Conflict is a natural outcome of groups and teams, therefore, we’ve got to know how to manage it. It’s uncomfortable and it’s awkward, but teaching our players how to manage conflict will give them a leg up in both their professional and personal lives. So when I saw Are You In A Personality Conflict? over at the American Management Association’s site, I thought I’d bring it on over.

6 Things That Are Vital For Our Teams To Understand About Conflict:

1. Be self-introspective. It’s too easy to say that someone else is always the problem. Challenge your players to think about their tone when talking with the person they’re in conflict with…is it always positive? Ask them if they’ve been starting “mess” by talking with other team members about the problem. Acknowledging their own part in the conflict doesn’t release the other person from theirs.
2. Accentuate the positive. If their teammate is open to talking about their conflict, we have to make them understand that this is a positive thing! Even if the only thing the two fighting players can agree on is that they should talk…at least they agree on something.
3. Talk to the individual. We’ve got to encourage our players to stay away from messy people. Messy people, in this instance, are people who thrive on conflict. They stir the pot. They’re the ones whispering about what they “heard” to other folks on the team. Instead of starting mess by involving the entire team in the conflict, encourage your players to speak directly to the source.

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