The new operating model for project teams: Balancing flexibility and standardization
June 25, 2025 | Live Webinar
On the Other Hand
Respect, compromise and engagement are keys to resolving team conflicts.
It's a fact of project life that conflicts arise daily within teams. Not all conflict is bad—a diversity of opinion can lead to unexpected adjustments that improve a project outcome. But if not handled correctly, even the seemingly smallest conflict can negatively impact a team's performance and project results.
Project management veteran Dennis Sommer, PMP, of the Business Technology Research Center (www.btrconline.com) in Akron, Ohio, offers these six suggestions when addressing conflicts among your team members:
1. Paraphrase One Another. Ask those who disagree to paraphrase one another's comments. This may help them learn if they really understand one another.
2. Compromise. Work out a compromise. Agree on the underlying source of conflict, then engage in give-and-take and finally agree on a solution.
3. List Expectations. Ask each member to list what the other side should do. Exchange lists, select a compromise all are willing to accept, and test the compromise to see if it meshes with team goals.
4. List Questions. Have the sides each write 10 questions for their opponents. This will allow them to signal their major concerns about the other side's position. The answers may lead to a compromise.
5. Change Positions. Convince team members they sometimes …
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"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I... took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost |