Team Building for Conflict Prevention

I once worked with a team that was, quite frankly, toxic. The same two team members routinely derailed meeting agendas. Eye-rolling was a primary form of communication. Side conversations overtook the official discussion. Most members had disengaged, emotionally checking out while physically present. Trust was nonexistent. This wasn't just unpleasant—it was preventing meaningful work from happening. The transformation began with a deceptively simple intervention: establishing clear community agreements. Not generic "respect each other" platitudes, but specific behavioral norms with concrete descriptions of what they looked like in practice. The team agreed to norms like "Listen to understand," "Speak your truth without blame or judgment," and "Be unattached to outcome." For each norm, we articulated exactly what it looked like in action, providing language and behaviors everyone could recognize. More importantly, we implemented structures to uphold these agreements. A "process observer" role was established, rotating among team members, with the explicit responsibility to name when norms were being upheld or broken during meetings. Initially, this felt awkward. When the process observer first said, "I notice we're interrupting each other, which doesn't align with our agreement to listen fully," the room went silent. But within weeks, team members began to self-regulate, sometimes even catching themselves mid-sentence. Trust didn't build overnight. It grew through consistent small actions that demonstrated reliability and integrity—keeping commitments, following through on tasks, acknowledging mistakes. Meeting time was protected and focused on meaningful work rather than administrative tasks that could be handled via email. The team began to practice active listening techniques, learning to paraphrase each other's ideas before responding. This simple practice dramatically shifted the quality of conversation. One team member later told me, "For the first time, I felt like people were actually trying to understand my perspective rather than waiting for their turn to speak." Six months later, the transformation was remarkable. The same team that once couldn't agree on a meeting agenda was collaboratively designing innovative approaches to their work. Conflicts still emerged, but they were about ideas rather than personalities, and they led to better solutions rather than deeper divisions. The lesson was clear: trust doesn't simply happen through team-building exercises or shared experiences. It must be intentionally cultivated through concrete practices, consistently upheld, and regularly reflected upon. Share one trust-building practice that's worked well in your team experience. P.S. If you’re a leader, I recommend checking out my free challenge: The Resilient Leader: 28 Days to Thrive in Uncertainty  https://lnkd.in/gxBnKQ8n

As I continue exploring what makes high-performing teams tick, I've covered key topics like group dynamics, trust, cohesiveness, and psychological capital. In this post, I want to dive deeper into a crucial aspect of team dynamics: conflict. Conflict is inevitable in any team, even in high-performing ones. However, the difference lies in how these teams handle it. They don't shy away from conflict; instead, they have established rules of engagement and cultural practices for navigating it effectively. They embrace conflict, using it as a tool for growth and innovation—often with the support of a skilled facilitator. Here are some common types of conflict that can arise in the workplace: Conflict in Vision: Example: Disagreement over the company's long-term direction. Impact: Misaligned vision can fragment efforts and lower morale. Resolution: Facilitate discussions to align on a shared vision and involve all stakeholders in the vision-setting process. Conflict in Goals: Example: Differing objectives between departments. Impact: Can create competition rather than collaboration, leading to inefficiencies. Resolution: Establish clear, unified goals and ensure they are communicated across the organization. Conflict in Communication Styles: Example: Misinterpretations due to different communication preferences. Impact: Misunderstandings can escalate into larger conflicts. Resolution: Promote awareness of diverse communication styles and encourage adaptive communication techniques. Conflict in Values: Example: Clashes over ethical decisions or cultural values. Impact: Can lead to deep-seated animosity and ethical dilemmas. Resolution: Create a values-based culture and ensure organizational policies reflect shared values. Conflict in Resource Allocation: Example: Competing demands for limited resources. Impact: Can result in feelings of unfairness and hinder project progress. Resolution: Implement transparent and fair resource allocation processes. Conflict in Roles and Responsibilities: Example: Overlapping or unclear job roles. Impact: Can cause confusion, redundancy, or gaps in task completion. Resolution: Clearly define roles and responsibilities, and regularly review them to avoid overlap. Conflict in Work Styles: Example: Differing approaches to completing tasks or managing time. Impact: Can cause friction and reduce team cohesion. Resolution: Encourage flexibility and understanding of diverse work styles, and find common ground. Conflict in Power Dynamics: Example: Power struggles between employees or teams. Impact: Can lead to a toxic work environment and hinder collaboration. Resolution: Foster a culture of mutual respect and equitable power distribution. What other types of conflict have you encountered in teams? How did you resolve them? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments! #teambuilding #communicationskills #peopleskills

The most dangerous thing in a meeting isn’t a heated debate—it’s silence with a fake nod. In low trust teams, they don’t speak up in meetings, then vent in private. They smile at the plan, but quietly ignore it. They avoid conflict, and call it being “a team player.” The best teams? They debate. They challenge (the ideas) They raise their hand and say, “I see it differently and here’s why.” Because real alignment only comes after real conflict. If your team never disagrees, they’re not aligned—they’re avoiding. So, what do you do? 1️⃣ In decision-making meetings, try designating someone to challenge the prevailing view—even if they agree with it. It normalizes dissent. It protects the team from groupthink. And it gives quiet voices permission to speak truth without fear. Because when conflict is expected, it becomes productive. 2️⃣ Ask each person privately: “What’s one thing you think but haven’t said out loud in our meetings?” Then just listen. No defending. No fixing. When people feel heard without punishment, trust starts to grow. Invite them to share more of those views in group settings. And when they do, welcome it. Say, “This may feel uncomfortable for some of you, but I want us all to welcome more debates over ideas. It’s not me vs you, but me and you vs the problem.” If they still aren’t voicing dissent in team meetings, it may not be that they don’t care— but because they don’t feel safe. Then try going first and modeling the behavior you want with vulnerability. In your next meeting, say: “Here’s where I might have dropped the ball. What am I not seeing?” Or, “Here’s where I might be wrong. What am I missing?” Vulnerability builds trust. And trust invites truth. And when disagreement is safe, alignment gets real. How do you build a culture of healthy conflict over ideas?

I dunno. I could be wrong. But I have this sneaking suspicion that axe throwing and escape rooms won’t solve your team’s dysfunction. I was chatting to a manager the other day and she was telling me some wild stories about their leadership team dysfunction. They all agreed they need to fix it. But the fix was a series of ‘fun’ team building activities to get the group working together. It still surprises me how we default to quick fixes for this stuff…. My team don’t like each other, so let’s bond over axe throwing and move past all our unspoken issues. The things that actually help a team move from dysfunctional to healthy tend to be way less glamorous (if we can call axe throwing glamorous) and take more effort. Here’s what helps: 1. Define the ‘must have’ behaviours you need on the team. Some of the must haves we see on healthy teams: drive, debate, seeking to understand, active listening, assuming good intent, courage to make the hard calls, empathy for each other. 2. Identify the gaps between what you promise and practice. Trust issues start when we make promises but don’t live them out in practice. Ask the team: What commitments have we made that we aren’t living out and why? What can we do to close the gaps between what we promise and practice? 3. Get the unspoken conflict to the surface. Ask the team: what conversations have we been avoiding? What are people thinking but not saying? 4. Agree to show up as one collaborative team, not representatives of your technical function. Ask yourself: how are my functional preferences getting the way of the organisational priorities? This is HUGE. Like such a common source of tension on teams. 5. Commit to being both courageous and humble. You need the team to be both brave enough to engage in tough conversations and humble enough to listen and own when they didn’t get it right. #leadership #management #HR #peopleandculture

Ever dreamed of being in a nice and harmonious team? It might be your biggest nightmare. Clients have approached me to find out how they can stop people from being too nice! In many Asian cultures, interdependence and harmony are highly valued. Teams often prioritize agreeableness and cohesion. This creates a supportive work environment. It also leads to challenges like groupthink and innovation stagnation. Problems are not found out early enough. People drag their feet raising critical problems. Agreeable individuals are typically - cooperative - empathetic - prioritize positive relationships. They can result in an avoidance of conflict. Especially if they are unskilled in conversation. This prevents teams from engaging in productive debates essential for innovation and problem-solving. Most people also misunderstand conflict. It does not mean taking out weapons and killing one another. It merely means anything that might be uncomfortable. Even an extravert speaking with an introvert can create some discomfort. One must be willing to hold the space to such interactions. They force you to reconsider long-held (possibly outdated) mental models. Here is the "Harmony Challenge": 🔸 Avoidance of Conflict The avoidance style of conflict management is often associated with increased employee turnover and dissatisfaction. 🔸 Groupthink High levels of agreeableness can lead to groupthink, where consensus often creates inefficiency and poor decision making. 🔸 Reduced Innovation Without conflict to challenge ideas, teams may struggle to innovate or adapt to changing environments So, how do we find the right balance between harmony and constructive conflict? ✅ Encourage Constructive Conflict Training team members in constructive conflict resolution skills can help them engage in healthy debates without damaging relationships. ✅ Diverse Team Composition: Including team members with varying levels of agreeableness can introduce different perspectives and reduce the risk of groupthink. ✅ Leadership Interventions Leaders can foster an environment where dissenting opinions that make sense are valued, and seen as opportunities rather than threats to harmony. If you have too agreeable a team, you will need to build their conversational intelligence in order to balance respectful dissent within your team. I have written about this previously in my LinkedIn Newsletter on Bulletproof Leadership, which I am happy to leave open to critique. https://lnkd.in/gCKNeG3i Meanwhile, as an organizational psychologist, I'm engaging with forward thinking organizational leaders who see the need to grow this new muscle in a time where many wellbeing initiatives seem to only enhance harmony without the subtle balance. Reach out - I'll be happy to share my views in a coffee conversation!

Every manager leading people thinks about managing conflict in their team. Conflict management is a key goal, said out loud or not. Because of it, covertly or overtly, the manager does or says things that reduce/avoid conflict. Your team, like the rest of humanity, mimics their leader. They push in the direction you push in. They too take steps to cut down disagreement. That's how you've taken the first steps toward building a team of nodding heads. But you don't want that. You only want to bring down friction in everyday team management. You don't want that to happen at the cost of perspective-sharing, which by the way will only happen when your team speaks their minds. Now you're in a pickle. You want to avoid conflict and you want to avoid groupthink. How do you do both? You encourage disagreement. Nope--encourage sounds wrong. It feels like something you do with words. No, don't bother saying anything. Do, instead. Show with actions. You incentivize people to be themselves and speak their minds by permitting a structure, an occasion, for such sharing. Alfred Sloan, who led General Motors for long, was known to ask this of his team in discussions that reached an early consensus: 'Gentlemen, I take it we are all in complete agreement on the decision here. Then, I propose we postpone further discussion of this matter until our next meeting to give ourselves time to develop disagreement and perhaps gain some understanding of what the decision is all about.' Your team's desire for harmony comes from you. Your team's desire to share their unfiltered perspective comes from the permission they think you have given them to speak up. You can be a conflict avoidant manager AND a groupthink buster manager at the same time. To do so, you need to understand that your beliefs (and actions that follow) as a leader are the most contagious for your team. That's a foundational principle of management. This is one of three principles I broke down management to in my recent masterclass on emerging leaders. Link in comments. #leadership #emergingleaders #curiosityovercertainty

Have you ever added just ONE person to your team and watched your once-harmonious group descend into chaos? I certainly have—and it taught me a lesson I'll never forget. At one point, I had assembled what I thought was the perfect team. Everyone clicked, work flowed effortlessly, and our productivity was at an all-time high. Then we expanded, adding two new members to our small dream team. One integrated seamlessly. The other? Their working style was so fundamentally different that conflict erupted almost immediately. My critical mistake? I failed to recognize that adding even one new person creates an entirely new team dynamic. I treated it as business as usual, expecting the newcomers to adapt to our existing culture without any formal reset. The result was predictable in hindsight: misunderstandings multiplied, tension mounted, and productivity plummeted. We eventually saved the situation through a focused, restorative conversation that helped team members truly see and understand each other. But the weeks of friction could have been entirely avoided. Here's what I've learned: When a new member joins, you don't just have "the old team plus one"—you have a completely new team that requires its own identity and agreements. You don't need to start from scratch, but you do need to: ♻️ Revisit core team agreements ☑️ Reestablish communication norms   🤝🏾 Reset how you’ll be accountable to each other and the work you’ve agreed to do together 💫 Rebuild mutual understanding about work styles and preferences The time investment pays massive dividends. This reset process might take a few hours upfront, but it prevents weeks or months of dysfunction down the line. 🔍 Is your team struggling with unresolved conflicts or communication breakdowns? DM me to get the link to my free "Finding the Right Words to Navigate Conflict" guide to transform team tensions into productive conversations. It's the process I often use to help team members navigate conflict and find their way back together. Comment below with your most challenging team dynamic experience, or DM me for the download link! #TeamLeadership #ConflictResolution #ManagementTips #TeamDynamics

Conflict kills careers: 78% of employees have quit due to workplace tension. So here's a 5-stage method to turn tension into teamwork: The SOLVE Model of Healthy Conflict Resolution: 1. Spot Issues ↳ Identify conflict early ↳ Small issues can become big problems ↳ Describe the problem without blame 2. Obtain Information ↳ Learn all sides of the story. ↳ Full understanding leads to better solutions. ↳ Listen carefully and ask good questions. 3. Look Deeper ↳ Study the problem and make a plan ↳ Good planning leads to better outcomes ↳ Think of many solutions and pick the best one 4. Validate Resolution ↳ Put the plan into action ↳ Solving conflicts helps teams grow stronger ↳ Help people talk and find agreement 5. Evaluate Results ↳ Check if the solution is working ↳ Good solutions should last long-term ↳ Keep in touch and make changes if needed   Conflict is unavoidable. Your response is what matters. Practice these steps and turn tension into teamwork. How do you handle conflict in your teams? Share your ideas in the comments ⬇️ If you enjoyed this: • Repost for your network ♻️ • Follow me for more deep dives • Join 25,500+ subscribers for more actionable tips to build your brand and protect your reputation: https://lnkd.in/edPWpFRR

Conflict between teams is often a result of unclear goals, misaligned responsibilities, and poor work handoffs. Conflict is not always bad; it can be a useful signal. It shows how the work is structured, how it flows, and where it breaks. Teams may duplicate efforts, skip steps, or push decisions to someone else. To work with it, start by mapping the work. Use the language of the work. Make roles and responsibilities clear. Focus on the connections between inputs and outputs. Show the interactions, not the people. 1. Map How Work Moves - Start with what’s happening now, not what should be - Show how work moves between teams, not just within them - Use what you find to ask: Where is it working? Where is it breaking? 2. Clarify Goals and Responsibilities - Surface shared goals and where they differ - Make roles visible, especially at the handoffs - Look for duplication or confusion that’s creating drag 3. Focus on Work, Not Personalities - Use the language of the work, not of the people - Ask: What is being done, by whom, and for whom? - Notice where conflict is a signal of something useful trying to emerge #Team #Teamwork #TeamBuilding #TeamDevelopment #Teaming

Many teams I work with are surprised when I say this: Conflict isn’t inherently a problem. In fact, when I encounter a team with no visible conflict, I become curious and sometimes even concerned. Because what appears on the surface as harmony is often something else entirely: - Unspoken disagreement - Withheld input - Fear of disrupting the group One leadership team I recently supported described themselves as “very aligned.” But when we introduced anonymous team reflections, a different picture emerged. Team members had concerns, ideas, and doubts that had never been voiced. Because they didn’t feel it was safe to challenge, disagree, or complicate the discussion. This is a common pattern - it’s not the presence of conflict that damages teams, but how it’s handled. 🧠 Productive friction - the kind of disagreement grounded in trust, focused on ideas, and managed with intention can sharpen thinking, clarify strategy, and deepen engagement. But when tension is left unspoken or expressed without care, it erodes connection and trust. 🔬 Research supports this distinction. Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety shows that high-performing teams are not those with no conflict, but those where people can speak up, especially when it’s difficult. So the question isn’t “how do we avoid conflict?” It's: Have we created a culture where disagreement is safe, useful, and expected? If not, it’s time to design one. That’s exactly what I help leadership teams do: 1️⃣ Build psychological safety 2️⃣ Create rituals for productive disagreement 3️⃣ Turn silence into contribution Let’s build teams that don’t fear conflict but know how to use it.