Bridging the Gap

John D’Entremont, PMP, is a program manager with over 15 years experience in training, managing training teams and designing materials to enhance the skills of managers and executives.

  Communications Management   ProjectsAtWork  

Managing conflict among key project participants can be a tricky proposition for project leaders. Most conflicts can be resolved through dialogue and compromise, but sometimes you are not going to be able to broker a resolution and you have to make the call that keeps your project on course. Here are four fundamental steps for managing conflict.

If you’re a project manager, chances are you’ve had to deal with your fair share of conflict resolution — it’s inherent to the role. One of the challenges that some of us face is falling into bad habits such as ignoring the problem in the hopes that it will resolve itself, or developing a “because I said so” attitude. There are many ways to overcome this challenge, but here are some suggested steps.

Step #1: Determine that a conflict truly exists

Though it seems like it would be an obvious thing to do, this first step is often overlooked. Before you jump in and try to fix the problem, confirm that a corrective action is truly needed. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the conflict real, or perceived?
• Based on your view as project manager of the overall project, how much validity does the conflict have?
• Is the issue in question based on a misunderstanding of the project goals?
• Have any pieces of the project been communicated in a vague manner, or not communicated to all of the vested parties?
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