You’re struggling to manage conflict in your team. What’s the best way to help them develop their skills?

1 Identify the sources of conflict

The first step to managing conflict is to understand what causes it. Conflict can arise from different factors, such as personality clashes, communication breakdowns, competing goals, scarce resources, or unclear expectations. Some conflicts are healthy and productive, while others are destructive and disruptive. To identify the sources of conflict in your team, you need to observe, listen, and ask questions. Try to find out the root causes, the interests and needs of each party, and the impact of the conflict on the team and the work.

3 Facilitate constructive dialogue

The third step is to facilitate a constructive dialogue between the parties involved in the conflict. Your role as a manager is to create a safe and respectful environment where everyone can express their views, listen to each other, and explore options. To facilitate constructive dialogue, you need to use effective communication skills, such as active listening, paraphrasing, summarizing, asking open-ended questions, and giving feedback. You also need to use emotional intelligence skills, such as empathy, self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation. You need to acknowledge the emotions, needs, and values of each party, while managing your own emotions and biases.

4 Implement and monitor solutions

The final step is to implement and monitor the solutions that are agreed upon by the parties involved in the conflict. Your role as a manager is to support the implementation of the solutions, provide feedback and coaching, and evaluate the results. To implement and monitor solutions, you need to use project management skills, such as setting SMART goals, assigning roles and responsibilities, defining timelines and milestones, tracking progress and performance, and making adjustments as needed. You also need to use recognition and reward skills, such as celebrating achievements, providing positive reinforcement, and acknowledging contributions.

Managing conflict in your team is not easy, but it can be an opportunity to improve your team’s skills, relationships, and results. By following these steps, you can help your team resolve conflicts effectively and constructively.