This is part four of a six-part series on how to build highly effective teams. Last week, we covered step two which was to get build solid trust among your team members. This is the foundation of a fantastic team culture. If you implement last week's ideas, the remaining steps get much easier.

This week, we cover step three, which is to reduce conflict within your team. Actually, that is a little misleading because conflict can be good for a team. We will really be covering ways to reduce negative conflict and help you use positive conflict to grow.

Conflict resolution in the workplace can be challenging if the trust level is low or your team is under stress. In this episode, we cover seven turnkey strategies that you can use for conflict resolution in your workplace.

Resolve Conflicts and Create an Environment Where Disagreements Do Not Cause Personal Conflicts.

Conflicts are inevitable. However, the more we know about human nature, the better we will be at conflict management. In addition, when we understand human nature, we have a better chance of achieving a positive outcome for both parties. We know that different people have different priorities and different communication styles when dealing with others. In general, though, human beings have certain characteristics that are very similar. These similarities are true across gender, racial, and socio-economic lines as well. For instance, in general, the following statements are almost always true:

• People love to be agreed with.
• People hate to be disagreed with.
• We like other people who agree with them.
• We dislike other people who disagree with them.
• People who are good at resolving conflicts look for some point of agreement. Then, they use good people skills to get the other side to see a different point of view.

Understanding Human Nature Allows Us to Resolve Conflicts More Positively.

These statements are true among the entire human race. So, when we disagree with people, we are likely to raise resentment. As a result, it might be a good idea to strengthen our soft skills – what psychologists call emotional intelligence – when dealing with conflicts. Poor communication often leads to conflict. For instance, if we find ourselves in a tense situation, and we naturally want to raise our voice. The other party is likely to respond in kind. This will usually escalate the conflict quickly.

In situations where we have to interject disciplinary action, the first step is understanding human nature. We may think we are just having a constructive conversation. However, the person we are coaching will feel like the conversation is a personal attack. So, these strategies can help keep difficult conversations from developing into an interpersonal conflict.

Show Notes: Highly Effective Teams Deal with Conflict in a Positive Way Part 4 of 6
(https://www.leadersinstitute.com/7-turnkey-conflict-resolution-strategies-for-your-office-team/)