Working with Others

Conflict Resolution:

Tips for Conflict Resolution

Talk to the other person: Did you know some of the biggest causes of conflict is due to miscommunication, attribution areas and misunderstanding? The quicker you start a conversation, the easier it will be to resolve things quickly and reasonably, don't let the issues you have continue to build.

Listen carefully: Try and avoid interrupting the other person, this could increase tensions. If you are unclear of something, ask clarifying questions or for them to restate what they have said.

Identify points of agreement and disagreement: It will hopefully centralise the main point of disagreement, making the argument easier to resolve. Once you have found this, focus on the points you both agree on.

Prevent it from occurring again in the future: Talk through ways to mitigate this from happening again, and agree that compromise may have to occur in both parties. Afterwards find ways to complement each other’s work, it will ease tension moving forward

Being a Good Leader

Get to know your group: This will be beneficial when dedicating tasks and supporting your team mates, get to know their strengths and weaknesses so you can assign tasks knowing they will be done to a strong capability.

Do not try and take on everything: If you are the leader this often means you have either a strong passion or knowledge for the project, or are the most overall skilled within the group. Therefore, it can often be tempting to take on the majority of the workload and direct each aspect in a way you feel best. However, this is a team project for a reason, so you need to use your team. Everyone will have their own strengths and skills, and through delegating pieces of work you will most likely complete tasks sooner and to a better standard.

Communication: Whether you are a leader or a general member of the team, communication is essential for successful projects. So whilst encouraging good communication amongst those in your group, also think about how you can best communicate with them as a leader. Instead of taking on too many tasks, for example, tell a colleague exactly how you envision that part of the project and give them the chance to do that task for you. Additionally, if someone comes to you with a new idea, talk it out and see if it can be incorporated.

Morale: Thank your team mates for their hard work and tell them when they have contributed something positive, it will mean people respond better to your leadership. Check in with them and see if there are any issues, as a team leader you are also there to support your workers and have the responsibility to flagging to management if there are any larger issues that cannot be resolved within the group.