Are unresolved conflicts affecting team functioning? Would you like to make conflict a source of growth for your team? Would like a road map to get there? Managing team conflict effectively is the art of fostering trust, resolving conflicts as they arise and facilitating productive communication. Highly functioning teams can debate challenging topics, make tough decisions, and hold each other accountable for results.

1. Managing Team Conflict Effectively
Claudette Rowley
January 30, 2013
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4. Today’s Speaker
Claudette Rowley
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5. Managing Team Conflict
Effectively
PRESENTED BY CLAUDETTE ROWLEY
JANUARY 30, 2013

6. Today’s Take Aways
1. Learn the behaviors that cultivate team trust.
2. Learn to build your team through productive
conflict management.
3. Learn how to keep your team members engaged and
committed.

7. Definition of Conflict
In it’s broadest sense, conflict is defined as a
disagreement in which parties involved perceive that
their needs, interests or concerns are compromised.

8. Trust + Engagement = Productive Conflict
Managing team conflict is most effective in a trusting
environment with engaged, committed employees.

9. Definition of Conflict on a Team
According to Patrick Lencioni (Five Dysfunctions of
a Team), conflict on a team is:
“productive, ideological conflict: passionate, unfiltered
debate around issues of importance to the team.”

10. Character + Competence = Trust

11. The Speed of Trust
In his book The Speed of Trust, Stephen Covey Jr.
talks about how trust affects speed and cost in
organizations.
 When trust goes down, speed will go down and cost
will go up.
 When trust goes up, speed goes up and cost will go
down.

12. Stephen Covey Jr’s 13 Trust building Behaviors
1. Talk straight 8. Confront reality
2. Demonstrate respect 9. Clarify expectations
3. Create transparency 10. Practice accountability
4. Right wrongs 11. Listen first
5. Show loyalty 12. Keep commitments
6. Deliver results 13. Extend trust
7. Get better

13. Reflective Questions
1. Which of the 13 behaviors do you do best?
2. Which would you like to improve upon?
3. How can you promote these behaviors on your
team?
4. Which three behaviors are a priority for your team?

14. Productive Conflict Management
 Create opportunities for self-awareness and establish
conflict management guidelines.
 Train the team on conflict resolution principles.

15. Promote Self-Awareness
Schedule a conversation with the team that includes
these questions:
o What’s your perception of conflict?
o How do you typically handle conflict?
o What are work/family/cultural influences that
impact how I handle conflict?

16. Create Communication/Conflict Guidelines
Guidelines could include:
• response times and when to use email vs. phone
• how to address misunderstandings or
miscommunications
• if two or more people are in conflict who will
address it and how?
• time frames for addressing a conflict
• guiding principles for communication (i.e., respect,
good listening, check out assumptions, etc.)

17. Train on Conflict Resolution Principles
 Listen more than you talk
 Acknowledge the other person’s perspective
(acknowledging is not agreeing)
 Let people tell their story (share their thoughts and
feelings)
 Use reflective listening (listen for their needs/interests,
what’s important to them. “What I’m hearing you say is
that receiving a sincere apology is really important to
you.”)

18. Train on Conflict Resolution Principles
 Then move into resolution: Brainstorm options and
solutions – as many as possible
 After a resolution or solution is reached, determine
who will implement by when
 Schedule a follow up meeting or conversation

19. The Role of Emotion in Conflict
 When we interpret a conflict as an emotional injury
or violation of our dignity, we can feel emotionally
“triggered”.
 The limbic part of the brain gets activated – we feel
like we want to flee, fight or freeze.
 We can use emotional triggers to our benefit.
 We have the opportunity to increase self-awareness
and return to creativity and problem-solving.

20. If the Team Is Stuck
1. Refrain from blaming, defensiveness and criticism.
2. Name your experience.
3. Reframe the conversation toward interests or
options.
4. Take a break and reconvene at an agreed upon
time.
5. Get a neutral third party if needed.

21. Keep Team Members Engaged
Team members are more likely to resolve conflicts and
have more productive conflict if they are engaged
and committed to their work.

22. Productivity Quadrants
 High productivity/low positivity: very effective, high
burnout
 High positivity/low productivity: everyone gets
along, feels good, and don’t get much done
 Low productivity/low positivity: misery loves
company, unified by bad boss, not much gets done
 High productivity/high positivity: team is
functioning well, trust is built, conflicts are handled,
communication is effective and team gets a lot
accomplished/results oriented
*From Team Diagnostic Assessment

23. Common Disengagement Patterns
 Over-management
 Under-management
 Delegation isn’t working
 Communication breaks down at crucial points

24. Team Engagement Steps
1. Schedule regular communication:
 Hold monthly planning meetings
 Structure consistent weekly check-ins
2. Priorities based on talents and skills:
 Define roles and responsibilities
 Identify top 3 priorities and put in writing
 Discuss professional development opportunities

25. Team Engagement Steps
3. Manage expectations:
 Know and discuss expectations
 Delegate tasks with clearly defined expectations and
outcomes
 Conduct follow up conversations after task
completion

26. Team Engagement Steps
4. Resolve conflicts:
 Address conflicts in timely manner
 Focus on the facts
 Act and speak neutrally
 Check out assumptions first
 Ask employee or tem for their perspective
 Ask for suggestions on best ways to resolve

27. Team Engagement Steps
5. Express appreciation:
 Ask what makes employee feels appreciated or
recognized
 Offer positive feedback when you can
 Identify talents, strengths and gifts and capitalize on
them
 People have differing styles and needs for
appreciation and recognition

28. Easy Ways to Put Steps into Action
 Assess team member level of engagement
 Ask “what makes you feel appreciated or
recognized?”
 When addressing a conflict, “seek to understand”
 Define roles and responsibilities
 Assess communication – how is it working?
 What’s one small shift you could make to improve
engagement?

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