How to resolve team disagreements

Eliminating the roadblocks of teamwork

Hey👋, I’m Andrew from Effy AI. Welcome to The Power of Teamwork, my biweekly newsletter on building high-performing teams. Subscribe to join 16K+ readers.

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Chatting with team leaders has shown me that when all seems calm on the surface, there might be a storm brewing underneath. Some team members might be biting their tongues to avoid conflict, while others might have heated debates over who gets what resources.

In this article, I’ll unveil powerful strategies to resolve team disagreements, transforming them into opportunities for growth.

What if there are [really] no disagreements in my team?

A lack of disagreements could mean one of two things:

• The team has come close to groupthink, which means the quality of decisions made by the group will decrease (learn more about How to avoid groupthink )

• Team leads don’t recognize disagreements

The second option is much more common and almost always means that there is an opportunity to increase the team’s performance. Keep on reading to learn how to cope with that.

How to find out whether your team has disagreements?

Recognizing and understanding team disagreements isn't just about solving problems in the present; it's about anticipating future issues and ensuring that your team maintains a healthy and transparent communication culture. 

This should be an ongoing work, which we'll discuss in the following sections, but to start with, you can conduct an anonymous survey.

Team Disagreement Survey

1. Do you have any concerns or disagreements regarding team decisions or actions?

   Yes | No

2. Have you ever felt hesitant or uncomfortable expressing your opinions or disagreements in team meetings?

   Always | Often | Sometimes | Rarely | Never

3. The team environment feels conducive to open dialogue and discussion.

   Strongly agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly disagree

4. In the past month, have you kept silent on an issue or disagreement you felt should be addressed?

   Yes | No

5. I believe the team leadership is open to receiving feedback or dissenting opinions.

   Strongly agree | Agree | Neutral | Disagree | Strongly disagree

6. How often do you feel the need to compromise your perspective to go along with the majority?

   Always | Often | Sometimes | Rarely | Never

7. Are there any members with whom you find it challenging to agree or collaborate? (you don’t need to name anyone)

   Yes | No

8. Please provide additional comments or suggestions on fostering a more open environment for addressing disagreements.

Some hide, others highlight - reasons behind

First, you need to understand that, in most cases, people tend to hide conflicts. Here are some of the common reasons:

• Fear of confrontation: Many employees avoid conflict because they are afraid of confrontation. They may worry about the potential negative consequences of expressing their disagreement, such as damaging relationships with colleagues or supervisors. 

• Lack of trust: If employees do not trust their colleagues or superiors to handle disagreements constructively and fairly, they may keep their dissenting views to themselves.

• Perceived futility: Some employees may believe that voicing their disagreements won't make any difference as the decisions have already been made, making it seem futile to express dissent. That’s why they may prefer to avoid unnecessary drama and maintain a harmonious work environment.

• Communication skills: Some employees may lack the communication skills or assertiveness to effectively express their disagreements without causing conflict or offense.

• Concerns for job security: Finally, some may be worried about being perceived in a bad light by their supervisors, which could lead to a whole set of problems, including threatening their job stability.

On the other hand, some employees show their disagreements and here are some situations where this often happens:

• Resource allocation: Imagine a collaborative team of engineers, designers and marketers. However, a limited number of team members are available to work on multiple projects simultaneously. Engineers may be in high demand due to the technical complexity of the projects, while designers and marketers may feel they are not getting enough support. This can result in resentment and strained working relationships.

• Project prioritization: In a project-based environment, team members may have differing priorities for projects they're working on. For instance, one team member might believe that prioritizing Project A aligns with their personal career goals, while another team member sees Project B as more critical for the team's overall success. This misalignment in individual and team goals can lead to conflict over project allocation and resource distribution.

• Performance metrics: Teams often have shared performance metrics, but individual employees may have additional personal performance metrics or goals set by their supervisors. Conflict can arise if these personal goals conflict with the team's objectives or if team members feel they are unfairly evaluated based on metrics that don't align with the team's collective goals.

• Promotion opportunities: Employees may have personal career goals, including aspirations for promotions and advancement within the company. If two team members compete for the same promotion, they may find themselves in conflict as they aim for opportunities that align with their career aspirations.

• Innovation and risk-taking: Some team members may be more risk-averse, preferring to maintain the status quo to ensure stability and job security. Others may be more inclined to take risks to pursue innovation and potential rewards. Conflict can emerge when these differing risk appetites clash, impacting the team's approach to projects and decisions.

• Teamwork vs. individual recognition: Some employees may prioritize teamwork and the group’s overall success, while others focus more on individual recognition and accomplishments. Conflict may arise when one group feels their contributions are not adequately acknowledged or rewarded compared to those who seek individual recognition.

Common reasons for team disagreements

Causes of disagreements may vary based on different factors, but every industry has some standard stumbling blocks.

Engineering teams

1. Technical approach and resource allocation: Engineers often clash over the best method or framework. For example, one engineer might advocate for a specific coding framework, while others believe a different framework is more suitable. Disagreements can also occur when deciding whether to allocate resources to fixing bugs, handling tech debt or developing new features. 

2. Documentation: Conflicts can emerge over documentation standards – they may disagree on the level of detail required in their reports.

3. Speed over quality: Engineers may differ in their opinions on the trade-off between delivering a high-quality product and meeting a tight deadline. It’s essential to ensure the whole team is on the same page.

Product teams

1. Feature prioritization: Team members often disagree on which product features to prioritize first. Some may push for a flashy new feature that could attract new users, while others advocate for improving existing functionalities and user experience.

2. UI and UX: Team members may have conflicting personal preferences regarding the design of the user interface and overall user experience, coming from their own points of view.

3. Feedback interpretation: The team may not agree on how to interpret and respond to user feedback. Some may advocate incorporating all suggestions to improve user experience, while others may say that not all user ideas align with technical feasibility.

Marketing teams

1. Budget allocation: The most common reason for the dispute is deciding how to use the often limited marketing budget. Different team members may prioritize different channels – some may believe that social media has a higher ROI than email marketing, and the other way round.

2. Messaging: Team members may have different views on the most appropriate style and tone of voice for a particular target audience segment.

3. Goals: Finally, most conflicts arise from marketing teams not agreeing on the most important goals and metrics – whether they should focus on getting more website visitors, improving lead generation campaigns or boosting engagement.

HR teams

1. Recruitment criteria: HR teams often disagree on the criteria for selecting candidates. For example, the hiring manager may prioritize candidates with extensive experience, while the DEI officer advocates for a more inclusive approach to attract a diverse talent pool.

2. Workplace culture: Conflicts may occur when promoting organizational culture and values. Some team members may advocate for innovation, while others may find traditional work practices more efficient.

3. Employee policies: HR managers often have problems with heads of other departments who refuse to stick to established guidelines. For example, HR may advocate for introducing more flexible schedules and improving work-life balance, while some managers may oppose it, believing it could decrease productivity.

What can help you resolve disagreements within a team?

360 feedback

Regular 360-degree feedback is the most effective way to gather employee insights from multiple sources and prevent any potential conflicts. For optimal results, you should conduct it quarterly and track employee progress.

Here are some questions you could add:

Conflict resolution

• How do you handle conflicts within the team?

• Have there been any disagreements regarding your approach to conflict resolution?

• Do you proactively identify and address potential sources of conflict before it arises?

Communication skills

• How effectively do you communicate with the team?

• How well do you give/receive constructive feedback during arguments?

• Are there any instances where your communication style hindered team progress or understanding?

Collaboration and teamwork

• How well do you collaborate with team members?

• Do you support other team members when you notice they’re struggling with some challenge?

• Have there been any situations where your attitude negatively affected the team's performance?

💡 You can use the 360 feedback software Effy AI, free for teams

If you want to make a lasting change and implement the insights gathered, you must have one-on-one meetings to discuss the summary of 360-degree feedback, establish action steps and set some goals to track improvement.

One-on-ones

Almost 60% of employees said that communication is one of the most important soft skills at their workplace, yet many still struggle. As a manager,  your role is to create a safe space for open communication, which will help identify whether employees have any disagreements with their colleagues.

Here are some conversation-starters:

• How would you describe the overall team dynamics and communication?

• Have you noticed any tensions within the team, and what could be the potential cause?

• Are there any challenges you’re facing while working with your colleagues?

If you uncover their conflict with a particular team member, you should facilitate mediation by encouraging both parties to express their perspective and actively listen. Your job is to guide the conversation towards a resolution that benefits everyone and where both parties feel seen and heard. 

Do not disregard conflicts, no matter how small they might seem: the sooner you address them, the higher your chances of resolving them in a positive way!

Regular team meetings 

Some employees don’t feel comfortable sharing their disagreements, so you should observe their behavior as a team. Team meetings are a great opportunity to spot verbal and non-verbal cues that may uncover unresolved conflict.

Pay attention not only to what your employees are saying but also to how they’re saying it, their tone, body language and so on. Observe any changes in their behavior or overall team dynamics which may indicate underlying conflict.

As a manager and a leader, it can be a good idea to learn more about mediating disagreements: 

• Always maintain a neutral stance and avoid taking sides. 

• Before starting the discussion, establish some ground rules like respecting each other, not interrupting the person speaking, taking turns speaking and so on.

• If similar disagreements keep arising or you want to train your staff, you may consider creating a conflict resolution policy that outlines the steps for addressing conflict.

Culture

When asked about one thing they would change at their workplace if they could, 41% of employees said they’d change culture or engagement at the workplace. Building a culture in a team that fosters effective conflict resolution is crucial for maintaining a harmonious and productive work environment.

Here are some key elements to consider:

Open communication, active listening, and empathy

Encourage team members to express their thoughts, concerns and opinions openly and respectfully. Create an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable sharing their perspectives without fear of judgment. Promote active listening and genuinely trying to understand everyone's points of view and feelings.

Constructive feedback

Emphasize the importance of providing feedback in a constructive and solution-oriented manner. Encourage your team to focus on the issue at hand rather than making personal attacks. 

You can start by implementing 360-degree feedback regularly, followed up by one-on-one or group meetings where you further discuss and create improvement plans.

Conflict resolution process

Conflict resolution procedures should be part of your company culture, especially if your values include teamwork and transparency. You can work together on creating actionable steps for addressing conflicts.

Each team member should have the skills to manage and resolve conflicts effectively, which might include mediation training, negotiation skills and conflict management workshops.

Conclusion

You can avoid being in a reactive state by creating a secure and transparent environment where your team members feel safe to discuss things that are bothering them before they have a chance to escalate into major conflicts.

It all starts with a healthy organizational culture and ensuring you’re on the same page regarding values. Tools like 360-degree feedback, one-on-ones and team meetings can not only help you spot and solve disagreements but may also prevent them and strengthen the bonds between your team.