Here's how you can navigate conflicts stemming from diverse views on digital strategy execution.

Navigating conflicts in digital strategy execution requires fostering open communication and mutual respect among team members. Encourage a culture of active listening where all perspectives are considered and valued. Facilitate regular meetings to address concerns and align on goals, ensuring everyone feels heard and understood. Utilize mediation techniques and seek common ground to build consensus and drive collaborative solutions.

Recognise and respect the different perspectives within your team. ?? Acknowledging each viewpoint fosters an inclusive environment and opens up constructive dialogue. “Diversity is the art of thinking independently together.” – Malcolm Forbes.

Divergent views while initially may seem disruptive can ultimately result in enhanced collaboration if handled effectively. This can be made possible only when every view is respected and carefully actioned upon. And by action, it doesn't necessarily mean every view needs to be accepted - all it means is every view is reviewed and validated for applicability. Having preconceived notions and the temptation to provide an immediate response especially without thorough evaluation can hinder this process. To reap the benefits of diversity in the team, the right culture needs to be imbibed so that divergent views are not only accepted but welcomed to make the team more open and collaborative to find all means to reach the most optimal solution!

Establish clear, common objectives to align the team. ?? This ensures everyone is working towards the same goals, reducing friction. Clear objectives act as a roadmap, guiding the team through differences in strategy execution.

Leverage the diverse views to your advantage. ?? Diverse perspectives can lead to innovative solutions and more robust strategies. Encourage team members to share their unique insights, turning potential conflicts into strengths.

Effective communication is key to resolving conflicts. ??? Ensure all team members understand each other’s points of view and the rationale behind decisions. Clear and open communication helps in mitigating misunderstandings.

Be prepared to find middle ground. ?? Not every decision will please everyone, but wise compromises can keep the team moving forward. Focus on solutions that meet the most critical objectives and respect core values

Regularly assess the outcomes of your strategies and decisions. ?? Use these evaluations to adjust and refine your approach, ensuring continuous improvement. This iterative process helps the team learn from conflicts and evolve together.

Introduce a mediation role to facilitate resolution when conflicts arise. For instance, in my team at ESOLS Technologies, we assigned a neutral mediator to step in during strategy disagreements. This person helped guide discussions, ensured all voices were heard, and focused on aligning strategies with our overarching goals. The mediator's role was crucial in maintaining a positive atmosphere and fostering collaborative decision-making, leading to more effective and unified digital strategies. This approach can help manage conflicts constructively and keep projects on track.

Something not mentioned in this article -- and I have used it with success -- is aligning participants in the session using tools like Six Thinking Hats. These types of tools create time to discuss "pros" and "cons" in their own separate spaces, there is a time to share "emotions" or generate fresh "ideas." This helps make sure the conflict isn't due to someone talking "cons" while others are discussing feelings, and still others are throwing out new ideas - each of these is valuable, but it is better when each has a dedicated space in the strategy session.