Conflict is unavoidable. You might think you can just shuffle-ball-change around it, but you will only tap dance yourself to another side of the same stage.

Our solution to the inevitable times of conflict is gaining skills to manage through difficult situations. Leaders learn to use that situation as an opportunity to build trust, strengthen connection, improve process, and restore unity.

8 Common causes of team conflict:

*Unclear or late communication

*Unclear purpose, roles, goals, and action items

*Limited resources

*Skills deficits

*Inefficient processes

*Lack of awareness of personalities and motivations

*Avoidance of addressing the root issue.

*Insufficient problem-solving skills to address root issues

When conflict simmers in your team, here are six steps to address the issue.

Define the issue—Discover what the issues are. Conflict is rarely one issue, but typically there is one foundational issue the others are balancing on.

Observe—See what is happening from multiple angles. Gather information to inform your understanding of the issue.

Breakdown the problem—Analyze the information. The elements of a conflict are multi-faceted and need prioritization.

Find solutions—With team members, look for solutions that address the foundational issue. Be open to unusual options and flexible with the execution.

Do what you say—Having a meeting and writing down the solution is step one. Follow through with the decision in the room.

Check back for success—Set a time to check back on progress and effectiveness. If the solution isn’t working, put a new solution in place.

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Implementing these skills will improve your leadership and conflict on your team. Contact me if you want to improve your conflict resolution skills or work with your team.