2 min read

Oct 25, 2024

Conflicts and disagreements are an inevitable feature of any group of human beings, and workplaces are no exception. The risk is especially high when the pressure is on and stress reactions take over, impairing team members' ability to make considered decisions and potentially escalating minor disagreements into major conflicts. The results being that, in a worst case scenario, things have reached the point where finding a positive outcome becomes practically impossible.

In this article we’ll explore practical strategies to help leaders better navigate workplace conflicts, maintain team morale, and even leverage disagreements as opportunities for growth and innovation.

How to keep teams motivated despite conflicts and obstacles

Conflict can be defined as an ‘apparent incompatibility of things that are valued’ – such as how to solve a problem. Note the word apparent. In a business context, the incompatibility is often more perceived than real. Both seemingly conflicting approaches might have value in addressing some aspect of the problem. It is the leader’s role to support their team members, individually and as a group, making the most of these spark points and turning any unhelpful conflict into an opportunity for learning and building a stronger team.

Of course, for this to be successful, a strategy or conflict resolution framework has to be in place before conflict emerges. This can be facilitated by prioritising transparent and consistent communication between leaders and team members and between colleagues, regularly updating the team on organisational goals, challenges, and expectations, and setting SMART goals so that team members fully understand what is expected of them, and how their contributions fit into the bigger picture.

Regular feedback sessions, both one-on-one and team-wide, act as a quality control mechanism by helping the team to reflect on how successfully their procedures work in practice, and providing an open forum to address misunderstandings promptly.

Communication and trust

When conflict arises, individual team members must have trust in their leadership that they can approach them to provide an objective and fair resolution to the issue. There are two factors at play here. First, the leader must be seen to be completely objective, so that team members feel safe to voice their concerns, ideas, and feedback without fear of judgement or reprisals. Secondly, the leader must be always available for team members that need support. An open-door policy will reinforce trust that individual opinions matter and will be taken seriously.

Unfortunately, conflict resolution skills do not come naturally to everybody, even people gifted in other managerial and leadership areas. Incorporating conflict resolution training into your leadership development programme, therefore, will equip both your leaders and team members with the skills to better handle disagreements constructively – especially when under pressure – and how to turn them into growth opportunities.

Empowerment through delegation

Motivation thrives in environments where individuals feel that their growth is supported, and one of the most common spark points in teams is the perception by an individual or group of unfair treatment relative to other members of the team. This can be countered by a smart delegation strategy, in which team members are empowered by delegating responsibilities that align with their skills and interests. This not only enhances their capabilities and output, but also helps build trust and confidence in their leadership, and good relations with their colleagues.

Find out more

If any of the points raised in this article resonate with you, please get in touch with Centre for Teams today and find out more about the concept of teamship and how to develop it.