Power imbalances can cause team conflicts that affect performance, morale, and trust. As a leader, you need to address these issues before they escalate and damage your team's culture and results. In this article, you will learn how to identify, prevent, and resolve power imbalances that lead to team conflicts, using some effective coaching techniques and tools.
Power imbalances are situations where some team members have more influence, authority, or resources than others, and use them to dominate, manipulate, or exclude others. Power imbalances can be based on formal roles, such as managers and subordinates, or informal factors, such as seniority, expertise, or personality. Power imbalances can create resentment, frustration, and fear among team members, leading to conflicts that harm collaboration, communication, and creativity.
One of the examples, I have seen is withholding information that can be of use to other team members. As the information gap widens the power imbalance grows.
In order to address power imbalances, it is essential to first recognize them and understand their sources and impacts. Coaching tools and techniques can be used to help with this process, such as observing team dynamics and interactions for signs of power imbalances, like silence, aggression, defensiveness, or withdrawal. Asking open-ended questions to team members is also beneficial in order to gain insight into their roles and contributions in the team, as well as any conflicts or challenges they may be facing. Additionally, feedback tools like surveys, interviews, or 360-degree feedback can be employed to collect data on team members' perceptions of power and conflict in the team. Finally, analyzing the data and insights can help identify patterns, themes, and gaps that indicate power imbalances and their causes and consequences.
To prevent power imbalances from creating team conflicts, you need to foster a positive and inclusive team culture, where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered. For this goal, you can use coaching techniques and tools such as setting clear and shared team goals, roles, and norms to ensure alignment and accountability. Additionally, it’s important to encourage diversity and inclusion, provide equal opportunities and resources for team members to learn and grow, build trust and rapport among team members, promote open communication and feedback, recognize achievements and efforts of team members, and acknowledge their challenges and needs.
What I found helpful is having an open communication channel so that the information gap is lessen. There is less chance for anyone to withhold information. As a result there is less information asymmetry which will address the imbalances in power.
To resolve power imbalances that have already led to team conflicts, you need to facilitate a constructive and collaborative dialogue among team members, where they can express their views, feelings, and needs, and find solutions together. Coaching techniques and tools can help with this process. For example, creating a safe and respectful space for team members to share their experiences of the power imbalance and conflict, and listening actively and empathically. Additionally, using conflict resolution models such as the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) can help team members understand their own and others' conflict styles. Problem-solving tools like the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result) can help define the problem, generate options, and agree on actions and outcomes. Coaching skills like questioning, reframing, challenging, and supporting can also be used to explore assumptions, beliefs, and values that affect behavior in the team. Finally, following up on the progress of actions and outcomes is essential for providing feedback and guidance as needed.
If we have (a) Clearly defined Organisational structure and (b) Job descriptions of all Team members which is directly linked to the Business objectives; the issues created out of power imbalances can be resolved to a certain extent.
To address power imbalances that lead to team conflicts, developing your coaching skills and mindset is essential. Reading books, articles, or blogs on coaching and conflict management can help you learn from experts and best practices in the field. Taking courses, workshops, or webinars on coaching and conflict management can give you new knowledge and skills to apply to your team. Joining coaching communities, networks, or associations can connect you with other coaches and leaders who share your interests and challenges. Hiring a coach, mentor, or peer coach can provide feedback, support, and guidance on your coaching and leadership journey. Finally, practicing your coaching skills and techniques with your team and reflecting on your experience and results can help you improve.
It depends on your motive, to become a coach as this will define what you need to develop your skills. You genuinely want to help people improve themselves or help them to reach their goals. Good coaches understand that coaching is learning about others and helping others to realise their full potential. Therefore you need to be a good listener and have high empathy.