Conflict management
Conflict happens on all projects. Projects operate in dynamic
environments and face many mutually exclusive constraints including budget, scope,
schedule, and quality, which can lead to conflicts. It is not uncommon to want to avoid
conflict, but not all conflict is negative. How conflict is handled can either lead to more
conflict or to better decision making and stronger solutions.
Addressing conflict before it escalates beyond useful debate leads to better outcomes.
The following approaches can help:
▹ Keep communications open and respectful. Because conflict can cause anxiety, it is
important to keep a safe environment to explore the source of the conflict. Without a
safe environment, people will stop communicating. Make sure words, tone of voice,
and body language remain nonthreatening.
▹ Focus on the issues, not the people. Conflict is based on people perceiving situations
differently. It should not be personal. The focus is on resolving the situation,
not casting blame.
▹ Focus on the present and future, not the past. Stay focused on the current situation,
not past situations. If something similar happened previously, bringing up the past will
not resolve the current situation. In fact, it can serve to intensify the current situation
even more.
▹ Search for alternatives together. Damage incurred from conflict can be repaired by
looking for resolutions and alternatives together. It can also create more constructive
relationships. This moves the conflict into more of a problem-solving space where
people can work together to generate creative alternatives.
There are several models for addressing and resolving conflict. Some of them are discussed below:
Conflict Model
Conflict is common on projects. Conflict can be healthy and productive when handled well.
It can result in greater trust among project team members and a deeper commitment to the
outcomes. Fear of conflict can restrict communication and creativity. However, conflict can be
unhealthy as well. Addressing conflict inappropriately can lead to dissatisfaction, lack of trust, and
reduced morale and motivation. The model based on work by Ken Thomas and Ralph Kilmann
describes six ways of addressing conflict by focusing on the relative power between the individuals
and the desire to maintain a good relationship as follows:
▶ Confronting/problem solving. Confronting a conflict treats the conflict as a problem to
be solved. This style of conflict resolution is used when the relationship between parties is
important, and when each person has confidence in the other party’s ability to problem-solve.
▶ Collaborating. Collaborating involves incorporating multiple views about the conflict.
The objective is to learn about the various views and see things from multiple perspectives.
This is an effective method when there is trust among the participants and when there is
time to come to consensus. A project manager may facilitate this type of conflict resolution
between project team members.
▶ Compromising. There are some conflicts in which all parties will not be fully satisfied. In
those instances, finding a way to compromise is the best approach. Compromise entails
a willingness to give and take. This allows all parties to get something they want, and it
avoids escalating the conflict. This style is often used when the parties involved have equal
“power.” A project manager may compromise with a technical manager regarding the
availability of a project team member to work on the project.
▶ Smoothing/accommodating. Smoothing and accommodating are useful when reaching
the overarching goal is more important than the disagreement. This approach maintains
harmony in the relationship and can create good will between the parties. This approach
is also used when there is a difference in the relative authority or power of the individuals.
For example, this approach may be appropriate when there is a disagreement with the
sponsor. Since the sponsor outranks the project manager or project team member,
and there is a desire to maintain a good relationship with the sponsor, adopting an
accommodating posture may be appropriate.
▶ Forcing. Forcing is used when there is not enough time to collaborate or problem-solve.
In this scenario, one party forces their will on the other. The party forcing has more power
than the other party. A forcing style may be used if there is a health and safety conflict that
needs to be resolved immediately.
▶ Withdrawal/avoiding. Sometimes a problem will go away on its own, or sometimes
discussions get heated and people need a cooling-off period. In both scenarios,
withdrawing from the situation is appropriate. Withdrawal is also used in a no-win
scenario, such as complying with a requirement imposed by a regulatory agency instead
of challenging the requirement.