Make sure everyone feels heard. Let them speak. Make sure roles are defined, so there is no confusion who is responsible for what. This is art but also a business. There is only one boss. One final decision. Use honey, it tastes better than vinegar. Be willing to compromise. After all theatre is a collaboration of many ideas from many people that will elevate the project if you are open. Keep to the schedule.

As director, you have to have faith in the team you assembled. Tech Week is tough enough without anyone being petty, especially the director. The final decision may be yours, but the best idea always has to win. Put aside the ego and listen. I agree with Kari, making sure everyone is heard -- and hearing each other -- is critical. The more faith you have in the people you assembled, the more faith they'll have in you. Be kind. Be patient. Have a sense of humor. You do get more flies with honey, although I'm not sure why you want flies at all, but whatever. They said it back home. And it is true.

Explain to everyone in the team that the tech rehearsals are especially stressful because of the lack of resources, especially material, money, time, and/or personnel. In my opinion, the first priority should be transparent resource management and the situation should be made clear and explained sensitively to everyone. This will help to avoid conflicts and mitigate arguments. In addition, regular team meetings, clear rules and allocation of roles, chains of command and communication are necessary, even in collective teams.

- Remind the team that we are working to achieve a common goal and start from this for dialogue. - Listen individually to team members to understand conflicts and find a solution to propose together. - Previously, distribute the teams considering skills and empathy among the members so that if a conflict arises, it can be more easily managed.

Understanding the preferred communication methods is a must in conflict management. During tech, Production Management can help facilitate difficult dialogue and determine if an additional conversation is necessary. The important thing is for individuals to understand when they personally need to step away, sometimes figuratively, in order for tech to be effective. Discussions become derailed and some talk in circles instead of moving onto the next subject and coming back to it afterwards. Most conflicts are solved once the parties have determined the root issue each is talking about rather than determining in the moment and halting forward progress. Saving allotted time for open discussions leads to trust and effective communication.