Addressing Team Conflicts Head-On
The Elephant in The Room!

Addressing Team Conflicts Head-On

The room falls silent as tempers flare. Sideways glances are exchanged as the elephant in the room grows larger. Everyone senses the rising tension, yet no one dares address it directly.

Team conflict is brewing.

Unresolved disagreements, interpersonal issues, and unspoken resentments simmer below the surface, threatening to boil over at any moment. As a team leader, it falls on you to take action before dysfunction takes root. But where do you start?

Calling out the elephant in the room is the first step to addressing team conflicts head-on. By bringing unspoken tensions into the light, you shine a spotlight on matters that must be resolved for your team to thrive. This takes courage but fosters open communication and trust.

Left unaddressed, team conflicts fester like a wound, breeding hostility and lack of psychological safety. But when confronted compassionately and head-on, disagreements present opportunities for growth. Your team's health depends on taking that first step.

In this article, we will explore strategies for identifying and resolving team conflict, creating an open dialogue, and leading courageous conversations to clear the air. Let's address the elephant before it flattens your team's potential.

The time for silence and avoidance is over.

Team conflict is inevitable, but letting it fester can destroy teamwork. As a leader, recognising brewing issues early and taking action is key.

Signs of Brewing Team Conflict

Watch for symptoms like declining trust, lack of communication, infighting over resources, and avoidance behaviours. Siloes, power struggles, and people disengaging signal a lack of psychological safety. Act promptly when any of the following arise:

  • Team members become guarded and stop collaborating
  • Backchannel gossip and closed-door conversations increase
  • Individuals lobby against each other rather than seeking common ground
  • People shut down in meetings and conversations turn combative

Unresolved, these conflicts will poison your team’s culture. Have the courage to confront issues openly before relationships suffer permanent damage.

Why Letting Conflicts Fester is Harmful

Turning a blind eye to the conflict may seem easier at the moment, but causes long-term harm by:

  • Generating resentment, hostility, and dysfunction
  • Hindering productivity, innovation, and results
  • Creating a toxic, cutthroat environment
  • Damaging engagement, fulfilment, and morale
  • Promoting cliques and damaging working relationships

Conflict is unavoidable, but teams must feel safe addressing tensions quickly and constructively to thrive.

Strategies to Address Team Conflict

Tailor your approach to your team’s needs. Positive starting points include:

  • One-on-one conversations to uncover concerns and provide coaching
  • Facilitating an open team discussion to voice issues and align
  • Bringing in a neutral mediator to lead resolution conversations
  • Scheduling a team building offsite to reconnect and reset culture
  • Implementing collaboration incentives to reorient values

There is no one-size-fits-all method. Assess the situation and use multiple strategies to create openness.

How to Call Out the Elephant

When calling out sensitive team issues:

  • Pick an appropriate setting that feels safe
  • Speak from a place of care to avoid provoking defensiveness
  • Be specific but non-blaming in describing situations
  • Offer solutions and ownership of the next steps

Your goal is to spark authentic dialogue, not accusations. Lead with empathy and accountability.

Moving Forward After Addressing Conflict

Once conflicts are in the open, real healing can begin by:

  • Agreeing on rules of engagement for future interactions
  • Celebrating learnings and growth that came from discussion
  • Continuing team-building activities to deepen relationships
  • Monitoring culture and morale for lingering issues

Working through differences strengthens teams. Keep lines of communication open as you move forward together.

So What

The health of your team hangs in the balance. Will resentment and dysfunction take root as conflict festers silently under the surface? Or will you take courageous action to foster open communication and collective growth?

The time for avoidance is over. As a leader, it is your responsibility to call out the elephant, bring suppressed tensions into the light, and guide your team through this darkness into understanding.

Have the courage to speak up. Call a team meeting to check in on dynamics. Facilitate difficult but necessary conversations. And commit to the personal work it will take to hear each other, rebuild trust, and align around shared goals.

Discomfort is temporary; a fractured team is permanent. Lean into the vulnerability and uncertainty. Let conflict strengthen rather than weaken you. Lead by naming the elephant, enabling dialogue, and holding one another accountable.

No more silence and avoidance. Make the choice to call it out and move forward to a healthier future. The elephant will only grow larger otherwise. Your team is too important to lose to dysfunction. Speak up now.

The elephant in the room holds your team back until confronted compassionately, directly, and with care for your shared future. Have the courage to call it out.

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