How can you help your team navigate conflicts during change?

1 Understand the sources of conflict

When helping your team navigate conflicts during change, the first step is to understand the underlying causes. These can include resistance to change due to feeling threatened, anxious, or frustrated; lack of clarity on the purpose, goals, or benefits of the change; communication breakdowns leading to misunderstandings or mistrust; and personality clashes due to different styles, values, or preferences. By recognizing these sources of conflict, you can customize your approach to address them and prevent them from escalating.

2 Encourage open and honest dialogue

The second step to help your team navigate conflicts during change is to encourage open and honest dialogue among team members. Dialogue is a constructive way of communicating that allows team members to express their needs and expectations, listen to and understand each other's perspectives, acknowledge and respect each other's differences, identify and resolve any issues or problems, and collaborate on finding solutions. To facilitate dialogue, you can create a safe and supportive space for team members to speak and listen, ask open-ended questions that invite exploration and reflection, provide feedback that is specific, constructive, and appreciative, use active listening skills such as paraphrasing, summarizing, and empathizing, and manage emotions while avoiding defensiveness or aggression.

3 Involve and empower your team

The third step to help your team navigate conflicts during change is to involve and empower your team in the change process. This can help team members feel valued and respected for their contributions and opinions, take ownership and responsibility for the change and its outcomes, develop a sense of belonging and commitment to the team and the change, enhance their skills and capabilities to cope with the change, increase their confidence and motivation to embrace the change. To involve and empower your team, you can use strategies such as communicating the vision, purpose, and benefits of the change clearly and frequently, soliciting and incorporating feedback from team members, providing opportunities for them to learn and grow, delegating tasks and decisions that are appropriate to them, recognizing and rewarding their efforts and achievements.

4 Model and promote positive behaviors

The fourth step to help your team navigate conflicts during change is to model and promote positive behaviors that support the change and the team. Building trust and rapport, demonstrating flexibility, showing respect, displaying creativity, and celebrating successes are all essential for creating a successful and positive environment. To model and promote these behaviors, you can lead by example and show your commitment to the change, provide clear expectations for team members, encourage and support them to take risks, give and receive constructive feedback, and celebrate achievements with other stakeholders.

5 Seek and offer support

The fifth step to help your team navigate conflicts during change is to seek and offer support to team members and other stakeholders. Doing so can help them cope with stress and uncertainty, access resources and information, resolve any conflicts or difficulties, enhance their well-being and performance, and strengthen their relationships. To seek and offer support, you can identify people who can provide guidance, advice, or assistance; create channels of communication and collaboration; provide and request feedback; recognize signs of burnout or distress; and express gratitude and appreciation. These strategies can make a difference in the change process and outcomes.

6 Review and reflect

Navigating conflicts during change can be made easier by reviewing and reflecting. This can help team members evaluate progress, identify gaps, learn from successes and challenges, recognize growth and development, appreciate the value and impact of the change, and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the team. Strategies for review and reflection include setting and measuring indicators and criteria for the change and its outcomes, conducting surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather feedback, organizing debriefs or retrospectives to share experiences, documenting and disseminating best practices or case studies based on the change, and hosting events or ceremonies to reward the team.