Your team is divided on proposed changes. How can you navigate conflicting opinions to reach a resolution?

Separate ideas from emotions. Whiteboarding or synthesising key ideas can help your team visualise the discussion in a way that removes biases and focused on the problem to solve for. A good structure for this is to collect the feedback prior to session, whether through smaller group discussion or one on one. During the session, summarise: - The problem statement - The proposed solutions and ideas - The criteria for decision making Very often teams actually desire the same outcome, but disagree on how to get there. The last step is crucial to align everyone, on whether it is outcome, cost or effort driven. As a facilitator, you can create this common ground by mediating and clarifying, and providing a vehicle to express views safely.

Determine the ultimate end goal(s) with the team and work backwards. Have team members present each proposed solution and how it will produce the desired goal(s). Unearth the 'why' behind each proposed solution. Are they motivated by emotion, culture, individual desire, experience or solid data? Understand which solution is the most effective towards achieving the best result for the organization.

A simple, yet highly efficient, way to foster alignment in your team is to ask “what does success looks like? “ and get everyone to write their answers on a shared whiteboard. This way you can gauge if you already have a directional alignment overall (or not) and what are the remaining issues, dimensions or semantics that needs further discussion.

1. Determine the primary goal: Is it to build understanding and alignment, or to reach agreement and consensus? 2. Foster a safe environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their genuine thoughts and motivations. 3. Ensure each team member has an equal opportunity to: a) Explain their perspective b) Articulate their reasoning for preferring one approach over another c) Reveal the underlying values and principles guiding their decisions 4. Through this process, the team will gain a deeper understanding of each member's choices and motivations, leading to more informed and collaborative decision-making.

Focus on what people agree, not on the disagreements. It is more productive to lead the discussion towards what is possible and good rather than what separates the people. The ultimate objective is to look together towards the common goal and good purpose. And the leader’s role is to see and show this North during “storms”.

Favorecer el diálogo sobre el debate tiene varios beneficios, entre los que se cuentan el hecho de que el diálogo permite enriquecer la resolución con las porciones de verdad que contienen las opiniones opuestas, y también permite entrar en paz con la emoción que sustenta el debate (la necesidad de “make a point”), favoreciendo también el logro de un consenso. Importante ser conscientes de que un consenso no es una solución ideal individualmente pero sí colectivamente, permite desatascar a la vez que plantea escenarios con los que es posible convivir pese a no ser perfectos.

Encouraging open dialogue is key to resolving team conflicts. Facilitate discussions where everyone can share their thoughts, ensuring the conversation remains respectful and productive by setting clear ground rules. This approach fosters a safe environment, breaking down barriers and allowing team members to express themselves, paving the way for resolution.

The most important frame that helps make dialogue easier is helping people "dis-identify" from their ideas or inputs. That way, they can be debated without feeling like a personal attack. If someone feels that disagreement or debate is an attack to them -- that is feedback that the person has identified with their POV. The best teams however, can separate their opinions from who they are, so that they can debate, develop, challenge ideas and forge new ones.

I sgree with the idea of open dialogue. I have been working in steam that was dealing with institutional change. When we were faced a point of argument, the way out was take some time to read on the issue individually and come up with ideas and put forward to discuss. Along the way we minimize the points of discussion and try to identify the prominent ideas, we prioritize them on the basis of justifications and finally arrive at solutions. Conflicting ideas, points are inevitable in a team work and the way out mostly is being patient and dealing with the way out.

Agree with all 6 steps . In my experience the key is to quickly understand the issue and start identifying alternatives or “territories to explore “ Then, encourage tem members on scoping the alternatives, eventually a quick impact assessment/measurement of alternatives and then building consensus. Once consensus is reached, proposed implementation solutions could be drafted and later agreed with implementation team.

Exploring alternatives to address differing perspectives should be a structured process that allows for fair discussion and consideration of all ideas. Mapping techniques are effective for this purpose, as they visually organize information and help identify connections, gaps, and potential solutions.

Providing options and support to teams involves encouraging alternative approaches and outcomes as possibilities. Define the possible outcomes sought, and define and provide dialogue to analyze the rationale and the plus/delta of each option available to the group. Define and discard the least popular options. As you narrow the field, focus openly the ideal option most condo agree to, and then work backwards to define the next best alternative choice. Ask members of the group to consider the best alternative and argue for it against the ideal outcome. This may not lead to consensus around one option immediately, but it will help to eliminate all other options and highlight the most difficult choices that need to be made.

Once open communication is established, encourage the team to brainstorm solutions without judgment. This creative process can reveal innovative ideas that address differing opinions. Evaluating these alternatives together allows the team to weigh pros and cons, leading to a more informed, collective decision that everyone can support.

This is the fun part. And don't forget to create the conditions for divergent thinking before jumping into 'brainstorming solutions' with a quick activity. Ex: What could we do to get the worst outcome?

The first step is fostering open communication, actively listening to all perspectives, and finding common ground among team members. By encouraging an environment where everyone feels heard and respected, you can identify shared goals and collaboratively explore solutions that meet the needs of the majority. It's important to approach the process focusing on compromise and mutual understanding, ensuring that the final decision reflects a balanced consideration of all viewpoints. Once consensus is reached, clear communication and documentation of the decision help to maintain alignment and commitment within the team.

Building consensus isn't about unanimous agreement but finding a decision everyone can support. Facilitate discussion to prioritize alternatives based on shared goals. Help the team understand that compromise is key and guide them to a solution that meets group and organizational needs. Shared ownership fosters commitment and eases implementation.

As a facilitator consensus building is an area where people skills a critical. My role is to guide the team on a compromise to the protect at hand and not a compromise of their values. As a facilitator with experience Working with QTBIPOC within the Not-for-Profit sector. I have co-facilitated complex discussions. “Co-facilitated” because it’s important that I create space where we understand we are holding each other accountable and consensus is the end goal. I ensure the team also understands that they too must actively listen to underhand differing points of view. As a facilitator my role is to hone in on what the team’s shared values are note each of them and then bring the team’s attention to them.

Too often "consensus" feels like "you win, I lose" to members of group... when I help leaders build consensus among the stakeholders, I often challenge teams to understand their individual "why" and that of the opposing position. Compromise isn't comfortable for many, so when they foster understanding and explore other perspectives, reaching consensus that everyone supports happens so much easier.

In LEGO? SERIOUS PLAY? we use a technique called "play emergences" and it consists in simulate the consequences when something happens. May be could help the participants to play the emergences about the different approaches and decisions and review which one could be more useful for the team goals, using this way, the participants will realize the effectiveness of each decision trying to anticipate the future.

Evaluate each option based on how it aligns with the team’s goals and values. Choose the solution that best supports the collective success rather than individual preferences.

Implementing decisions requires a clear action plan with defined roles, responsibilities, and timelines. Communicate the plan to the entire team, ensuring everyone understands their contributions and the next steps. This clarity helps maintain momentum toward change and reinforces the value of collaborative decision-making, driving commitment and successful execution.

Diese Vorgehensweise nutze ich in Teambuilding-Workshops oder in meinem Team: 1) Entscheidungen in konkrete Ziele übersetzen: Entscheidung in messbare, kurzfristige Ziele aufteilen, die klar mit dem Endziel verknüpft sind. Dies sorgt für Fokus und macht den Fortschritt sichtbar. 2) Schnelle Feedback-Schleifen: Implementierung regelm??iger Check-ins oder kurze Status-Updates, um Hindernisse frühzeitig zu erkennen und Anpassungen vorzunehmen. Team bleibt agil, Herausforderungen werden schnell adressiert. 3) Verantwortung durch Eigeninitiative f?rdern: das Team ermutigen, eigenst?ndig L?sungsans?tze zu finden, Verantwortung für Teilaufgaben zu übernehmen. St?rkt das Engagement und den Zusammenhalt w?hrend der Umsetzung.

Implementing decisions requires clear communication and a structured plan. In a recent facilitation, after reaching a consensus, I worked with the team to develop a detailed action plan outlining roles, responsibilities, and timelines. I ensured everyone understood their part and the importance of collective effort. By providing clarity and setting expectations, we maintained momentum towards change and reinforced the collaborative decision-making process. This structured approach ensured accountability and kept the team aligned, turning agreed decisions into actionable outcomes.

El plan de acción debe surgir considerando el consenso con todas las diferencias implícitas, así como en lo que sí se está de acuerdo y es en esto último donde una buena planificación permite el logro de objetivos medibles.

Do not skip this step. Conflict is an important part of solving problems. If the team wants to move faster in the future they need time to internalize the conflict resolution experience so they can be more comfortable with it in the future.

What I’ve found to be helpful is to: 1. Assess the issue and created a safe space with boundaries to discuss the concerns constructively. 2. Find common grounds for a mutual understanding. 3. Foster teamwork to ensure resources are available to alleviate frustrations (communication, updates, benefits) 4. Adjust the strategy as needed.

After implementing changes, reflect on the process with your team. Discuss successes and areas for improvement, turning it into a learning experience. This reflection reinforces team cohesion and prepares the group for future challenges. Celebrating the resolution and acknowledging efforts strengthens resilience and fosters a collaborative team culture.

Reflection is a critical part of learning from the decision-making process. After a challenging facilitation session, I gathered the team to discuss what worked well and areas needing improvement. This reflective practice not only identified lessons learned but also strengthened team cohesion. It was an opportunity to celebrate successes and acknowledge the efforts of all involved, reinforcing the team’s resilience and preparing them for future challenges. Reflecting on the process helped the team grow stronger and more united in facing future conflicts.