Conflict is often similar to a situation in which you lose control of your car. Your movements become chaotic, you jerk the steering wheel to get the car back on track, you press the gas or brake pedal (not necessarily the right one), you panic. And that only makes the situation worse. So let’s get back to taking control.
Until recently, I was convinced that cooperation is the best way to resolve conflicts. Always. Without exception. This belief has accompanied me for years, reinforced by books, trainings and work methodologies or frameworks. Especially in a work environment based on Agile, where cooperation is a paramount value and is inflected in all cases. No wonder – after all, cooperation gives the best results.
In many companies, conflict is often treated as something that should be avoided at all costs. Leaders, managers, and employees alike shy away from addressing difficult issues head-on, sometimes even going as far as to deny that a conflict exists. But why is this the case, and what impact does this avoidance have on the organization and its people?
I once worked with a team where one of the programmers was extremely precise. He cared a lot about what he called “technical excellence”. He believed that the code should be written in a way that would not cause any problems or raise any doubts in the future. You may say – “But that’s how it should be”. Hmmm… As with everything – it depends 🙂
Making conflict in a team more agile-way might remind my vacation in a camper., with my family, having nearly 2000 km ahead. Find out why.
Automatic reactions to disagreements often stem from our natural fight-or-flight response. When faced with conflict, our brains perceive it as a threat, triggering this instinctual response.
Work environments can often feel like an emotional rollercoaster, throwing us into situations that test our patience and balance. As team leaders and agile coaches, it’s crucial to understand how these emotional upheavals can influence team dynamics and to guide your team toward healthier conflict resolution. Let’s explore some common triggers, why we sometimes act like children during conflicts, and how to argue like an adult.
Recently, I’ve been hooked on the series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”. It’s been a long time since any series attracted me so much that I stayed with it for 5 seasons… I prefer mini-series: they have a story and I know that it will last, for example, 8 episodes and I will be able to come back to life 😉 Ok, but why did it attract me so much?
We live in a world of catchy frameworks and methods. Companies want to be agile, they want to be effective, they are looking for modern management methods. They train, implement, improve… In this rush, understanding goals and “heading towards the same goal” takes on new meaning. We often experience chaos, disorder and unpredictability, which causes frustration and fuels conflicts.
Understanding how conflicts go from 0 to 100 real quick can seriously be a game-changer for every leader. That’s why we will dive deep into the stages of conflict escalation.