Your creative strategy team is at odds. How can you lead them to harmony and success?

1) Facilitate Open Dialogue: Create a safe space for team members to express their perspectives without fear of judgment. Encourage active listening and respectful communication. 2) Identify Root Causes: Dig deeper to uncover the underlying issues causing the discord. Are there conflicting goals, communication breakdowns, or personality clashes? 3) Brainstorm Solutions Together: Involve the team in generating solutions that address the identified issues. Encourage collaboration and out-of-the-box thinking. 4) Establish Clear Guidelines: Define clear expectations, roles, and responsibilities to prevent future disagreements. Ensure everyone is on the same page. 5) Celebrate Differences: Recognize that diverse perspectives fuel creativity.

Acknowledge the elephant in the room. Foster a safe space for open communication. Hear everyone out and validate their concerns. Is it a personality clash? Misaligned goals? Digging into the "why" behind the discord paves the way for solutions. Remember, a united team is a powerful team. By acknowledging issues and facilitating open dialogue, you can transform creative clashes into a springboard for innovation.

Acknowledging issues is the first crucial step in resolving conflicts. Creating a safe space for team members to voice concerns is vital. ??? Active listening and validation help uncover the root causes of discord. This approach paves the way for open dialogue and effective resolution. ??

To lead a divided creative strategy team to harmony and success, facilitate open dialogue to understand differing perspectives. Encourage active listening and empathy. Set clear, common goals and foster collaboration by assigning roles that leverage individual strengths. Mediate conflicts by focusing on data-driven insights and the project's objectives. Regularly check in to ensure alignment and celebrate collective wins to build team morale.

A team united by a clear purpose is a team empowered. I recently witnessed this when my team clashed over the direction of a campaign. Emails flew, tempers flared. But here's what brought us back on track: defining clear, shared objectives. We took a step back and revisited our project goals. Were they specific enough? Measurable by clear KPIs? Achievable with our resources? We revamped them together, ensuring everyone had a stake in the outcome. This collaborative goal-setting was a game-changer. It wasn't just about the "what" – it was about the "why." Suddenly, those passionate ideas weren't at odds, but different paths to a shared goal.

Once issues are out in the open, realign the team with clear, shared objectives. ?? Revisit goals to ensure they are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. ?? Encourage the team to contribute to goal-setting so everyone has a stake in the outcome. ?? This collaborative approach fosters ownership and helps prioritize tasks, focusing efforts on what truly matters for the project's success. ??

The key is fostering collaboration, not silencing disagreements. I do this by turning brainstorming sessions into safe spaces for wild ideas and healthy debate. We role-play target audiences to see things from different angles, and swap project leads to build empathy. This might sound messy, but it works. By truly hearing each other out, we unearth hidden gems within those conflicting ideas. Suddenly, that "brilliant" campaign concept doesn't seem so feasible from a budgetary standpoint. Empathy builds bridges, and bridges lead to collaboration. A successful creative team isn't a chorus singing in unison. It's a band where every instrument plays its part, creating a powerful and dynamic sound.

Studies by the Project Management Institute found that clearly defined roles and responsibilities reduce confusion and rework. Regular check-ins keep everyone on the same page, and project management tools ensure deadlines are met, a common cause of team tension. Structure isn't a cage, it's a foundation. It empowers your team to focus their creative energy. They know their roles, what's expected, and how their individual brilliance fits into the bigger picture. This clarity fosters trust, reduces conflict, and allows the creative flow to flourish.

One story that I can recollect is the one about IDEO (Silicon Valley)and their video on Redesigning the Shopping Cart. One exercise that was taken up was to set a deadline which made the team rise above all other priorities. The most interesting aspect was how the team democratically polled on each idea that was shared. The ideas which had highest number of votes were picked up. That for sure kept the team in good spirits and made an impact on their deliverable. The Team Lead was also seen to be one who welcomed all ideas and let the team push their limits. The end result was a revolutionary version of the Shopping Cart which was sophisticated enough to overcome its earlier limitations and yet was as user friendly as its earlier versions.

A little healthy debate can spark innovation. But when it becomes personal attacks or entrenched positions, it's time to step in. I've found success with a clear process: identify the issue, hear everyone out, and brainstorm solutions together. Focus on the "why" behind each viewpoint. Maybe the designer feels the copy is too dry, while the writer worries visuals will overshadow the message. By fostering empathy and understanding, common ground emerges. Remember, it's not about picking a winner, but creating the best outcome for the project. By addressing conflict fairly and transparently, you build trust and respect – the foundation for any successful creative team.