How to Manage Team Conflicts

Conflict is defined as "when two or more parties, with perceived incompatible goals, seek to undermine each other's goal-seeking capability." When conflict is not dealt with properly and timely, it can result in an escalating cycle where the first cause has results or effects, and these effects feedback to impact the original cause. ?If the conflict is not managed properly, it can be detrimental to a project by threatening its unity, partnerships, team relationships, and interpersonal connections. Conflict occurs when a decision has not been found, and the problem remains, energy is taken away from more important activities or issues, the morale of teams or individuals is destroyed, and groups of people or teams are polarized.

Approaches to Conflict Resolution.

?There are five modes of conflict resolution1: Collaborating, Compromising, Accommodating, Competing, and Avoiding.

• Collaborating?is a problem-solving win-win style. It involves the conflicting parties meeting face-to-face and collaborating to reach an agreement that satisfies the concerns of both parties. This style involves open and direct communication, which should lead the way to solve the problem.
• Compromising?is a "give and take" style. Conflicting parties bargain to reach a mutually acceptable solution. Both parties give up something to reach a decision and leave with some degree of satisfaction.
• Accommodating or obliging style. In this approach, the areas of agreement are emphasized, and the areas of disagreement are downplayed. Conflicts are not always resolved in the smoothing mode. A party may sacrifice its own concerns or goals to satisfy the concerns or goals of the other party.
• Competing?is also known as forcing, controlling, or dominating style. Forcing occurs when one party goes all out to win its position while ignoring the needs and concerns of the other party. This result in a win-lose situation where one party wins at the expense of the other party.
• Avoiding?is also described as withdrawal style. This approach is viewed as postponing an issue for later or withdrawing from the situation altogether. It is regarded as a temporary solution because the problem and conflict continue to reoccur over and over again.

Conflict in project management is not necessarily unfavorable when properly managed. Several advantages have been identified, such as opportunities to enhance communications and producing better project outcomes. However, conflict can be the decline of a project if it is not effectively managed. The challenge for project managers is to try to maintain the right balance and intensity of conflict in project management. By utilizing project management principles, understanding the dynamics of conflict, and learning approaches to conflict resolution, managers will be able to establish an environment in which creativity and innovation are encouraged, and project goals are accomplished.

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