31.07.2023 Sabrina Ludwig 15747

How to recognize and resolve conflicts in a team

Conflicts within a team not only put a strain on the employees concerned, but can also jeopardize entire projects and business developments. Managers who recognize conflicts at an early stage have an advantage. Because the longer a conflict smoulders, the more difficult it becomes to resolve it.

Leading in times of constant change is a real challenge for team leaders. Because where there is a lot of movement, clashes can also happen. Or to put it another way: there is a lot of potential for conflict.

In this article you will learn:

Plus: 4 typical examples from everyday working life.

1. what types of conflict are there and how can I recognize them?

1.1 The factual conflict

Does your team member disagree with you on what the next step in the project should be? Congratulations! This is a factual conflict. This is about differences of opinion that stem from different experiences and points of view.

The factual conflict is usually a conflict that can be resolved quickly because no emotions are (yet) involved. The employees involved should therefore sit down together as quickly as possible to discuss the conflict with objective arguments and find a solution. As harmless as a factual conflict can be at the beginning, it can quickly "escalate" and slide onto an emotional level.

1.2 The relationship conflict

Have you been annoyed by your team member's behavior for weeks and are therefore assigning them unpleasant tasks? And now your employee feels unfairly treated and visibly uncomfortable? Then you have landed in the middle of a relationship conflict!

Causes of relationship conflicts include antipathy and personal prejudices between team members . Different working styles or behaviors can be annoying. These conflicts are usually accompanied by strong emotions and are stressful for everyone involved.

1.3 The conflict of perceptions

You receive feedback from the customer that "everything was okay" at the end of the project. For you, this means that the customer is satisfied with the result. However, your line manager interprets the customer's feedback as meaning that the task was not completed well and is dissatisfied with the result. So two people have very different perceptions.

The perception and evaluation of words and situations is very individual from person to person. You think "as soon as possible" means that it is enough to complete the task next week? For your colleague, however, this clearly means that you should put the task aside for the next two days. Neither party is aware of any guilt here. Your own perception says that you are in the right and have kept to the agreements.

1.4 The role conflict

You were first an employee and now you've been promoted to team leader? An employee expects you to back them up as their boss during their next presentation to a customer? But another wants to administer and manage their projects independently? Your team has very different expectations of you and your role in the company.

If you do not meet the expectations of your team members, this can lead to a conflict of roles. It all depends on how well you can switch roles. If you do not fulfill these roles, this can lead to conflict and further disputes. The clearer you are about your different roles and possible expectations, the easier it is to avoid conflicts in this context.

1.5 The conflict of objectives

Do you want to see better results, land more clients and orders? But your team wants a better work-life balance and more flexible working hours? It can quickly happen that these two different goals collide. A conflict is then not far away.

This conflict can also arise between individual team members if goals and priorities are not coordinated and agreed. This type of conflict is difficult to resolve because it requires both parties to take a step towards each other.

1.6 The distribution conflict

The distribution conflict is a classic among workplace conflicts: Your employee demands more pay, but you don't agree to a salary increase? An employee feels left out and has the feeling that the others always get the better projects or more praise?

If the conflict arises from a feeling of injustice, it is referred to as a distribution conflict. Team members with less self-confidence are particularly likely to experience a distribution conflict.

2. conflicts in the workplace: how can I recognize them early on?

If there is a conflict, it should be resolved as quickly as possible. However, this is not always easy. The manager must first recognize the conflict as such. This is particularly difficult in times when teams are spread across the globe or employees work from home and there is no direct contact.

Signs of conflict in the team can be seen through open or hidden conflicts.

2.1 Open conflict - often manifests itself through verbal signs

On the surface, the employee is cooperating and completing their tasks. But if things suddenly get a little louder in the meeting, accusations quickly become the order of the day. This is a clear sign that a conflict is simmering.

And that is dangerous. Because if no one resolves the conflict, it can quickly spread to other team members.

It becomes even more difficult to resolve the conflict if one of the employees concerned has already started looking for conflict partners who support their position.

The open conflict is shown, for example, by:

• sharp tone
• loud speech
• Allegations made
• Lack of change of perspective
• Exploiting the opponent's weak points

2.2 Covert conflict - characterized by non-verbal signs, things are exchanged in secret

On the surface, everything seems to be in perfect order and all team members are happy. But this is more appearance than reality. In reality, the air is "thick" and the tension in the team is clearly noticeable: words are weighed on the gold scale, colleagues are much more distant than before.

If your team colleagues then also display a certain irony, are cynical or even stop communicating important information to you or other colleagues, you can assume that you are dealing with a hidden conflict.

The hidden conflict manifests itself, for example, through:

• Sarcastic or ironic remarks and so-called side blows
• Colleagues are much more distant with each other
• Denial and defense ("yes, but ...")
• Trivialize
• Disinterest and only doing the bare minimum
• High absenteeism and often sick
• No more suggestions and ideas for improvement
• Depressed and depressed

3. four practical examples of conflicts: and how to resolve them!

Example 1

"A colleague makes my work look bad, even though the result is good. She also makes my work look bad in public."

The word "good" is open to interpretation. It can be helpful to discuss when a task has been completed well and when it has not. Develop common metrics. The responsibility here clearly lies with the manager, who must initiate this. Ask for clarification.

On the other hand, you should take a closer look and ask yourself: What is driving your colleague to rate your work lower? In this case, the manager must enter into a discussion with the parties involved in order to resolve the conflict - possibly also mediatively with external support.

Example 2

"I'm sitting in a meeting and my boss is arguing loudly with a colleague. I'm caught between two stools and don't know what to do."

That's a pretty difficult situation - just as difficult as when you have a conflict with your manager. Think about what is important to them: what can I put up with and what could happen in the worst case scenario if I address the conflict?

Try to get clarity on how you assess this yourself: How do you feel about it and how do you envision working together? Can you provide your perception (from a first-person perspective) without expecting a solution straight away: "I'm caught between two stools here. I regularly experience it this way and that. And it's not very helpful for me to work well." 

These are often long-term conflicts, as the disputing parties do not have any resolution skills at hand. In the case of very entrenched conflicts, you can also confide in someone from the HR department and describe the situation. It may make sense to bring in a mediator.

Example 3

"I'm new to the company and I can clearly see that there is tension in the team. The atmosphere is usually tense and the team members get on each other's nerves. What can I do as a new employee?

That also sounds like a conflict that has been going on for some time and may have already come full circle in the team. Long-standing conflicts cannot be resolved overnight. A lot of time is needed here.

Here too, my advice is to share your perceptions with your manager and let them know how you feel (first-person perspective). It is the manager's job to find ways to get the team talking again. Here too, a mediator or someone from the HR department can provide support.

Example 4

"I manage a project and have to report regularly to three managers. Unfortunately, there is an unspoken conflict between these three and I am unsure how and to whom I should best report."

It is important to establish very clear communication processes if reports are to be made to three different managers. What rights, duties and competencies do the individual managers have, i.e. what roles do they have within the project outside of their role as a manager? Defining this together with the managers would be a first step.

4. effects of conflicts: What happens if conflicts are not resolved?

The longer the conflict festers, the more social interaction suffers.

Arguing colleagues or entire teams talk to each other less and less, do more and more work by the book and the working atmosphere suffers. Nobody is prepared to go the extra mile and think outside the box. With dissatisfied employees, there are usually also dissatisfied customers.

Effects of conflicts on the company:

• Working atmosphere is strained, bad mood spreads to other team members
• Employee satisfaction falls
• Customer satisfaction falls
• Day-to-day business suffers

5 The manager as conflict resolver: What can I do?

It always takes longer to resolve a conflict than to start one. That's why managers are well advised to recognize conflicts quickly and try to de-escalate them. At a certain point, people go into a state of inner resignation and withdraw.

You should make sure that your team is conflict-free, especially when projects are in progress. Conflicts during an ongoing project can create hurdles and make it difficult to achieve goals

Seek out the conversation! This is a great door opener. Communication doesn't have to be wrapped in absorbent cotton. Address conflicts clearly and what you perceive: "I perceive it this way and that way!" Make it clear that you want to resolve the conflict and provide help.

You should have answered the following questions before you start the conversation:

1. Who are the conflict partners?
2. What type of conflict am I dealing with?
3. Where are we in the conflict?

And: be aware of the different perspectives! Also to develop an understanding for the disputing parties.

Team development: What makes a good team? from pme Familienservice GmbH on Vimeo.

6. nine escalation stages according to Friedrich Glasl, conflict researcher

The nine escalation levels are helpful to see exactly where you stand in the conflict and what you need to resolve it - and whether you resolve it alone or with help.

1. tensions/disagreements

2. disputes, black and white thinking

3. putting pressure on, ignoring arguments

4. looking for supporters - winning is the goal

5. loss of morality and trust - expose

6. demonstrating power through threat

7. inflict damage

8. attacks, physical-material, psychological-social

9. total confrontation, "self-destruction" is accepted

7 If conflicts cannot be resolved: What then?

The fronts are hardened, stage 4 of the escalation stage is already far behind and a solution seems impossible: now it is only a matter of finding the lowest common denominator together with the disputing parties so that everyone remains able to work. Basically, the question is then: How can the employment contract be adhered to?

If this is also not possible: As a manager, make a decision in the interests of the company - if possible, taking into account the interests of the conflict partners. If there is no way out, the last step may be for one of the conflict partners to leave the company. 

Whatever conflict you are facing, you need to be clear: Time is a decisive factor for success and this time is primarily spent by the manager.

About the author

Sabine Pahlke was a manager in a wide variety of companies for 20 years and has herself experienced and resolved several conflicts in her teams.

Today she is a systemic supervisor and supports teams and managers facing change processes or conflicts on behalf of the pme Familienservice .