What do you do if your design team is facing conflicts during the automotive design process?

2 Communicate respectfully

The second step to resolving conflicts is to communicate respectfully and constructively with the other parties. This means listening actively, acknowledging their views, expressing your own opinions clearly and politely, and avoiding blaming, criticizing, or interrupting. Communication is essential to build trust, rapport, and mutual understanding among the design team members and stakeholders. It also helps to prevent or reduce negative emotions, such as anger, frustration, or resentment, that can escalate the conflict.

3 Seek common ground

The third step to resolving conflicts is to seek common ground and find a solution that satisfies everyone's needs and goals. This may require compromising, negotiating, brainstorming, or experimenting with different options. The key is to focus on the shared vision, mission, and values of the design project and the benefits of working together as a team. You can also use objective criteria, such as data, facts, standards, or best practices, to support your decisions and arguments.

4 Involve a mediator

The fourth step to resolving conflicts is to involve a mediator if the previous steps fail or the conflict is too complex or sensitive. A mediator is a neutral third party who can facilitate the dialogue, clarify the issues, ask questions, offer suggestions, and help the parties reach a mutually acceptable agreement. The mediator can be someone from within the organization, such as a manager, a mentor, or a colleague, or someone from outside, such as a consultant, a coach, or a professional mediator.

5 Learn from the experience

The fifth step to resolving conflicts is to learn from the experience and use it as an opportunity to improve your skills, relationships, and outcomes. You can reflect on what worked well and what didn't, what you learned about yourself and others, and what you can do differently in the future. You can also give and receive feedback, appreciate and celebrate the achievements, and document and share the lessons learned. By learning from the experience, you can grow as a designer and a team player.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?