In the process of project development, various conflicts within the project team and between departments emerge one after another, which often causes headaches for project managers. How to solve the conflict will have a certain impact on both sides of the conflict. Sometimes the conflicting parties are too violent and the negative impact is relatively large, which will cause a certain degree of destructiveness and cause estrangement between the two parties. What can we learn from conflicts in project teams?
I once managed a project in a university, and I communicated a lot with various departments, suppliers, and investors in the university. I have some feelings that I would like to share with you. Project conflicts can be divided into the following methods according to the objects of both parties.
One is the conflict within the project team or department. Since both parties work in the same department, it is impossible to avoid contact. In addition, the two sides have worked together for a long time, and they understand each other's personalities. The incident gradually evolved into a conflict, and everyone knew each other. If you keep this kind of conflict in your mind at work, it will inevitably affect the long-term cooperation in the future, and it will not benefit both parties. The solution is of course that one of the parties should take the initiative, communicate directly and openly, focus on work, clarify the starting point of the whole matter, achieve commonality between the two parties, and strive to prevent the incident from affecting the work as well. For project managers or department managers, keep your eyes open for conflicts between long-term colleagues and urge them to try their best to resolve them by themselves. It is enough to reach a consensus. If such a conflict can be resolved by itself, the two sides can undoubtedly improve their understanding, and they can also think about each other, understand and respect each other, and it is inevitable for both parties to be mature in dealing with people, communicating with others, and cooperating with others. If it affects the work, the manager will come forward to be a peacemaker and facilitate communication between the two parties.
The second is the conflict of cooperation between various departments during the operation. These conflicts mainly occur in the operation process. For example, the downstream department is not satisfied with the work progress and quality of the upstream department. After being reminded by some methods, under the pressure of the progress, the colleagues in the downstream department are very angry. This often happens. In this case, the incident will be stabbed to the leaders of both parties, or to the leadership of a higher-level supervisor. The root cause of the conflict may be that the responsibilities of mutual cooperation are unclear, so the two sides blame each other, quarrel and even accuse each other in the marginal areas during the operation. The leaders of both parties may have to listen to the reasons stated by their own departments, but also to the operation procedures of other departments, remove the details of conflicts caused by emotional colors, and shift the focus to the theme of "how to do things well". After the process is straightened out and the responsibilities are clearly divided, it should be fine to mediate personal emotions, rather than simply changing people.
Third, there may be conflicts between opposing departments, such as the software development department and the software testing department. Since the responsibilities of the two parties are very clear, my testing department is looking for your bug, causing the two sides to confront each other between the departments, thus simply guiding the emotional confrontation between colleagues in the two departments. During the process of the project, due to the different understandings between the two parties, conflicts continued, and minor conflicts were taken for granted. Both sides of the conflict may be work-focused. However, if the conflict develops to the point that the two sides are so angry that they are unwilling to explain their own views, pick on each other for faults in each other's words, or even simply break the tank, this will affect the progress of the work, and the project manager must come forward to mediate the two sides that are already in a cold war or a hot war. When dealing with such conflicts, when some department leaders hear such news, they invite everyone involved in all aspects together, divide them into two sides like a negotiation, and start communication. Maybe it will work, but unfortunately I haven't seen a very favorable example. Usually, the more people there are, especially the more leaders, the more careful everyone speaks, carefully thinking about every word, and don't show that you are unreasonable, or you don't consider the interests of the other party, so that the leaders look down on yourself, and so on. So cover up, how to eradicate the problem? In the end, of course, a certain "understanding" can be reached under the urging of the leaders, but if the root cause is not eliminated, it will inevitably reignite the war in the future. There are some project managers who can privately understand the mood and development of each party, and may be able to resolve the problem more invisible. Listen, or listen, listen to the complaints of the client, and ask him to tell how he was provoked and provoked by the other party. When he finishes venting, he will naturally turn the topic to work. At this time, he has been able to analyze the ins and outs of the problem by himself. If a slap does not sound, both parties will have some actions to stimulate the other party. The manager can analyze the focus of the problem from the perspective of a bystander, remind the two parties in kindness, and understand the way of the other party. Personality characteristics have also deepened understanding. In the future, you should be able to choose a way that is more acceptable to the other party, and work will still progress in a relatively peaceful environment. The fact that the two parties are too serious is also a manifestation of high work pressure. The manager must also find ways to relieve the pressure of the parties, such as organizing team activities, or adding manpower, adjusting the progress, and so on.
Everyone will encounter conflicts during the project process, deal with conflicts rationally, learn from conflicts, and everyone grows in conflicts, and future work will inevitably progress more smoothly, with fewer conflicts.