Team leaders can help avoid conflicts within teams by properly planning meetings, setting clear objectives and responsibilities, sharing all pertinent information, and establishing deadlines. If conflicts do arise, the leader should focus the team on their shared goals, allow each member to state their position, prioritize ideas, and break into smaller groups if needed. If disagreements persist, the leader can call for a vote to reach a decision. The team leader's role is to mediate and ensure conflicts do not escalate by assigning follow up work if needed to reach an agreement.

1. CONFLICT WITHIN A TEAM
What can team leaders and team
members do to handle conflicts in
the workplace?

2. Conflicts that escalate can make team
members feel defeated or become
combative. They may lose trust in the
other members. Conflicts can be
stressful, tempers flare, people loss
control.

3. Team leaders can help
the team avoid conflict by
using the following skills:

4.  The Team Leader should prepare the agenda and
plan ahead.
 Have a clear objective. What is the hopeful
outcome, the goal the team is trying to
accomplish.
 Everyone should know who is involved and
what his or her responsibilities are. The
reason the individual was chosen to be on the
team.
 Any needed resources should be easily
available.

5.  Everyone needs to share all pertinent information
with the team and make sure information is clearly
understood by everyone.
 Any costing issues that could hinder the outcome,
such as lack of funding, should be brought to the
table right away.
 Have a scheduled deadline. This helps when
reminding members to stay on track.
 If more work needs to be done before an
agreement can be reached, the leader should assign
whom and when they will meet.

6. What to do if a
destructive conflict
arises during a team
meeting:

7.  Focus on why they are all there. What is the hopeful
outcome or mission statement of these gatherings.
 Have each member take 3 minutes to restate their
position.
 Prioritize all the alternative ideas available.
 Break into smaller groups in order to separate alliances.
Smaller group members prioritize their ideas. Top
priorities brought back to table for further discussion.

8.  Look at any areas all parties agree. It may move the rest
of disagreement areas towards a solution.
 Take a 5-minute break. When everyone returns, have
him or her suggest approaches that might address the
conflict.
 If disagreement continues, have a subgroup select
options and then report back to the full group.
 Call for a vote on a decision.

9. The Team Leader is the mediator and
should be able to keep conflicts under
control to keep them from escalating.
If more work still needs to be done in
order to reach an agreement, the
Team Leader should assign whom and
when that meeting will take place.

10. Share an experience you have had with a team
conflict.
How did you handle it? How would you handle it
now with this extra knowledge?
Thanks for viewing my power point presentation on effective team conflict skills.

11. Works Cited
Goodall JR., H.L., Goodall, Sandra, Schiefelbein, Jill. “Business and Professional
Communication in the Global Workplace”, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
2010. Print.
McNamara, Carter, MBA, PhD. Clarifying Confusion about Conflict. Free Management Library.
Authenticity Consulting. Web. http://managementhelp.org/interpersonal/conflict.htm
McNamara, Carter, MBA, PhD. How to Manage Group Conflict. Free Management Library.
Authenticity Consulting. Web. http://managementhelp.org/groups/group-conflict.htm
Townsley, Carole A., RV Armstrong and Associates. The Team Building Directory. Resolving
Conflict in Work Teams. 2011. Web.
http://www.innovativeteambuilding.co.uk/pages/articles/conflicts.htm
Varney, Glen H. (1989). Building productive teams: An Action guide and resource book. San
Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass, Inc.