Resolving Conflicts Within The Team Successfully

It is quite understandable that a lot of conflicts arise among the team members every now and then. There are many disagreements in the team when they are working on a certain project and sometimes these disagreement can build into full fledge conflicts which end up affecting the performance of the entire team. An effective team manager and team member is one who can handle such conflicts calmly and successfully. When you are working in a team, the performance of every team member is under scrutiny and the boss will notice whether you were a part of the problem or the one who controlled the problem.

Conflict management is not as difficult as some people think and you can very easily learn to handle different kinds of people and conflicts if you follow these simple tips:

Avoid Pointing Fingers:

Most of the conflicts arise when there is a problem with the project and something goes wrong. In such a situation, most people start pointing fingers at the team members in order to avoid taking the heat for the mistake. Putting blame on others is the worst attitude in a team member and creates more problems rather than resolving any problem. Instead of pointing fingers at others, it is better to discuss what went wrong and then figure out a way to remedy it rather than wasting time in trying to pin the blame on someone else.

Don’t Be Bossy:

When you are working in a team, you need to treat each team member as an equally important colleague and listen to their advice and suggestions. When you act like you are the boss, you not only alienate them but also create a hostile working environment which is more prone to conflicts. So don’t be extremely pushy and bossy, instead be a good team member who is ready to listen to the suggestions of his team mates.

Be In Control:

While it is true that you should not be bossy when you are managing a team, it also goes without saying that you need to be in control of the situation and when a conflict arises you have to remain calm at all instances. Losing your temper and shouting on your team members will not only create a bigger problem but you will also lose the respect and trust of your team members.

Be Direct:

When there are problems and conflicts at work, it is best to be direct and address the real issue then and there. Beating about the bush gets you nowhere and complicates the issue more than it needs to be.

Don’t Run Away From The Problem:

When you face a conflict within the team, the best approach is to tackle it hands on. Some people try to run away from the problem and hope that it will fade away eventually. The fact remains that the conflicts have to be resolved and the sooner you start making amends the better. If you are hoping that it will go away by just ignoring it, you are in for a huge disappointment.

Pinpoint The Source:

Whenever a conflict arises within a team, it is the duty of the team leader or manager to identify the source of the conflict and then address the issue accordingly. Sometimes this source can be a particular team member who is not willing to cooperate and creates a lot of problems during the working hours. So a good team leader not only has to identify the problematic person but also deal with him and discusses the issue clearly.

Listen to Others:

Not only in conflict resolution but also in managing a team properly, it is important to make sure that you listen to the problems and suggestions of other people. If you act like you know everything and do not pay any attention to the ideas being floated by other people, you are bound to increase the level of conflict within a team and create more problems rather than solving any. In order to become an effective team manager, you should be able to foster trust and to do so you need to be able to listen to the problems that other people are having when they are working on your team.

Act to Solve Problems:

Most of the problems arise when you fail to take action as soon as issue comes up and resolve it instantly. If you want to resolve the conflicts that are arising in your team, you need to address the issues without any delay and make sure that you are doing this in such a manner that everyone is satisfied with your decision. It is understandable that being a team leader you might have to take some tough decisions but you can do so without offending anyone in the team and by making them understand why you took a particular approach.

Avoid Being Defensive:

When you are a team leader or even working in a team without being the leader, you need to make sure that you are open minded and relaxed. You should be able to listen to criticism and be able to handle the criticism very well. Some people get extremely defensive when they are criticized for something and fail to take the high road. You need to keep in mind that being defensive will only create more problems for you and your team members and will eventually reflect badly on the outcome of the team. So whatever you do make sure that you remain calm and are able to take criticism with a pinch of salt. You need to analyze the criticism and see how much of it was fair and what can you learn from such criticism.

Conclusion:

By following these simple tips, you can make sure that your team performs well without any problems and if there is any conflict within the team, you can resolve it without getting into much trouble.