Project managers have an essential role because they are in charge of the group, and if things go wrong, everyone will be turning their heads to the project manager. Project managers must lead a team with confidence because if the project manager shows confidence, the team members will as well. If a conflict arises within the group, the manager must address the conflict by taking the members aside and telling them to hear each other out.  If the team was falling behind, the project manager must have a meeting to address this to the whole team and create a schedule that will guide them to the correct path. This schedule may result in more tasks to accomplish and a limited amount of time, but if everyone is dedicated and truly believes in the manager, the results will be great. 

As a project manager, it is essential to identify a problem and to come up with a resolution. Many teams will consist of those with different viewpoints of how an objective may be achieved and in time of conflict, it is the responsibility of the project manager to resolve it. Although conflict is typically deemed as something negative, in some cases, it can promote innovation, creativity and provide space for discussion. If my team was falling behind due to conflict, I would conduct a meeting where each team member discussed their opinions and worked to collaborate together. Being able to openly communicate different views and listen to others can give rise to a "masterplan" that considers the standpoints of all individuals.

A follow-up question would be: what would be the next steps if this strategy is not successful?

i think as a project manager, you must accept there is a conflict in any project. also project manger need to understand each team member's point of view to make decision and create a conducive to cooperation environment. Then work together with group members to create a solution to solve conflict. if all the strategy is not working then project manager will need to use their authority to solve it. 

@jbarbee 

If the initial strategy of conducting a meeting with the team members to discuss their opinions and views to contribute to an overall plan does not work then the I believe the next steps would ultimately fall to the team manager to decide what plan should be followed. As the team manager, it is their responsibility to determine the most efficient and effective plan to go forward with. If a plan comprised of combined components from the team members' individual ideas is unable to be composed, then the manager should choose what they believe is the best option. To aid in this decision the manager is likely to rely on the information provided by the more experience team member. It is the manager's job to choose the path that will achieve the project goals, therefore after listening to all the different viewpoints, they must choose what they believe is the best option based on the available information. 

My approach to resolving the conflict would be the same as @jbarbee has explained. Creating a space where each person can discuss their views and ideas, would be beneficial. This, however, depends on if the conflict stems from the work environment or was created within their personal lives. I would imagine conflict from work can be fixed after one or two meetings; shorter than personal conflict. If this strategy does not work or the conflict progresses, bringing this issue to the higher-ups may be necessary. Overall, I would do my best to catch the conflict early, so that it can be resolved asap, and we could get back on track with our project.

There are various different conflict management strategies. Depending on the scenario, one strategy might be more fit than another. As a project manager, it is important to lead with guidance and provide direction on how to overcome such problems. If I were a project manager, I would make sure to acknowledge the situation from all of the different angles. Furthermore, I would ensure that each person involved had a chance to voice their perspective on the scenario. From there, I would evaluate the options for resolution and try to come to a strategic compromise. After the situation at hand is fixed, I would also try to understand why the problem arose in the first place. If there was an additional underlying problem, I would be sure to also resolve this scenario. As project manager, I would also ensure to reinforce the importance of teamwork. Additionally, I would host team bonding sessions to try to prevent a problem from occurring in the first place. If I was not able to fix the situation at hand, I would need to escalate the situation by calling in the sponsor of the project. The steps taken to resolve conflict might differ if I were not the project manager. What are some ways a team member could resolve conflict on a project team? How would this strategy for resolution differ compared to the approach a project manager might take?

As a project manager, I would try to understand the situation from all the parties, taking into account everyone's experience whether they were fully involved or partially involved. While conflicts within teams are frustrating, it is inevitable. It is important to not take sides or show any bias whatsoever and try to figure out the root cause of the problem and how to solve it. It might be helpful to find some type of compromise if appropriate and allows for the project to be completed in a timely manner. However, if this is not appropriate, then listening and calling a meeting to allow everyone to demonstrate their side and then make a decision accordingly, whether that's to remove and replace a team member or delegate another team member to carry out their proposal. 

I would have to agree with @srp98 in that as a project manager, I believe it is important to understand where two opposing parties are coming from and to know that even though conflict can impede progress, by ignoring the conflict, the project might be delayed further. I also believe that staying impartial to the best of your ability would be the best solution to offer and to offer the opportunity for two sides to debate and show their own fields of expertise. However, it is also equally important to be able to understand which side is indeed correct. This can be done by looking at historical documents and consulting experts in their field to determine what is the best course of action based on the opposing sides. It is also important I believe, to inform each team member of the reason why their opinion was not chosen or was incorrect so that they can also learn. It is important as a project manager to show compassion and be able to use your resources effectively given the constraints that you may be working with. It is also wise to take inventory of your skill pool in the event that one person may be a better fit for the role than another person for the sake of the project deadline.

When presented with a conflict I would first hear both proposals being pitched or problems at hand. With everyone together I would help facilitate conversation to work to a compromise or understanding towards each other's opinion. If this becomes a pervasive problem between two people I would need to meet with each person separately to understand the issues each has with the other. In a very clear cut way, it needs to be communicated that in order for our projects to stay on schedule there can not be conflicts and if personal issues can not be resolved then we may need to reorganize the team. In this instance it would be best to not fraction the team as to not further delay the projects we are working on, however if needed moving to a different team may be an option.

It is tricky to resolve conflict within a team as a Project Manager. I feel as though it's difficult to take "sides" in a conflict as you may be causing an even greater rift in the team which will not help with furthering the progress of the project. If two individuals were disagreeing or had an issue with one another, I would most likely meet with the two one-on-one first to just get a background on what is going on. I think I would have to deliberate on the best course of action, or perhaps even escalate to my manager to see what the best way to move forward is. I feel as though having a meeting with the two and the project manager has the potential to put the issue aside but also can lead to more back-and-forth. In some cases, even trying to separate the two is a last resort which can hinder the team. I think also as a project manager it's important to not be biased towards one of your team members. While I believe it's important to highlight great work, this can sometimes cause divides and problems within the team if it is a constant. 

Conflict relates to differences in values, attitudes, needs, expectations, perceptions, communication styles, and personalities. Poor communication is at the root of many failed projects, so it is little surprise that communication leads to team conflict. Without a communication plan, team members quickly become confused about their work, priority tasks, and the overall purpose of the project. The project manager should approach the problem by focusing on areas of agreement rather than differences and look for underlying causes of conflict. This helps build strong team relationships to help reduce future conflicts. However, some conflicts cannot be resolved, thus requiring a compromise that brings some degree of satisfaction to both parties. Pursuing this approach means that you must clearly understand the needs of everyone involved and are willing to make changes to the project to accommodate the solution. Have you ever been the root of a team conflict how did you handle it?

How would you handle team conflict as a project manager?

Team conflict is natural and not necessarily unwelcome. A team, the majority of the time, will not be composed of similar/likeminded people. Teams bring together people with different backgrounds, expertise, worldviews, and interpersonal skills. It is the task of the project manager to facilitate and allow the teammates to disregard any personal differences and work together towards the common goal. If anything, team conflict opens up opportunities for discussion between the team that will likely lead to further understanding and appreciation (though not always). The project manager has a crucial role in ensuring that every team member is treated equally from their point of view. Everyone can have an opinion and a right to be heard, though negative opinions and comments generally unhealthy for the workplace should be criticized and their behavior should be discussed personally. Interpersonal skills are imperative for team conflict, and the project manager should ideally be implementing these skills when discussing with teammates. Basic principles of respect and understanding must be applied for a team to work with one another. Furthermore, the ability to understand a different person's perspective even if you do not agree with it and be able to rationally speak about it is also important. I believe that a project manager that is kind, authoritative, and respectful has the ability to bring a team of vastly different people together to work with one another, moving past conflicts and other issues towards a common goal.

In my opinion, being a project manager means to not only have an in-depth knowledge of the project but also having an understanding of the employees that you are in charge of and working with. Sometimes there can be conflicts with certain instructions, materials, values and expectations of each other. I believe that having not only good communication between each of the members and allowing for open communications can help mediate a lot of issues that employees tend to encounter. I would definitely try to have a meeting and bring both parties into a room together so that I can act as a mediator and try to help the employees find a compromise or discuss what each other's expectations were and why they felt that it wasn't properly done. I also feel like I would try to hold group and individual meetings at least once a week so get an understanding of the employees and how it would be possible to make their tasks easier. 

I have definitely seen a lot of personnel grudges between people within the workplace, which in cause would lead to many issues with processing or even issues with paperwork. I feel like if managers try to mitigate responsibilities evenly, there would be less room for those hard-working employees to feel overworked and undervalues while there are other employees that could possibly help lighten their work load. 

If my team was falling behind due to a team conflict, I would try to resolve it as soon as possible with the individuals without having it affect the rest of the team. If it is a conflict between two people, I would first gather each individuals complaints/side of the story. Then I would evaluate the situation objectively with the information collected. If it was more of a personality clash rather than a disagreement on handling the project, I would hold a meeting between the individuals to help them hear each other and be respectful of each other while working together. If this would not help, I would most likely escalate it to HR to deal with. While a project manager by job really should just manage the project and its deliverables, PMs should also be able to be their for their team members. This would include helping them deal with others that may clash with them.