Now that I work in training and directly see and manage the back end of this process, it is all too clear the amount of corner cutting that exists. An unprepared team is a stressed out team. A stressed out team is prone to misunderstandings and friction. All trainings for better communication and conflict resolution need to be paired with work practices that create an environment where better communication and conflict resolution is possible.

Establish a culture of respect Honesty and acceptance. If team member s are not able to adhere to these principles they are not going to be a good fit. Define “good communication” for your team. Disagreeing with a decision does not necessarily mean there is a “lack of communication” … but perhaps only that you were heard but did not agree. Avoid overused terms like being by being transparent or my door is always open… Be accessible and responsive, but also manage your time and priorities to balance needs of all team members.

It's critical to track the development of our team's conflict resolution initiatives for a number of reasons: We can spot disputes that are not getting better or are getting worse by keeping an eye on how things are going. Early intervention enables us to deal with problems before they worsen or start to affect team dynamics and output. Not every dispute resolution tactic is effective in every circumstance. Monitoring enables us to evaluate the performance of the implemented tactics and make necessary modifications. For instance, we might need to try a new strategy or enlist more help if a certain dispute persists despite our best efforts to settle it.

It is also critical to overtly discuss and agree on guiding principles as a team— about conflict and other important themes. This helps prevent conflict, create pro-social and healthy norms around handling conflict when it does come up, and creates more objective markers that team members can hold one another accountable for.

“Minimizing conflict” should not be a goal. Rather, maximizing healthy/constructive conflict is exactly what’s needed in order to achieve maximum team performance.

Instead of minimising conflicts: Normalise conflict by speaking about it, and acknowledging that it's bound to occur when people work together. Let people know that you are available to support with the process of resolution, if they need it. Ensure that your conflict resolution efforts are constructive (aiming for solutions that work for all) and not punitive (finding out who is to blame, and punishing them). Equip your team with conflict resolution skills. Set up a conflict redressal system that people can reach out to. Attempts at minimising conflict are likely to end up suppressing it; instead model how it can be addressed in healthy ways.

Promote Team Building: Foster a positive team culture through team-building activities and regular check-ins. Implementing this strategy can help create a more harmonious and productive team environment.

To minimize conflicts within your team, start by encouraging open and honest communication. Create a safe space where everyone feels comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns. Actively listen to your team members and address issues promptly before they escalate. Promote collaboration by setting clear expectations and shared goals. Lead by example, showing respect and empathy in all interactions. Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional. Foster a culture of mutual respect and understanding, and implement regular team-building activities to strengthen relationships and trust among team members.