Last week, a client wanted my advice on a conflict situation in one of her teams.
The team is working on a critical project. Deadlines are approaching, and tensions are building.
One of the team members, Sarah (not her real name), feels like she’s doing more than her fair share of the work but doesn’t bring it up.
Mark feels ignored during meetings and has started to check out.
Emily, the team leader, knows there’s a problem but doesn’t address it. She hopes it will go away on its own.
Over time, the issues grow. Deadlines slip.
Tasks that should take hours take days because team members don’t want to work together.
The team starts to avoid tough conversations. Relationships suffer. Sarah becomes resentful. Mark withdraws further. Emily feels stuck and unsure how to fix the situation.
This is what happens when conflict is ignored.
It slows work, lowers quality, and damages relationships.
People feel stressed, frustrated, and undervalued.
The team becomes less effective. These issues often start small but grow because people avoid addressing them.
Conflict happens when teams miscommunicate, have unclear goals, or struggle with personality differences.
Leaders may avoid stepping in because they don’t know how or worry about making things worse.
Over time, these patterns create a cycle of frustration and disengagement.
But conflict doesn’t have to harm a team.
When addressed directly, it can lead to growth and stronger relationships.
A team that learns to handle disagreements can improve trust and work together more effectively.
Now, imagine Sarah sharing her concerns about workload, and Mark feeling comfortable to voice his ideas.
Emily leads a discussion to clarify roles and address issues early.
The team finds ways to work together more smoothly.
Trust grows. Tasks get done faster, and the work improves.
Fixing conflict is about building a team that communicates well and works through challenges together.
When you do this, you don’t just fix problems—you build a team that is stronger and better prepared for the future.
This workshop is designed to help any team overcome and work past conflict situations.
It’s part of a new pack of workshops we’re releasing next week to help fix common problems within a single team and between different teams.
Let’s get into it…
Turning Conflict into Collaboration
Duration: 90 mins
Objectives
- Understand the root causes of conflict in the team.
- Learn strategies for resolving conflict constructively.
- Build stronger relationships through improved communication and empathy.
1. Welcome and Icebreaker (10 minutes)
Activity: Conflict Word Association
- Ask participants to write down the first word that comes to mind when they think of “conflict.”
- Share responses and discuss.
- Purpose: Understand perceptions of conflict and set the tone for a constructive approach.
2. Exploring Conflict Styles (20 minutes)
Activity: Conflict Styles Quiz
- Provide a quiz like the one in the download (based on the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument) to identify each participant’s default conflict style (e.g., avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, collaborating).
- Discuss the pros and cons of each style and when each might be effective.
- Debrief: Highlight the importance of collaboration as the most constructive approach in team settings.
3. Identifying Team Conflict Triggers (15 minutes)
Activity: Silent Brainstorm
- Participants write down common sources of conflict in the team on sticky notes (e.g., unclear roles, lack of communication).
- Group similar triggers on a flipchart or whiteboard.
- Debrief: Discuss themes and their impact on the team.
4. Conflict Resolution Role Play (25 minutes)
Activity: Reframe the Conflict
- Divide participants into small groups. Provide each group with a conflict scenario relevant to your team. Examples:
- Misunderstanding about project responsibilities.
- Differences in working styles.
- A teammate feels undervalued or unheard.
- Groups role-play resolving the conflict using constructive communication techniques, such as:
- Active listening.
- Using “I” statements (e.g., “I feel…” instead of “You always…”).
- Seeking win-win solutions.
- Debrief: Ask the groups to share insights and what strategies worked well.
5. Building a Team Conflict Charter (15 minutes)
Activity: Guidelines for Constructive Conflict
- As a team, brainstorm a set of guidelines for handling conflict constructively. Examples:
- Address issues early, not after they escalate.
- Listen to understand, not to respond.
- Focus on the issue, not the person.
- Document the guidelines and agree to adopt them.
- Output: Team Conflict Charter - Set of guidelines created by the team to handle conflict constructively in the future.
6. Closing and Reflection (5 minutes)
Activity: Conflict Resolution Commitment
- Each participant shares one action they’ll take to handle conflict more constructively (e.g., “I’ll focus on listening before responding during disagreements”).
- Facilitator Note: Encourage participants to view conflict as an opportunity for growth.
Materials Needed
- Flipchart or whiteboard.
- Sticky notes and markers.
- Printed copies of the conflict styles quiz (optional).
- Conflict scenarios for role-playing.
Follow-Up
Schedule a follow-up session in 2-4 weeks to evaluate how the team is implementing the Team Conflict Charter and discuss any remaining challenges.
Conclusion
By using this workshop, you’ll never have to watch unresolved conflict derail your team’s progress or strain relationships.
Instead, it becomes a simple process of addressing issues directly, building trust, and fostering open communication to create a more effective and unified team.
Well, that’s it for today.
I hope you find it useful.