Here's how you can navigate conflicts between colleagues in Higher Education.

Listening is key at this stage. Listen to the others' opinions and argument, try to understand their perspective and, from there, their concerns and potential challenges. At that point, break down these concerns and challenges to identify the root causes (e.g., lack of support, lack of resources, overwork, lack of consideration, disrespectful behaviours experienced, non-inclusive or discriminatory events occurred, etc.) to understand how to best solve the issues. Then start looking how to address the underlying causes of the issue and, where not possible, try at least to address the surface symptoms to find a solution that would improve your colleagues' professional life. Listening is essential here! Good luck!

One thing I have found helpful is the creation of an environment that fosters open and transparent communication among staff. Encouraging colleagues to freely express their concerns, issues, and ideas has helped to build a strong and cohesive team. This culture of open dialogue has allowed us to address challenges more effectively and to work collaboratively towards our goals.

Conflicts in Higher Education can be a bit tricky to handle, because academics can be very proud and often not willing to go against their beliefs. As such, a good starting point is always to try to understand the colleagues' position and belief, and try to find an halfway solution, where possible, to demonstrate recognition and consideration of the others' opinion. From there, it is usually helpful to explain that, although one's view is taken on board, there may be reasons for having to go against them. But communication is key. The worst thing that can happen in an academic environment is to force staff/colleagues to comply, without listening to their opinions. So, always listen and try to find a meeting point, where possible!

If you have identified a solution, is now time to act on it! At this point, try to plan carefully the stages of your solution, noting down who will be doing what at each stage. Write a recap email with all the key actions at the end, and share it with those who will be working on the solution. Having a clear outline and division of roles will be useful for all the people on the project, as it will a) allow the team to go back to the document to check the details if they have any doubts, and b) reduce the risk of future problems regarding 'who is responsible for what'. Also, having regular updates with the team will be beneficial, as it will strengthen the sense of cohesion in the team and ensure all are kept on track with the progress! ??