Your team is on the verge of a major conflict. How can you defuse the situation before it escalates?

Les conflits sont inévitables, mais bien gérés, ils peuvent renforcer une équipe. Voici quelques conseils pour désamorcer les tensions : Écoute active 🎧 : Comprenez les perspectives de chacun sans jugement. Neutralité ⚖️ : Restez impartial et favorisez le respect mutuel. Dialogue ouvert 💬 : Créez un espace de communication constructive. Solutions communes 🤝 : Trouvez des compromis satisfaisants pour tous. Plan d'action 📅 : Mettez en place des actions claires et suivez leur progression.

Teams started behaving abnormally as far as their attitude and communication is based. A true leader understands the body language of his/her team members and how the any change in the environment or task is impacting them. The team leader should act accordingly to the situation and use his situational approach rightly before any escalation of an issue or conflict between the team members. Another thing which is very important to observe is that if he has assigned the tasks as per the capabilities of the team member as sometimes situations may escalate to frustration for them when they are striving for what they are not trained. So act smartly not hard and the same will be reflected in your team.

In such situations, something as simple as a daily catch-up can help to understand the current ground-level conditions. Over time, these daily conversations also help establish a baseline for each team member's temperament and communication style. Therefore, when a conflict does arise, even before conducting an investigation or digging deeper into it, your preliminary assessment of the situation is more accurate. Additionally, since the individuals involved are accustomed to regular communication with you and each other, conversations and mediation discussions are likely to proceed more smoothly.

In the absence of open conversation, none of the parties are able to reach a conclusion. Bringing the aggrieved parties together, whether physically or virtually, helps to align everyone on the same page. While isolated conversations can provide valuable information, there is a risk of the mediator or manager getting lost in tangents or perceiving different realities when speaking with each party individually. Except in highly sensitive or explosive situations, an open dialogue between all parties can clear up a lot of doubt, miscommunication, and confusion, while also helping to understand each other's emotional expectations.

Teams generally share a common goal that must be achieved for everyone's benefit. In an environment where the culture isn't driven by a 'dog-eat-dog' or 'survival-of-the-fittest' mentality, a manager's objective should be to shift the focus from narrow issues to the broader goal that promotes everyone's progress. Additionally, when mutually beneficial growth is possible, emphasizing the advantages of building strength together can help the aggrieved parties stop viewing each other through an adversarial lens.

Follow-up conversations to ensure everyone is alright don't always need to be formal. These can take place casually, whether during a chat in the cafeteria or a brief encounter near the water cooler. While the informal nature of this approach can make the other person feel more comfortable talking to you, a manager or mediator should also pay close attention to the individual's facial expressions and body language. Signs like jaw tightening, physical distancing, or even the placement of their feet can provide insight into the sincerity of the feedback being shared.