You're facing team conflicts and feeling stressed. How can you leverage peer feedback to ease the tension?

As a leader or manager, it is crucial to proactively manage issues such as conflicts arising from competition, jealousy, recognition disparities, and unnoticed hard work. Implementing an open-door policy encourages employees to freely discuss their concerns without fear of repercussion, promoting transparency and trust within the team. Regular check-ins with the entire team, not just with a few favorites, ensure that you stay informed about team dynamics and can address any emerging issues promptly. By promoting an environment where all team members feel valued and heard, and by ensuring fair and inclusive recognition based on merit, can effectively manage conflicts and cultivate a cohesive and productive team atmosphere.

Using peer feedback to reduce team friction and stress entails: Encourage open communication among team members, allowing them to share their issues and viewpoints. Constructive Criticism: Emphasise practical feedback that identifies strengths and places for progress, promoting mutual respect. Collaborative ideas: Encourage the team to brainstorm ideas, fostering a feeling of ownership and communal problem-solving. Emotional Support: Create a supportive environment in which team members feel appreciated and understood, hence lowering stress and tension.

In order to manage effectively conflicts, leader must act in advance and build proper environment where people can express their concerns

Create a safe and open environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their perspectives without fear of judgment. Facilitate structured feedback sessions, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to voice their thoughts constructively. Encourage active listening and empathy, helping team members understand each other's viewpoints. Use the feedback to identify common ground and areas for compromise, developing action plans to address the root causes of conflict. Regularly check in with the team to assess progress and make necessary adjustments. By promoting a culture of open communication and mutual respect, you can transform conflicts into opportunities for growth and collaboration.

A useful strategy for settling disputes and promoting improved team communication is open communication. Make sure that team members are at ease sharing their ideas and worries. Promote empathy and attentive listening. Arrange frequent team get-togethers or individual meetings where team members can freely share their insights, difficulties, and suggestions. Create feedback loops where team members exchange helpful criticism with one another in turn. This encourages openness and aids in resolving disputes quickly. Team members should be encouraged to actively listen to one another without interjecting. Respect their viewpoints and validate their emotions. Take into consideration holding seminars or courses on conflict resolution.

In my experience, it seems conflict and tension increases when team members believe they are not being heard. Creating an environment of psychological safety where individuals can speak and truly be heard is critical. Team members don’t necessarily have to “win” their point to diminish the conflict level. But they do need to know their point was heard. Active listening skills helps to communicate that team members have been heard. Acknowledging they have been heard is not the same as agreeing.

When leading a team effort, you may be so preoccupied with the team’s needs and well-being, that you neglect your own. As an integral part of your team, it is important to manage your own stress. Be aware of personal stressors and how they affect your work communication, and team cohesiveness. Are the stressors coming from outside (i.e.- larger organizational goals or deadlines) or from within (i.e. - personal goals or expectations)? Use personal reflection as well as 360° feedback to assess this.