You're in charge of a team project. How can you showcase leadership skills by managing conflicts effectively?

In a leadership position, facing conflict is inevitable, and it often challenges your leadership abilities. When conflicts arise, the first step is to thoroughly understand the issue by gathering all relevant information. This involves interviewing the conflicting parties and any other individuals involved. It’s crucial to approach this process with as much impartiality as possible. Strive to be unbiased to ensure you get an accurate picture of the situation. By doing so, you can make a well-informed judgment call that addresses the core of the conflict. Showing your team that you are committed to understanding all perspectives not only builds trust but also demonstrates your dedication to fair and effective leadership.

After 18+ years leading teams in the construction industry I've dealt with these conflicts first hand. Here's a few ways to be an effective leader in those moments. 1-Listen Actively 2-Remain Neutral and Objective 3-Set a clear vision 4-Provide a Solution 5-Lead by Example By effectively managing conflicts in a team, you demonstrate your leadership skills in creating a positive and productive work environment. While still promoting teamwork, and ensuring project success despite challenges.

A leader's responsibility in conflict management is to find a resolution as quickly as possible. This sometimes involves noticing a potential conflict before it occurs. For example, helping a team member better understand a process they might have problems with or talking to team members who seem to clash can help improve a situation. If you intervene in an existing conflict, assessing the situation beforehand can help you prepare solutions for meetings with conflicting team members.

Before this step, keep this in mind, 2 things to get in the situation. 1) Separate the actors - Physically, always. You need to create a physical space to let them re-enter their safety zone. 2) Time. Let time, use a time to investigate, in a calm and empathetic manner. Space & Time.

One of the most underrated tools in leadership is effective, well-timed questions. This is especially true in conflict. When you sense tensions rising, do what you can to slow down the interaction. Ask open-ended questions of all the stakeholders to understand the situation and their perspectives around it. Listen deeply to the responses you receive, paying particular attention to the values, beliefs, and emotions that are implicated. Often, being heard in this way will allow people to take a calmer, more open stance to the ideas and perspectives of others.

If you intervene in a conflict or your team presents a conflict to you and asks for your help, collaborate with team members to find a solution. Consider taking on a mediator role by helping the conflicting team members understand each other's issues and discovering a solution that works for both parties.

Practice active listening by fully concentrating on what team members are saying, acknowledging their points, and responding thoughtfully. This demonstrates respect and fosters a more open dialogue. Stay neutral, establish rules for communication, and do not judge.

As Leaders, we must foster an empathetic work culture, leveraging the 3 Types of Empathy: - Emotional Empathy: We leverage this type of Empathy to understand co-workers' feelings. - Cognitive Empathy: We leverage this type of Empathy to understand co-workers' thoughts. - Empathic Concern: We leverage this type of Empathy to act to help a co-worker with something that they may be feeling, thinking or experiencing. It is important to encourage everyone in the team to learn, practice and develop these 3 Types of Empathy to foster a caring culture, where people feel seen, heard, understood, valued, respected and supported. Do try this in the office and at home!

Empathy is the key, the number one skill that should be mandatory to master for every leader. Include empathy training in your professional development programs. Workshops focused on developing emotional intelligence can be a game changer.

Outside forces may cause a shift in morale in your workplace. Understanding particular causes of conflict can help you prevent issues from arising. For instance, if there's a change in company processes, some team members might require help adjusting, while others might not. Knowing that this might cause conflict, establishing a training program to help those who require guidance can improve morale and reduce the chances of a conflict occurring.

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." — John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Offer guidance as a facilitator, not a dictator. Encourage team members to voice their opinions and contribute to the solution. Stay flexible and open to adjusting your guidance based on the team's input.

It helps when all parties involved in a conflict understand what each individual wants in a potential resolution. This may include your goals as their leader, such as a productive or positive work environment. Understanding one another's goals can help team members find a mutually beneficial solution to problems.

I think we need to set regular checkpoints to review progress and make any necessary adjustments. This keeps the project on track and allows for timely intervention if issues arise. The follow-up is the most important.

Consider establishing workplace boundaries while resolving conflicts. This can help your team members conduct themselves in a manner that avoids conflict. Maintaining these boundaries while working toward a solution can help ensure mutual respect between conflicting team members and help them understand the behaviors that crossed boundaries and led to their conflict. An example of workplace boundaries might include ensuring that discussion of a conflict only occurs between involved parties.