I think when a team disagrees with a project manager's decision, the most important thing is communication. The manager should explain the reasoning behind the decision clearly, because sometimes conflict happens just because people don’t fully understand the “why.” At the same time, they should also give space for the team to voice their concerns, showing that their input matters, even if the final call doesn’t change.

One approach I’ve seen work well is to acknowledge everyone’s perspectives, then tie the decision back to the project’s goals, timeline, or constraints. For example, when I was working as a research assistant there was one aspect of a project that I didn’t agree with and after discussing it with my PI they gave the following statement: “I understand your concerns about X, but given our deadline and budget, this option helps us stay aligned with the overall goal.” This made me feel heard but also allowed me to see the bigger picture. 

It also helps if the project manager can compromise on smaller aspects of the decision-making process, letting the team have ownership over how something gets implemented even if the “what” is already decided. That balance can go a long way in keeping motivation and trust strong while still keeping the project moving forward.

This is a great question since this tends to happen a lot in the industry or during any project. This is why during the initiating, planning, and executing phases of the project, it is best and important to hold regular meetings and follow communication plans. I can provide an example. I have had my fair share of these situations during my third and fourth year of undergraduate study with my senior project. I was assigned the “project manager” for this team along with a faculty mentor. Each week, we would meet with our faculty mentor and then afterwards, with the team. I would try to have these meetings at the beginning of the week, so we would have time to complete our tasks of the week in preparation for next week, and also regroup at the end for updates. There were some cases where I made, what I thought, was the best decision to move the project forward towards our goal for the week or next week. One or two members would disagree with that. What I did was be neutral, meaning I did not argue or challenge their comments or opinions. The best way was to listen to each team member on their disagreements on the decision made by the project manager. It would be best and beneficial to take note of these discussions. In this case, everyone’s opinions are considered because they have the chance to voice their opinions to everyone on what they think is best without being criticized. If the project manager does not bother listening to everyone, the connectivity of the team can be broken. It can also cause the team members to be discouraged for even trying to say something. There are some project managers who think they are correct all the way through and do not want to be challenged since they are “in charge” of the project. That should not be the case. That can cause huge issues with the project where team members will do their own thing and nothing will come together since no one is coming to an agreement. 
Back to the previous statement, once everyone had voiced their concerns and provided alternative solutions on their behalf, the project manager would hold a discussion. As I said before, there should be a common goal or an achievable goal at the end of the week. A Gantt chart can be used since it has a timeline, tasks, and subtasks. It shows the tasks and task relations. Some tasks cannot be started until one is finished. To keep things on track, one would look to see what they wanted to accomplish. From there, if what the team member had suggested is slightly better than what the project manager initially stated, then go with that, but they must foster open communication. The project manager should also remember to not stray away from their goal. They may be like this alternative seems a good idea, but wait, it is straying away from what we want to achieve. Everyone must establish clear and concise communication to achieve and meet their end scope. This is why it is quite essential to hold these types of meetings to hear everyone's side and come up with a decision that will not hinder the project objectives and deadlines. This also shows that everyone on the team knows what this project is about and how passionate they are to finish it in the correct manner. Within a team, everyone should be on the same page to provide a smooth sail but also being careful of scope creeps since there is a solidified scope during the planning phase.

Depending on the severity of the disagreement, it can be helpful to the team if you also bring an outside perspective, specifically someone who has faced an issue similar to the one causing the disagreement. This way, it feels less like the manager has the ultimate and final say (even if they still do) and more that each side with have to plead their case so someone else, and the decision will be decided by someone with more practical experience. That way, tension is reduced and still let the team feel heard. 

I agree with what has already been said and discussed here so far, communication and active listening are vital parts of handling disagreements on a project team. Since we learned about the importance of project planning and how beneficial it is to be over prepared and very detailed in planning, I think that can apply for when conflict arises. If there is a structed and planned out way to handle conflicts and disagreements, then everyone can feel like they have opportunity to voice concerns. When a disagreement does come up, the project manager can first opening acknowledge the concern, then, like mentioned explain the "why" behind the decision, then find room for compromise, then document the discussions and move forward. By doing this, everyone on the team can feel like their opinion matters, although at the end of the day, the project manager is in charge and does get to make final decisions. But, with a planned-out method of how to tackle these situations you can balance having respect for the team's prospectives with maintaining the responsibility of keeping the project moving and accomplishing what it is supposed to.

Managing team opinions while sticking to decisions is a crucial skill in medical device development. A project manager must listen carefully to input from engineers, clinicians, and regulatory experts, as their insights often highlight potential risks or improvements. Encouraging open discussions helps create a collaborative environment where team members feel valued. However, not every suggestion can be implemented, as projects must stay aligned with regulatory requirements, timelines, and budgets. The manager should evaluate all opinions objectively and make decisions based on data, safety, and project goals. Once a decision is made, it is important to communicate the reasoning clearly to the team to gain their understanding and support. This balance between respecting team input and maintaining strong leadership ensures steady progress in medical device development.

This post highlights the significance of project roles, especially the project leader or manager role. A project leader may also be a stakeholder, or the stakeholder may be upper management, a vendor, or a customer. A successful project leader and team is capable of identifying and relaying the major concerns especially during the initiating phase that may impact the project. This phase provides time to build their scope awareness and cover the effects that the device will cause before major steps are taken. 

Many leaders emphasize on the initiating and planning phases due to the savings whether that be using their resources, budget, or time more effectively. However, disagreements or unexpected challenges may still arise and that is why the planning phase may continue to the execution phase. The monitoring & controlling phase also exists throughout the entirety of the project and acts as security. Ultimately, the project leader needs to make sure that the day-to-day decisions are in line with the scope and the stakeholder has final approval.

Nonetheless, the skill level and the size of the team has a great impact on project development. Incorporating members in QA, engineering, marketing, sales, and accounting are highly encouraged. If a team member disagrees with the project manager, then it is extremely important to have data that supports a change must occur. This change is part of the monitoring & controlling phase because a change control procedure must be followed. The process requires a change or project manager as well as upper management for evaluation and approval.