When Teams Collide

Team conflicts are as common as tea in the office break room. When you put a group of diverse people together, throw in tight deadlines, and stir in a few project pressures, and voila! You've got the perfect recipe for workplace tension. But conflict doesn't have to be the office villain. Handled well, it can spark fresh ideas, build stronger collaboration, and ultimately lead to a more dynamic team.

In this newsletter, I'll explore the common causes of team conflicts. As you read, see if any of these sound familiar in your workplace (past and present).

Common Causes of Conflicts in the Workplace?

Knowing what triggers team conflicts is essential to resolving (or, better yet, preventing) them. Let's explore some of the usual suspects:

1. Poor Communication: Sometimes, an innocent email reads colder than intended, or a project brief is misunderstood as "optional" instead of "urgent." Communication gaps are among the biggest culprits in workplace friction. When words get twisted, intentions follow suit. Miscommunication or a lack of clarity in expectations often leads to misunderstandings and frustration among team members. And especially in high-pressure moments, miscommunication is one of the quickest ways to spark a conflict.
2. Conflicting Goals and Priorities: Teams often have aligned end goals, but how they want to get there can vary wildly. Picture one team member who wants the presentation slide deck done yesterday while another obsesses about perfecting the layout. Different priorities or working styles create a classic recipe for friction.
3. Resource Scarcity: There's one budget, one deadline, and one high-visibility project. Now, who gets what? Sometimes conflicts arise simply because everyone's battling for the same resources. Limited resources often create competition within the team.
4. Personality Clashes: Let's not pretend every team is a perfect blend. When a detail-loving perfectionist and a big idea, "we'll make it work", optimist sit next to each other, there's bound to be some friction. Personal differences, like contrasting communication styles or values, can sometimes result in interpersonal conflicts.
5. Poor Performance: When some team members do not meet performance expectations, it can create tension and conflict. High-performing employees may feel burdened by having to compensate for their colleagues' shortcomings, leading to resentment. Additionally, if the managers or management do not address poor performance, it can erode trust and morale within the team, as it may be perceived that underperformance is tolerated.
6. Reaction to Change: Whether it's a new system, a leadership shuffle, or a shift in strategy, change is a significant source of workplace tension. It disrupts routines, creates uncertainty, and sometimes challenges people's comfort zones. If half the team eagerly embraces the change while the other half resists, you have a recipe for conflict.
7. Prejudice, Ignorance, and Cultural Differences: Today's workplace is more diverse than ever, which brings great strength and, occasionally, a few challenges. Differences in cultural norms, prejudices, or simply a lack of awareness can lead to misunderstandings or an exclusionary environment. Conflicts can arise more frequently when these cultural nuances aren't valued or respected.

Recognising these causes is crucial to fostering an environment that minimizes potential triggers and encourages open dialogue and cooperation.

Types of Team Conflicts

With 15 years of experience in team engagement projects, I’ve found that team conflicts generally fall into three primary categories:

1. Task Conflicts: These are disagreements over the "what": project direction, content, or expected outcomes. Task conflicts are often productive, leading to creative discussions that strengthen the final product.
2. Relationship Conflicts: Personal tensions are often the toughest to handle. Relationship conflicts arise from differences in personalities, values, or communication styles and can threaten team harmony.
3. Process Conflicts: These revolve around how the work gets done: roles, responsibilities, and the steps to reach the end goal. Process conflicts often stem from ambiguity, which, when resolved, can clarify team operations.

?Beyond these main types, conflicts can also show up in other ways:

• Internal Conflicts—These occur when a person faces internal struggles, such as conflicting values, desires, or responsibilities. For example, an employee might feel torn between his career ambitions and personal life, leading to stress and indecision. This type of conflict can result in anxiety, frustration, and difficulty making decisions, which may impact the individual's overall well-being and performance at work.
• One-to-One Conflicts—When two people have clashing goals, values, or expectations, things can quickly get tense.
• Intra-team Conflicts—These happen when team members have disagreements or conflicting opinions about achieving the team's objectives. This type of conflict can stem from different perspectives, competition for roles, or unclear responsibilities.
• Inter-Team Conflicts – Competition between teams, say marketing vs. sales, often leads to tension over resources, recognition, or differing goals.

?Each type of conflict requires a unique approach, as they affect the team differently. Task and process conflicts, for instance, might lead to constructive discussions if managed well, while relationship conflicts often need more sensitive handling.

The Impact of Team Conflicts on Productivity

Team conflicts can foster creativity and problem-solving by encouraging diverse perspectives when managed correctly. They can spark meaningful discussions that result in innovative solutions, pushing the team to explore new ideas. However, unmanaged conflicts can erode trust, reduce collaboration, and negatively impact productivity. In severe cases, unresolved conflicts can lead to disengagement, high turnover rates, and a toxic workplace culture. The key is learning to harness conflicts as growth opportunities rather than allowing them to become roadblocks.

The (Surprising) Upside of Team Conflicts

Here's a little secret: conflict, in moderation, can be good. Yes, really. When two people challenge each other's ideas, they can often come up with a better solution than either would have alone. When someone finally points out that a process is causing more work than saving, it opens up the conversation for improvement. Conflict can bring attention to issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

So next time you spot some tension brewing, don't jump to shut it down. Instead, look for what could come out of it. A respectful disagreement often brings about some great results.

Take a moment to reflect:

What are the most common causes of conflict you've seen? Which type of conflict has been most straightforward to resolve—and which has proven trickiest? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

In my following newsletter, I'll explore how to identify early warning signs of conflict and discuss some effective conflict management strategies. Until then, here's to keeping our teams productive and harmonious!

A good team doesn’t just reach the finish line together—they make the journey there matter."