Conflict Resolution

Any time you convene a group of people to work together as closely as project teams do, conflicts are bound to happen. Project team members will likely have different views, personalities, and work styles that may clash as project objectives and goals are pursued.

To ensure that projects achieve their goals and project teams reach their full potential, conflicts must be carefully managed and effectively resolved by skilled practitioners and key stakeholders. Project managers and team leaders must recognize the triggers that signal conflict and intervene as early as possible, to prevent problems from shifting focus away from work and to ensure that project participants interact professionally as they meet their responsibilities and execute their roles.

Learning Objectives

After completing this module, you should be able to:

1. Identify the stages of conflict
2. Recognize the structural differences that can cause conflict
3. Distinguish between different conflict types and apply strategies to resolve them
4. Describe how concern for oneself and concern for others interact to create different styles for dealing with conflict
5. Compare different negotiation styles and describe when each should be used
6. Demonstrate how power and BATNA can be used as tools during negotiations