Conflicts are an unavoidable part of any project. As a project mentor in Columbus, Ohio, it is your job to help your team members navigate these conflicts and come out on the other side with a successful project. Dialogue is one of the most effective ways to manage conflicts, and involves listening deeply, speaking authentically, and suspending judgment. Creating a safe and comfortable space for your team members to share their views and experiences is essential.
Projects involve several people with different opinions, expectations, values, and ways of working. This can lead to conflicts between multiple stakeholders in a project. Reasons for these conflicts can range from opposing ideas to budget restrictions or personal ego conflicts. When these conflicts get out of hand, they can ruin promising projects and stop them in their tracks. As project managers, it's important to prevent conflicts from escalating before the entire project is affected.
Establishing clear and measurable objectives before the team is one way to do this. Let each member know what they must do, the tasks they must work on, and the deadlines that must be followed. A project management software like ProProfs Project can help with this by assigning tasks to each member, setting due dates, and tracking progress. It's also important to guide your team on the right path by setting measurable objectives, distributing tasks, and monitoring progress. Your constant encouragement and motivation can bring out the best in every member of the team.
Poor decision-making by a project manager can cause protracted conflicts if they have no idea about the distribution of tasks and the monitoring of projects. Clear communication is essential to avoid confusion and keep everyone on the same page. With each individual clear what their tasks are, the chances of duplication of tasks are minimized. It often happens that team members work in silos and are not aware of the progress of each other's tasks. This lack of communication can stop projects from progressing. When the project is not progressing as planned and the road seems to have no end, conflicts are inevitable.
Employee issues are left unaddressed and there is confusion in the management of responsibilities, negatively affecting and delaying final delivery. Project teams have several people with different personalities, ways of working, communication styles, and emotional levels. Different work styles can hinder the project flow and slow it down considerably. It's possible that you've already planned the project and the project is flowing smoothly but when more roles are added or unforeseen requirements arise at the last minute, it can create disorder in the team. Every project comes with defined requirements such as labor, tools, software etc., which require a clear budget allocation throughout the project execution phase. However, many organizations are turning to cost reduction which makes project flow difficult.
In addition, some teams receive more budget while others receive a small share of the total budget allocation leading to conflicts between project managers. As a mentor in Columbus Ohio it's important to be aware of all these potential sources of conflict so that you can be prepared to handle them when they arise. Establishing clear objectives before starting a project is key as well as monitoring progress throughout its execution phase. Clear communication between team members is also essential for avoiding confusion and keeping everyone on the same page.
