14 Conflict

Conflict is a state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests; a clash. In project management, conflict becomes a “sin” when it is ignored or allowed to simmer and fester into something destructive.

The Sin

Not only is conflict common, but it is to be expected on a project. Individuals from differing backgrounds and cultures, with their various belief and value systems, make the project environment rife with opportunity for conflict. Successful project completion requires that the project manager become adept at—and fully involved in—the art of interpersonal communication. When ignored and allowed to fester, conflict can lead to frustration and has the potential to create active subversion on the project team.

Conflict is to be expected throughout a project’s lifecycle. In the early stages of a project, some level of conflict is actually necessary to help the team become cohesive and perform exceptionally. During these early stages, trust may be built through conflict. Conflict arising near the end of the project, during the implementation or testing stages, tends to be more destructive to the project and to the team. This late-stage conflict usually stems from incompatible or misunderstood requirements gathered at the beginning of the project.

A Case of Destructive Conflict

Early in my project management career, I was assigned to manage a project to test a new server platform. To conduct the testing, two labs in different locations were required to collaborate on approach, strategy, and planning. At the time, I was unaware of the long history of contempt between these two organizations. To make matters worse, the project was being performed in a time of company downsizing and each lab director was lobbying for recognition as the testing center-of-excellence for all products.

As a result of the rivalry between the lab directors, the project was ultimately eight months late to deliver. The increased time-to-market led to lower profits. In addition, team morale suffered. Because each director was acting in a dictatorial way, my project team became very apprehensive about interacting with either of them. The irony is that this interaction was critical for the project to succeed. In the end, a senior vice president had to remove one of the lab directors from his position.

Danger Signs

Project managers need to continually monitor for the warning signs of conflict. Most signs are nonverbal. In meetings or face-to-face communications with stakeholders, pay close attention to body language such as closed postures (e.g., crossed arms or legs), inability to make eye contact, or eye-rolling. These are sure danger signs of misalignment, miscommunication, misunderstanding, and conflict. Early in the lifecycle of a project, pay close attention to interpersonal communication and behaviors. Some people simply do not work well together and this should be considered in team composition. If possible, work with resource managers to get your project staffed with compatible people.

Solutions

A project manager should expect conflict on projects. In fact, during the more creative phases of a project (typically the early stages), conflict should be fostered to ensure that the best ideas are heard and that they are properly vetted across the team. A useful practice is to take a team personality assessment such as the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI(r)) or the Birkman personality assessment. These tools are useful for helping project managers understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual team member personalities so each may be used appropriately on the project. For example, leverage your sales-type person to sell the project; it would make no sense to use a planner type to do this.

Tips for Dealing with Conflict

Perform a comprehensive stakeholder analysis early in the project. If I had done so in the case of the competing lab directors, I would have realized what was going on and possibly been able to divert some of the interactions that led to heated debate and destructive conflict.

Be cognizant of your communication style and content, as communication both breeds and resolves conflict.

Address conflict immediately. Left unaddressed, conflict does not go away; it only becomes more destructive.

Focus on the positive points in conflict. Seek common ground among those in conflict; situations can usually be turned into positives if handled properly.

Be slow to anger. Anger is a certain way of diverging from the intersection of common interests.