You’re facing a team conflict. Can emotional intelligence help you resolve it?

Recognize conflict will happen at times and that it is part of the process. Model the behavior you want your team to exhibit. Listen, empathize, assess the situation, stand up for your team and act fairly.

For the reason that I am already facing a team conflict, I believe that empathic/active listening comes before finding out the root cause. Only when you hear each side can you get a clearer picture of where exactly/how the conflict was born and developed. At this stage it is vital not to offer own interpretations of what is being said. Otherwise, the team member may either feel not listened to and not valued, which might either cause them to withdraw from any conversation or escalate the conflict.

Emotional intelligence can definitely help resolve team conflicts. By understanding and managing emotions effectively, team members can communicate more clearly, empathize with others’ perspectives, and collaborate towards finding mutually beneficial solutions. Emotional intelligence skills such as empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution can foster healthier team dynamics and contribute to resolving conflicts constructively.

I agree with everything above, but I’d also add that it is very important, when summarising, to check with the person whose story you are summarising if you definitely understood it correctly. If you don’t, there’s a risk that, if the team member is shy and/or feel insecure or are generally not very outspoken, they might just ‘go with it’s because they may want to avoid ‘wasting’ any more of your time.

Expressing one’s feelings in the first person - ‘I’ - is indeed very important for the reasons set out above. I would also add that perspective-taking, and not only feelings, should be exercised/taken into account. Sometimes we simply cannot ‘step into someone else’s shoes’ until we hear their perspective. If I am mediating the conflict resolution meeting, I would, AFTER the feelings had been expressed and the heat of the situation somewhat diffused, ask each person to calmly explain their point of view. If needed, I would assist by using coaching type questions to help the person to express their point of view.

To resolve team conflict using emotional intelligence, one has to ensure they do the following: 1.Be aware of emotions. 2.Show empathy and understanding. 3.Listen actively without judgment. 4.Regulate your own emotions. 5.Communicate clearly and respectfully. 6.Collaboratively problem-solve. 7.Build positive relationships and teamwork It is also imperative that one comes to the realization that it is ok to be vulnerable inorder to collaboratively communicate within a team and that it is part of growth..

I believe it is very important to have regular, some formal, some semi-formal, training for team members on perspective-taking as, in my experience, more often than not, the misunderstandings and conflicts arise from exactly that - inability to see from another’s point of view. When we cannot see the point of view of another (which happens often and there’s nothing to criticise; we cannot know what we do not know until we know), we tend to take any misunderstanding personally. If we are regularly reminded of and trained on perspective-taking, with time, it becomes automatic, and has a great potential to reduce conflicts.

Emotional intelligence can be crucial in resolving team conflict. It involves using self-awareness, empathy, and social skills to understand and manage emotions, both your own and those of others. Start by recognizing and acknowledging the emotions involved in the conflict without judgment. Employ active listening to understand each team member's perspective, demonstrating empathy and respect for their feelings. Use your understanding of emotional dynamics to facilitate a constructive dialogue, encouraging open communication and collaboration towards a resolution. Emotional intelligence helps in creating a safe environment for expressing concerns and finding a middle ground, which is key in conflict resolution.