We generally have a negative reaction when we hear the word “conflict”, but ideological conflict can be a good thing for your team, as I’ve written previously. However, relational conflict, which is what we normally think of when we hear the word conflict, is not a good thing, and will kill the harmony on your team if not dealt with quickly and effectively. Relational conflict will not just go away on its own, unless one of the parties involved leaves your team or organization, which leaders should see as a failure. The ability to effectively resolve conflict is a key responsibility of leaders.
As a long-time leader, sadly, I would not always give myself high marks on how I resolved conflict on my teams. Many times, when dealing with conflict between two team members, leaders are faced with two diametrically opposed versions of a situation from people that they trust, when oftentimes the truth is somewhere in the middle. How a leader handles the situation is critical to team harmony and how successful the team will be in the future. Continue reading →