What do you do if your advertising team is experiencing constant conflicts?

If your ad team's vibe is more battle royale than brainstorm, time for a team huddle. Lay everything on the table, pinpoint the friction points, and listen. It’s like being a band sorting out creative differences—focus on the common goal. Sometimes, bringing in a neutral mediator hits the right note.

Conflict is a part of life. Though, life at work should not be a daily battle royal, different point of views do help to create better work. The difference is in listening and not overreacting. If you have never heard of or practiced active listening and feel, felt, found as habits of communication, google them and try them. It is also okay to have hard conversations with people who are putting up constant barriers instead of helping paving the way for better work. If you are that person, understand that no one person is smarter than all. Even though our world still assigns throats to choke, those people have to listen/hear all and weigh the good, bad and ugly to get to the right strategies. PS. If that person can't do that, get out.

If your ad team is always arguing, think of data as a peacemaker. Data doesn't take sides, and it helps us get on the same page. Let's use it to make decisions, so we're all working with the facts, not just opinions. It's a simple way to clear up misunderstandings and move forward together.

Fire all of them and rehire key employees but do not call them team members. Team members gives them the idea that the whole cannot function without someone, and that person thinks they are indispensable.

Involving a third party in conflict resolution is a crucial step when internal efforts prove ineffective or when tensions escalate. A neutral mediator can offer fresh perspectives and facilitate constructive dialogue, paving the way for mutual understanding and resolution. Whether from within or outside the organization, their impartiality ensures fairness and objectivity. Embracing this step demonstrates a commitment to finding lasting solutions and maintaining harmonious relationships.

If there's still tension, it might be time to level up your team's data game. Educating your colleagues on the importance of data in advertising can be a game-changer. Sometimes, bringing in analytics experts is the way to go. Remember, successful ads rely heavily on data - it's the backbone of understanding what works and what doesn't. With the right knowledge or experts on board, your team can transform conflicts into productive, data-driven strategies.

Diamonds are polished by friction. Therefore I don't see constant conflicts as necessarily a bad thing on an advertising or marketing team. The question is whether those conflicts are healthy or unhealthy. Unhealthy conflicts involve things like name calling or belittlement or the feeling that your career will be ruined if you lose this time. Healthy conflicts are like sports. You can still shake hands at the end. It's nothing personal.