· Conflict Resolution Tips
· How To Minimize Conflict in Teams
· Agree to Agree
The first mistake teams make that causes numerous arguments
as a project progresses is not coming to agreement about their basic objectives.
At PROMAL ACADEMY, we use a technique called PROMAL Project Management that has
our teams develop a project agreement prior to initiating any project. We agree
to agree on our project scope, how we’re going to communicate with each other,
how often we’re going to hold meetings, the overall risk we’ll collectively
tolerate for our project, the constraints we all know are on the project, and
the roles we’ll each play on the project. Being agreeable (and likewise being
disagreeable) is a choice. The project agreement template that we use makes it
easier for all of us to be agreeable and to document what it is specifically
that to which we are each agreeing.
PROMAL
Focus
Like Laser, what you focus on is what you get. To reduce
conflict, you need to focus on what is working right with people with whom you
work. You also need to focus on achieving the shared goals of the group.
Distractions diffuse people’s attention and create frustration and tension.
At PROMAL ACADEMY we focus on achieving meaningful goals in
a short amount of time by keeping projects to three months in duration. This
enables people to get along better by focusing on a goal larger than they
themselves could achieve in three months and gives them less-opportunities to
get distracted.
Measure the Treasure
What gets measured gets done. Measurements focus your team’s
attention on what is truly important. Pick them carefully. Top performing teams
measure results– not activity. Find out the top three results your external
customers want and DELIVER. The PROMAL Project Management Project agreement has
the project team AND the project sponsor (who many people mistake as a
“customer”) together document the customer requirements, customer acceptance
criteria and business case. The team is measured on achieving deliverables, NOT
on completing tasks. Top performing teams deliver results, not excuses. If you
measure tasks, that is what will get done; if you want results, measure
results. We also use a web-based tool called PM Scorecards to measure our
project performance and keep all of us focused on the end results of the
project.
The
Platinum Rule
The Golden Rule is to treat others the way you want to be
treated. Go for the Platinum – treat others as they want to be treated. At
PROMAL ACADEMY, our top performing teams play by the adage, “whoever has the
gold makes the rules.” Our customers have the gold and we find out how they
want to be treated. Since there are no discontinuities in life – meaning if we
want platinum results with our customers we also follow the platinum rule with
each other.
Brain on the Wall
Do you know what is in your team members’ minds? Do you want
to know? At PROMAL ACADEMY, we find that we’re a lot smarter together than any
of us is individually. So we do an activity called “put your brain on the
wall.” We use this technique instead of conventional brainstorming. We’ve found
using conventional brainstorming that people are so concerned about their
contribution that they don’t adequately listen to their teammates, or that they
may be hesitant to provide ideas they don’t think are good enough. With brain
on the wall, each person contributes independently on post-its. They put their
contribution on the wall. As a team, they organize their collective input. By
organizing the input, the read what each team member has said. They get an idea
of where they have consensus, and can build off of each other’s ideas.
Conflict is Cash
What happens when something you expected to happen, doesn’t
happen?
You get resentful. What happens when team members have
unstated expectations that are not met – conflict?
Differing expectations are the root cause of ALL conflict.
Conflict is an opportunity to better understand expectations with team members
and customers. At PROMAL ACADEMY, when conflict happens, we use it as an
opportunity to better understand our expectations and those of our customers.
People remember situations that were emotionally charged. When we have turned a
negative situation into a positive one, we gain the trust and respect of the people
who whom we were in conflict. We use conflict to get a deeper understanding of
unique expectations that enable our top performing teams to deliver fantastic
customer service. Conflict is unavoidable, so when it occurs, make it
profitable.
Powerfully Positive
What does the statement “I’m just being honest” mean? Does
it mean that I’m giving myself permission to say something hurtful? Does it
mean in the past when I was being “nice” that I was dishonest? Think about it.
When you communicate, consider the impact of your words. Practice open, honest,
and POSITIVE communication. Remember using the word BUT, negates everything you
said before you used the term BUT.
At PROMAL ACADEMY our top performing team members think
before they speak. They take time to understand the other person and the impact
of their words. Consider how you feel when someone addresses you with a
negative issue. People judge themselves by their intentions and other’s by
their behavior. Find the positive intentions and you’ll perceive their behavior
positively.
Dare to be GREAT
We are all capable of greatness. We each have unique gifts
and talents to bring to the table. Find out what you are good at and polish
those skills to greatness. At PROMA ACADEMY we focus on being “best in class” in
each of our individual areas, and best in class as an overall company.
We leverage our innate “greatness” for competitive
advantage. Focus on the individual and collective strengths of your team
members and you will discover the true capabilities of your high-performing
team.
Recognize the Rainbows
Whether or not it is raining, look for the rainbows.
Diversity on a team can shake up the status quo and stimulate change. A rainbow
of cultures, industries, and educational backgrounds is a pot of gold for new
ideas. Like a parachute, your mind works best when it's open. Open your mind
while taking a new look at your team. Every team member brings unique perspectives and talents to the table. The more
freely individual traits can be expressed, the more they're appreciated, the
bigger and adaptable the overall team brain becomes. Mental cloning may work
for farm animals, not for high performing teams. Keep your eyes peeled for
rainbows and recognize the gold in diversity.
Fine Tune the Team
When you move from interactions riddled with conflict, you
can move towards becoming a high performing team. A team working well together
energizes everyone around them. They perform like a well-tuned, synchronized
orchestra. Everyone is individually tuned and on task, and collectively the
harmony resonates. High performing teams, like an orchestra, need practice and
tuning. Be sure to take time to rejuvenate your team with practice and tuning.
Take time to reassess your individual and collective team capabilities and your
individual role in your team’s performance.
This was sent in by Samuel Temitayo Amubieya, PMP
For PROMAL ACADEMY LIMITED
www.promalacademy.com
promalavademy@gmail.com
+234 9026854623 +234 8067514709
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