How to Resolve Team Conflict

Summary

HBR On Leadership: How to Resolve Team Conflict

Released: May 21, 2025
Hosts: Amy Bernstein and Kelsey Alpaio
Guest: Amy Gallo, Workplace Dynamics Expert and Contributing Editor at HBR

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Introduction and Context

In the episode titled "How to Resolve Team Conflict", hosts Amy Bernstein and Kelsey Alpaio engage in a deep dive into the nuances of managing conflict within teams. They are joined by Amy Gallo, a workplace dynamics expert, who brings invaluable insights into navigating various types of conflicts that arise in professional settings. This conversation is particularly beneficial for new managers and leaders seeking effective strategies to foster a harmonious and productive work environment.

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Personal Experiences with Conflict

The discussion kicks off with Kelsey Alpaio sharing a personal anecdote about her initial struggles with managing an underperforming direct report. At [02:09], Kelsey recounts her instinctive desire to avoid confrontation by not addressing the underperformance directly. She admits, "I sat down in that one on one and I was like, nope, we're not doing this. We’re just gonna have a nice pleasant one on one and then we're gonna go our separate ways."

This confession highlights a common dilemma faced by managers: the tension between maintaining personal comfort and fulfilling managerial responsibilities. Kelsey's experience serves as a poignant example of the challenges inherent in conflict management, setting the stage for the strategies discussed later in the episode.

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Defining Conflict and Its Types

Amy Gallo defines conflict broadly as any situation where "you and another person's needs, wants, desires are not aligned" [04:05]. She categorizes conflicts into four primary types:

1. Process Conflict: Disagreements over how tasks should be accomplished.
2. Task Conflict: Disagreements about the goals and objectives.
3. Status Conflict: Disputes over authority and decision-making power.
4. Relationship Conflict: Personal tensions and antagonisms.

Gallo emphasizes that these types often overlap, leading to complex "hot mess" scenarios where multiple issues intertwine [07:41]. Understanding these categories is crucial for diagnosing the nature of conflicts and determining appropriate resolution strategies.

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Approaches to Managing Conflict

Gallo outlines four distinct approaches to handling conflict:

1. Ignore It: This was Kelsey's initial response, choosing to avoid difficult conversations [05:45].
2. Address It Directly: Engaging in open, honest dialogue to resolve disagreements.
3. Address It Indirectly: Using stories, metaphors, or intermediaries to facilitate resolution.
4. Bail on the Relationship: As a last resort, ending the professional relationship.

She advises that ignoring conflict, while temporarily relieving, often exacerbates the issue in the long run. Instead, she recommends addressing conflicts directly or indirectly based on the situation's demands [05:45].

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Conflict Styles: Seekers vs. Avoiders

Gallo introduces the concept of conflict styles, categorizing individuals into conflict seekers and conflict avoiders, though she notes that these styles exist on a spectrum [08:09].

• Conflict Avoiders prioritize harmony and relationships, often shying away from confrontations. Gallo advises them to weigh short-term discomfort against long-term goals and to reframe their approach to view conflict as a constructive tool.

  "You're valuing relationships and harmony... but you have to watch out that you don't default to that." [09:29]

• Conflict Seekers are more inclined to engage in confrontations, ensuring issues are addressed head-on. However, Gallo cautions them against bulldozing conversations and emphasizes the importance of maintaining respect and balance.

  "Seekers really have to watch that they're not dominating the conversation... sometimes letting the conversation or the conflict go is the right thing to do." [10:31]

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Handling Conflict with Direct Reports

The conversation shifts to managing conflicts with direct reports, especially when dealing with age or gender biases. Gallo stresses the importance of focusing on specific tasks rather than personal motives.

Key strategies include:

• Asking Neutral Questions: Instead of assuming motives, ask, "What's going on?" to understand the underlying issues [16:53].

• Setting Clear Expectations: Establish short-term milestones and clarify goals to ensure accountability [17:14].

• Avoiding Presumptions: Refrain from attributing conflicts to biases without evidence, as this can derail productive conversations [18:36].

Gallo advises maintaining a business-focused dialogue to navigate these sensitive situations effectively.

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Managing Conflicts Among Direct Reports

When two direct reports are in conflict, Gallo recommends resolving the issue at the lowest possible level. This involves:

1. Coaching Individually: Speak with each party separately to understand their perspectives and motivations [25:23].

2. Encouraging Empathy: Urge team members to consider each other's viewpoints and articulate their own interests [28:29].

3. Promoting Collaboration: Emphasize that resolving the conflict is part of their collaborative responsibilities [27:23].

By fostering an environment where team members feel empowered to resolve their disagreements, managers can minimize the need for constant intervention.

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Navigating Conflicting Directives from Superiors

A listener named Jen shares her struggle with conflicting directives from higher management, forcing her to allocate her team’s efforts against initial agreements [29:07]. Gallo acknowledges the complexity of such conflicts, where managers must balance pleasing superiors with supporting their direct reports.

Recommendations include:

• Understanding the ‘Why’: Seek clarity from superiors about the reasoning behind directives to better explain them to the team [33:07].

• Transparent Communication: Share the rationale for decisions with the team, focusing on business goals rather than personal biases [33:36].

• Advocating for Compromise: Explore potential compromises or phased implementations to ease the transition [33:52].

Gallo warns against passing the responsibility of conflict resolution solely onto either superiors or team members, emphasizing the manager's role in mediating and explaining decisions effectively [31:54].

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Balancing Friendliness and Managerial Authority

Kelsey Alpaio discusses her tendency to be a "cool boss," aiming to be both a friend and a manager. Gallo advises prioritizing respect over likability, ensuring that while managers can maintain friendly relationships, they must also establish clear boundaries regarding their authoritative role [21:04].

Key points include:

• Setting Clear Boundaries: Clearly communicate the dual roles during interactions to prevent confusion [22:52].

• Maintaining Fairness: Avoid favoritism by ensuring consistent treatment of all team members, reinforcing equity and fairness [23:10].

Gallo shares her own experience of managing a friend, highlighting the challenges and the importance of delineating roles to preserve both the professional relationship and personal friendship [25:09].

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Addressing Office Politics and Transparency

The hosts pose a question about balancing openness with shielding the team from office politics. Gallo responds by advocating for transparency without engaging in the negative aspects of office gossip.

Guidelines include:

• Explain Decision-Making Processes: Share the rationale behind decisions and the trade-offs involved, fostering trust and understanding [36:51].

• Encourage Feedback: Allow team members to surface new information that could influence decisions, promoting an inclusive environment [38:37].

• Avoid Gossip: Refrain from sharing excessive details about managerial meetings or informal politics, as it can damage credibility and trust [38:36].

Gallo emphasizes that while some level of transparency is beneficial, it's crucial to maintain professionalism and focus on constructive information sharing [37:40].

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Conclusion and Takeaways

As the episode wraps up, Kelsey reflects on her transformed mindset towards conflict, appreciating the perspective that conflict can be a tool for growth and improvement rather than a purely negative experience [39:31].

Gallo reinforces that neither conflict seekers nor avoiders are inherently "right" or "wrong," but effective conflict management requires recognizing one's natural tendencies and adapting them to suit each unique situation [40:48].

The conversation concludes on a hopeful note, with Kelsey expressing newfound confidence in handling conflicts, and the team encouraging listeners to apply these insights to foster healthier, more productive workplaces.

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Key Quotes

• Kelsey Alpaio: "We can handle it. I feel confident we can." [41:26]

• Amy Gallo: "Conflict is normal and any decision is gonna involve trade-offs." [37:40]

• Amy Gallo: "Respect over likability and equity and fairness are premier." [23:08]

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Final Thoughts

This episode of HBR On Leadership offers a comprehensive exploration of team conflict, blending personal anecdotes with expert advice. Amy Gallo’s insights provide managers with practical tools to navigate conflicts effectively, promoting a balanced approach that values both relationships and organizational goals. Whether you're a seasoned leader or new to management, the strategies discussed serve as invaluable resources for fostering a collaborative and resilient team environment.

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For more insights on leadership and management, visit HBR.org.

Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

Imagine a state where you can get from big cities to big nature in less than half an hour with some of the best quality of life in the nation. Welcome to Minnesota, America's least stressed state. Learn [e-mail] live. Before we begin, we have a couple of questions. What do you love about HBR on Leadership? What do you want less of? What would make HBR on leadership even better? Tell us. Head over to hbr.org podcastsurvey to share your thoughts. We want to make the show even better, but we need your help to do that. So head to hbr.org podcastsurvey thank you. Welcome to HBR on leadership, case studies and conversations with the world's top business and management experts, hand selected to help you unlock the best in those around you. As a manager, it can be empowering to acknowledge your comfort level with conflict. Whether you tend to lean into it or avoid it like the plague, conflict is an inevitable part of your job, and it can be hard to navigate. In this 2023 episode of Women at Work, workplace dynamics expert Amy Gallo joins hosts Amy Bernstein and Kelsey Alpaio to discuss how to manage different types of conflict with whether it's with a peer, a direct report, or your boss, you'll learn how to stay tactful in tense conversations and help your team function through friction more effectively.

[Amy Bernstein]

All right, Kelsey, what was one of the most memorable conflicts you had when you were managing people?

[Kelsey Alpaio]

There are so many that I can think of. I think the one that comes to mind most vividly when I first started managing people, I had a direct report who was underperforming in different ways. They weren't really completing tasks that I was giving them. The tasks that they did complete weren't completed the way that I wanted to. And my first instinct was like, oh, maybe I just should not give them more tasks. I'll just do it all myself. I know how to do it. It's gonna be great. And I challenged that. So I'm proud of myself for that part of the story. I challenged that and said, you know what? No, this is. This is a learning experience for this person. It's a learning experience for me. I'm gonna have a talk with them and I'm gonna confront them about their underperformance. And I'm a pretty anxious person about this stuff. I'm not great with conflict. And so I wrote down everything I was gonna say to them. I practiced it. I like sat in a room by myself, actually said it out loud, which can be really weird. And when the time came to actually give that feedback to them, we had a one on one. I sat down in that one on one and I was like, nope, we're not doing this. I just panicked and was like, we're just gonna have a nice pleasant one on one and then we're gonna go our separate ways and go sit back at our desks and do what we need to do. And at the time it felt great. I was like, oh, I love that I didn't have to just confront this person and give that negative feedback. And obviously over time I was like, okay, I'm gonna have to have this conversation eventually. And I don't know, it just sticks out in my head because it was really a turning point for me in terms of why did I shy away from that when I knew it was good for me and I knew it was good for that person.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

And yeah, I have a lot of things to say.

[Amy Bernstein]

Go for it.

[Amy Gallo]

Amy G. One is, I think some people would say, was that even a conflict? Right? I would define it as a conflict. Cause I think of a conflict as anytime you, you and another person's needs, wants, desires are not aligned. So it may be an unspoken conflict, it may be an all out fight. More likely it's probably an exchange of tense conversations, words. So I would define that as a conflict. But then I think the other question is what kind of conflict? And I find it helpful to categorize conflicts cause that helps you figure out how to actually address them. And, and it sounds like what you're having is what I'd call a process conflict. So how do you actually get something done? So maybe you agree on the goal. Your goal is to finish these three projects by X date. But the question is how are you going to do that? Are you going to do that by taking them all on at the same time, by sequencing them? That might have been the disagreement between you and your direct report. And then once you sort of know what you're disagreeing about, you have to decide what to do about it. And I also think there are four sort of distinct approaches to handling. One is to ignore it, which is what you chose to do. We can discuss if that was the right choice. Two, to address it directly. That's where you sit down, hash it out, you know. Three, you address it indirectly. You might use stories, metaphors, you might go through an intermediary to help you resolve it. And then the fourth, which is the last resort option, is to just bail altogether on the relationship. So that would have been, in this case, you firing the person or you quitting your job, which didn't sound like a reasonable response. I'm glad you didn't use it most often. It's not a reasonable response. Right.

[Amy Bernstein]

All right, Amy, that is exactly why we're so grateful you're here for this conversation. You know how I feel about conflict.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah. Not your favorite.

[Amy Bernstein]

Nope.

[Amy Gallo]

Okay. But you don't avoid it.

[Amy Bernstein]

No, I cannot avoid it.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah. That's your job as a manager.

[Amy Bernstein]

That's right.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

I actually read that managers spend, like, 40% of their time resolving misunderstandings and interpersonal problems.

[Amy Bernstein]

Yeah, sometimes it feels like 140%. You're listening to Women at Work from Harvard Business Review. I'm Amy Bernstein.

[Amy Gallo]

I'm Amy Gallo.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

And I'm Kelsey Alpaio. Amy G. I'm also so grateful you're here to guide us through how to prepare for, manage and. And resolve conflict as a new manager. Between my questions and the questions our audience has sent in, we have a.

[Amy Bernstein]

Lot to cover before we get to the specific questions. Amy G. Let's cover the fundamentals, like preparing for conflict before it happens. Earlier, you were talking about what process conflict is, and then you said there were other types. What are they?

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's helpful to know just a little bit about them. So, like task conflict, which is a disagreement over the goal, what we're trying to achieve. There are status conflicts, which are a disagreement over who gets to make the call, who's in charge, who has authority, and then there are relationship conflicts, and those are where it's personal. The important thing to note about the four types is that they're not mutually exclusive. So it's not like I have a nice, tidy task conflict. I can just clean that up. It's more often a hot mess of all. And you might disagree about the process and realize you actually disagree about the objective. And then you disagree about who gets to make the call about the objective. And then you start exchanging snarky emails and it becomes personal. So, yeah.

[Amy Bernstein]

And that's a great day.

[Amy Gallo]

That's just two emails.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

As you lay these all out. I just wanna leave the room because I'm so conflict avoidant. And I'm wondering, what do conflict avoiders like me need to know about our natural tendency to. To shy away from disagreements? Like, I cared so much about harmony and being liked by My team that I just. I wanted to keep the status quo even though I knew it wasn't working.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah. I love the image of you, Kelsey, like, skipping back to your desk like that one on one went well. When you did nothing you set out to do. It's like classic avoider behavior of just being like, oh, I'm so glad it's not that everything's okay. I want to be clear. In my book, HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, I divide people into two categories, conflict seekers and conflict avoiders. But it's really of a spectrum and it will depend. Like Amy V. You might identify as someone who likes to avoid conflict, but you lean into the seeker style when you need to so you can do it. And I actually think of you as someone who's not afraid to say exactly what she means, even if it ruffles a few feathers. And that's more of a seeker style.

[Amy Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Amy Gallo]

But avoiders, I think one of the things to know is that you're valuing something that's really important. You're valuing relationships and harmony, like you said. You're not valuing directness and honesty maybe as much. And that's okay. Like, it's just a choice you're making. But you have to watch out that you don't default to that. There's gonna be the immediate thing you want to do because it feels most comfortable or it feels easy or it feels right. And really, you have to think a little bit further ahead. In one month, next week, six months. Is the choice I'm making about how to deal with this going to get me the results I want to see. Because you skipping back to your desk did not help you or that director report.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Right.

[Amy Gallo]

And so really, if you think about, okay, what's the short term discomfort I have to experience in order to achieve the long term goal that I really want, which, of course requires you to be clear about what the goal is.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Right. And I think before I became a manager, it was so much easier to just lean into being a conflict avoider as opposed to a seeker. And then it was like I was thrown into this pit of conflict. And now all of a sudden, it was like I had to seek it. And I was like, no, thank you.

[Amy Gallo]

Well, and I think a lot of people who are more senior in their career, what I hear them say is, well, my natural style is to avoid, because I do value relationships and harmony. But I've had to learn to be a seeker. I've had to learn to be direct and honest.

[Amy Bernstein]

Okay. So I Just want to say that you can be a seeker, which I hear as a non avoider and care a lot about relationships. But I wonder, AMY G. What tendencies do conflict seekers need to be aware of in themselves?

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah, I mean, I think of the conflict seekers as the people who, like, lean in when the tension gets high in a room. They might put their elbows on the table, sort of get a little excited. They stir the pot. They're willing to just say it like it is. One of the things you have to watch out for is it can feel like bulldozing, especially to avoiders. If you have an avoider who's really genuinely afraid of conflict because they think it's antithetical to having positive relationships, which is an assumption we should challenge. But if you have someone who's deeply afraid and you start stirring the pot, they're just gonna roll over, right? They're just gonna back up, or you might get them on the defensive, and then you're not gonna have a productive conversation. So I think seekers really have to watch that they're not dominating the conversation, that they're not just doing it for sport, and that sometimes letting the conversation or the conflict go is the right thing to do.

[Amy Bernstein]

So there are options, right?

[Amy Gallo]

Yes.

[Amy Bernstein]

And it sounds as if different contexts, different situations present different options for you, right?

[Amy Gallo]

Yes. And what you want to make sure you don't do is let your default response to conflict determine what option you've. Right. Like, Kelsey's deep discomfort with conflict allowed her to just completely let go of that difficult conversation. And so you have to challenge, okay, I know what my default is. I know I tend to avoid. I know I tend to seek whatever it is. And then ask yourself, okay, but what's the best thing for this situation? Keeping in mind that goal, right? What is my goal here? Is it to help my direct report perform at their best? Is it to get this project done on time? Is it to get out of this meeting because I'm losing my mind? Like, what is it exactly that you need to achieve? And then decide what the right approach is to lead to that outcome? Now, you might get it wrong, right? You might decide, you know what, I'm going to let it go. And then the conflict gets worse. And so it's like, okay, no, I have to take a more direct approach.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

So, you know, in the story I told you, I knew it was the right thing to do to approach this person, but I didn't get to the point where I challenged my avoidance. So say I was able to challenge that and seek it out. You have to just keep challenging yourself again and again throughout that conversation. How do you do that?

[Amy Gallo]

That's such a good point, because there are going to be like 100 moments in that difficult conversation where you're going to want to default to your avoider style. So part of it is also reframing, like, is this a confrontation you use? Like, I have to confront them. Right, right. Is it a confrontation? It sounds like a conversation about their performance in which you're trying to help them. Right. And I think partly what avoiders often think is that by being direct, by raising the difficult conversation, they're hurting someone. And I think, Amy B. You were alluding to this earlier. It's not harmful to have a difficult conversation. In fact, it's quite harmful. Often the opposite. It's helpful. It's the kind thing to do to tell that person that they're not performing up to snuff. Right?

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Right.

[Amy Gallo]

And so I think you have to reframe it for yourself and then notice your natural tendency. And it may be like you get two steps in in the next conversation and bail. Let's get back to your desk. But then next time, you get four steps in. And I think anytime you're trying to build a skill is you make the mistake, because you will make the mistake. And then ask yourself, what would I have done differently if I was in a better frame of mind? Okay, let me try that next time. Try that next time you make a mistake again. But hopefully it'll be a different kind of mistake. Learn from that.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

So I think you're right. Like, I can envision myself getting to the second step, the third step of this conversation, and just still shutting down, still not being able to move forward, still skipping back to my desk like, everything's great. What should you do if you find yourself in the middle of that conversation and you just start shutting down?

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah. All of the neuroscience shows that we are terrible at these types of conversations that require empathy, emotional self control. When we are shut down. Right. When we go into what they often call amygdala hijack, our brains end up protecting us, not actually doing the thing we need to do, which is often caring about another person or delivering a message. And clearly. So if you were shut down, don't trudge ahead. Right. Give yourself a moment, and it might be the more skilled among us might need 30 seconds to take a deep breath, reorient themselves, remind themselves of the focus. If you're new at this, it might be better to take a break and say, you know what? This conversation is really important. I want to make sure that we're both in the right frame of mind to have it. Let's take a break, come back to it tomorrow. Or you might even say, you know what, let's pause. I'm going to go get a glass of water. Do you want to come with me to get one? Right. Just sort of switch things up to give yourself a moment and take the break you've bought yourself to reflect on. Okay. Where did I get tripped up? Why did I start melting down? Fair enough. But why did that happen? What can I do differently to prevent that and then come back to it?

[Kelsey Alpaio]

So now that we've gone over some of the most common causes of conflict and our natural tendencies and options, let's talk a little bit more about conflict with direct reports.

[Amy Gallo]

Great.

[Amy Bernstein]

We received several anecdotes from listeners who are new to management and are relatively young, and they've had to deal with more experience. Direct reports, who wouldn't listen to them. So how do we handle that kind of conflict? Amy G. First of all, help us categorize it.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah. I mean, I think having someone who's not listening to you is probably a status conflict.

[Amy Bernstein]

Right.

[Amy Gallo]

Like who gets to actually decide who's going to do what, or who gets to speak up or who gets the credit. The challenge is my instinct. My strong instinct is that in most situations, this is an issue of age bias or another type of bias, especially if you're a young woman, there might be gender bias. The problem is knowing that does not help you necessarily address it more efficiently or effectively because you're then in your head, like, this person doesn't like me because I'm a woman. They don't like me because I'm young. I don't think it's helpful.

[Amy Bernstein]

Well, it does help you separate yourself from the source of the conflict. Correct.

[Amy Gallo]

This is not about me.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Right.

[Amy Gallo]

And I think in this specific situation is a really important phrase and reminder. Right. This isn't about me. This is about them. This is about their bias. This is about. And you're not gonna address all of that. Instead, you need to address what's actually happening, happening. And I would start really small, like, what is one thing they didn't listen to you about that you need them to listen to you about instead of going into sort of generalizations like, they don't respect me. They're never going to listen. You might have all those feelings, and they might be really valid and they might be true. But I think that you really need to focus on what is it in that moment you actually need to get them to do? So let's just say you gave them a project, they're like, yeah, yeah, I'll do it. And they just still haven't done it. And you come back to them, how's that project going? Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it. And they still haven't done it. Now you're having status conflict, but there's also a task conflict. Do they understand the goal? Do they understand how they should do the project? Can you set a short term milestone that they actually need to achieve rather than the whole thing and expecting them to chunk it up themselves? And, I mean, I think you want to also make clear what's going on. Right. I've asked you three times about this project and you're not making progress. What's going on? Like a very neutral question, which is gonna feel like a confrontation, but it's important that they actually follow through on what they do. And it's your job as a manager to hold them accountable to doing that. I don't know. Is that something you can imagine yourself doing?

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Kelsey, I like that question specifically because it doesn't feel too scary to ask it, but it gets to the bottom of what's going on.

[Amy Gallo]

Yes. And you can't presume you know what's going on. Cause I think that's the danger is you might presume it's age bias or gender bias, or you might presume that they're lazy or they're insubordinate, whatever. But the minute you start telling them why they're doing something, you've totally offended them. No one likes to be told why they're doing something. You're never gonna get it right. So instead, ask them what's going on. Yeah.

[Amy Bernstein]

I mean, asking someone in a genuinely inquisitive way what's getting between you and finishing this task gives them a chance to give you an honest answer.

[Amy Gallo]

Yep. And it's a bit of a Jedi mind trick you have to do because you have to have that genuine curiosity. The minute you are certain they're doing it because they disrespect you or they don't take you seriously or you're certain it's because of your age difference, there's no room to allow the dynamic to change. Like, certainty is the death of these collaborative conversations. So you have to find a way to genuinely be curious about what's actually going on.

[Amy Bernstein]

Yeah. And imputing motive is almost always gonna get you on the wrong track.

[Amy Gallo]

I think there's research I Think it was Lindy Greer at Michigan who looked at what happens when you assign people feelings. Like, I know you're upset or you must be sad. And people almost universally get it wrong. And so we have to be careful. We don't assign people these emotions and tensions because it's just not helpful.

[Amy Bernstein]

And imagine being assigned a feeling.

[Amy Gallo]

Oh, it's terrible.

[Amy Bernstein]

It feels awful.

[Amy Gallo]

It's terrible.

[Amy Bernstein]

It's so condescending.

[Amy Gallo]

Yes. Even if they're right, it sounds wrong.

[Amy Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Amy Gallo]

It didn't come out of your bath right now.

[Amy Bernstein]

Well, it sounds like you're being talked to like a toddler. Use your words.

[Amy Gallo]

You should use your words, but not like that.

[Amy Bernstein]

Yeah, yeah.

[Amy Gallo]

All right. What else have we got?

[Kelsey Alpaio]

So, one question I had for you, and again, I'm talking about one of the biggest mistakes I made when I first became a manager. I wanted to be the cool boss so bad. Like, I wanted all of my direct reports to want to be best friends with me and for us to go out for drinks afterwards. And obviously there's a lot of issues that come with that. One of them being when it came time to actually sit down with them and say, hey, I'm the boss here. Like, we have to have this conversation. It made it so much harder to bridge that gap. So how can you handle conflict with a direct report or colleague that you see as a friend?

[Amy Gallo]

I think before you even get to that point as a manager or as a new manager, you really have to focus on being respected, not liked. Being the cool boss is great. It's nice if they like you, but that's not your main function. You need them to respect you. You need them to believe you have their best interests at heart. Right. You need to be warm. I'm not saying you can't be friendly, but your priority is being respected and conveying what you need to convey for them. That said, I think you can be friends with people you manage. I just think you have to always be clear about what hat you're wearing. In fact, you both know when I started at hbr, one of the people I reported into was a very good friend of mine. And it was very nerve wracking to think about this exact scenario of, like, what happens if I mess something up? And we would start each conversation saying, what kind of conversation is this? Like, is this a work conversation? Is this a friend conversation? What hat are you wearing? Like, I'm wearing my hat as your boss, I'm wearing my hat as your friend. And I think you will want to lay that out with Your direct reports ahead of time. Especially if you start to become friends. I think a lot of what happens with new managers is they've been peers with someone who now they're promoted to manage and they did have a friendly relationship. So it's helpful to have a conversation at the beginning and say the dynamic has changed. I think it's important we acknowledge that. What I wanna do is make sure that I'm clear about what hat I'm wearing. And I want you to understand that there's things I might not be able to tell you. There's things I might have to say to you that as your friend I wouldn't want to but as your manager I have to. And just making that clear up front. So you sort of contracted ahead of time.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Yeah.

[Amy Bernstein]

Something you just said seems so important. I just wanna underscore it which is that you have to know where the boundaries are.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah.

[Amy Bernstein]

Because if you're not clear on them, the friend report isn't going to be clear on either.

[Amy Gallo]

They're going to follow your lead.

[Amy Bernstein]

Exactly.

[Amy Gallo]

I think there's another issue that comes up which is the issue of fairness. So let's say you do tell your friend direct report something that you haven't told others and that gets out. Now you're going to be seen as an unfair boss. Talk about conflict. You're now going to be dealing with a team that doesn't trust you, that thinks you play favorites.

[Amy Bernstein]

You know why? Because you just played favorites.

[Amy Gallo]

Correct. When you're navigating those relationships I think there's two principles. Respect over likability and equity and fairness are premier. Right. You really have to make sure you prioritize those.

[Amy Bernstein]

And I think that part of the equity and fairness piece is making sure that you're always really clear about what's guiding your decision making.

[Amy Gallo]

The intention. Right.

[Amy Bernstein]

Exactly.

[Amy Gallo]

Starting everything. My intention with this is to having that conversation with your new direct report about having to be clear about what hat you're wearing might feel uncomfortable. But if you say my intention here is to make sure this relationship continues as smoothly as possible. And I do my best as your manager because I want to do right by you. Yeah. The one time I managed and it was very short lived I definitely wanted to be the cool boss and I did everything I could to make this person like me. And then the way I totally ruined it was then my boss told me to give her and I think I might have shared this story on a previous episode. But as my boss told me to give her feedback about something I actually didn't think needed feedback. It was about her taking time off. And I was like, she's getting her job done. I don't care how much time she's taking off. I don't care if she's calling in sick. And I couldn't digest the feedback and deliver in my own way. I just decided I had to do exactly what my boss said. I delivered it with no concern for the direct report, who I also considered my friend. And I mean, it was just, it was a mess. She just started sobbing like it was terrible. It was terrible. Chopped. Exactly. I will tell you, this is before I started doing all this work. I think I'd do it a little bit better this time.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Let's talk about managing conflict among direct reports. What should you do if two of your direct reports are in conflict with each other? When is it your job to mediate that situation and when is it not?

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah. You know, you want the conflict to be resolved at the lowest possible level. So if you can help them resolve the conflict as opposed to stepping in with authority or direction, it's going to go much better over the long run because now hopefully they've figured out they can resolve their own conflicts and you're not going to be required to step in all the time. So it's your job not to necessarily intervene, but it's your job to make sure everyone can do their job. That's one of the main jobs as managers. So if this conflict is getting in the way of them doing their job. Yeah. You have a responsibility to do something about it. And I would encourage coaching first, maybe separately. Right. Having a conversation with each of them, asking them to see the other person's perspective, what's going on, what do you think's motivating them? Why do you think they've done what they did? And maybe challenging their viewpoint if it's a little bit biased or one sided in a gentle way, and then getting them to articulate what's actually at stake. You can talk about the four types of conflict. What type of conflict is it asking them to articulate their goal and then get them to decide on how they want to proceed. And then you can do that with the other side too. Eventually you may need to sit down with both of them if they can't do it. And I think one of the things you need to make explicit is that part of your job is collaboration. None of us have a job that doesn't require that. So part of your job is collaboration. Sorting this out is your job. It's not My job. Right, it's your job. Actually, let me, as I say that I want to step back because one of the things you first want to do is make sure you haven't inadvertently created the conflict by not being clear about expectations, by setting up competing goals, by fostering unhealthy competition. Maybe you've done something you can change that would diffuse the conflict. But once you've sort of sorted out your part in it, then I think it's on them to really sort out, along with your coaching. How have you done it?

[Amy Bernstein]

Amyb well, if one person comes to me complaining about the other, I have learned because I've made the mistake to say to that person, I need to get the other side. And then to get the other side. First of all, when you say to someone, I'm gonna get the other side, the story sometimes shifts just a little bit.

[Amy Gallo]

Correct.

[Amy Bernstein]

I don't think people intentionally lie, but I do think people will make their case.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah.

[Amy Bernstein]

And then I do get the other side. And then I have said, listen, do you want me to adjudicate this or do you guys wanna work this out knowing that I know what's going on? And sometimes what you have to do is get underneath the bone of contention, if you will. You have to sort of find out what's really going on here, what's pissing you off? What do you think is gonna happen? What are you afraid of here?

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah. I think about that as like the negotiation term of interests. Right. Not the position they'll show up with their position. I want X. He won't do this. But what's the interest? What's the underlying reason why they want that? What's the underlying reason they can't get along and then try to address that, not negotiate between their positions.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Right.

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[Amy Bernstein]

Should we talk now about competing interests?

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah, for sure.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Yes. So what if your boss wants something different for your direct report than you do? We have a listener, Jen, who shared an experience with us about this. Let's hear from her.

[Listener]

The company had a directive that they really wanted people to either do strategy or execution. So that impacted two of the people reporting to me. Instead of them both doing projects and to end, I had to have one of them start doing just strategy and one start doing Just execution, not what they signed up for. Frankly, when they applied for their roles, I tried negotiating for that roles and responsibilities change to not happen for my team because I felt like things were working so well that this change wouldn't be good. But I was not able to make that happen. So once my manager let me know that, no, we need to move forward with the way the direction has been given, then I just had to do that and figure out a way to make that work for my team.

[Amy Gallo]

These are my least favorite types of conflict, because you're having a conflict both ways. You're having a conflict with your boss and with your direct report. And I think the temptation goes two ways. One, you might try to just please your boss and say, okay, fine, I'll have the conflict with my direct report, tell them they have to work on this, even though I don't believe it, or the temptation is to just advocate for your direct report at all costs. Neither, I think, is the right approach. Part of being a manager is trying to please all of these stakeholders and while still keeping a focus on your goals and your targets. So I think for someone like Jen, who's sort of stuck in the middle, first of all, I would feel out what you think is the right thing, consider both their perspectives or all of their perspectives, it might be even more people involved. And then consider what you think is the best for the work you're trying to achieve, and then go back and say, okay, that means I need to advocate to my boss to change their mind and let me give them my direct report. Maybe there's a compromise that feels like the right thing, or maybe it's that I have to deliver the news to my direct report that, you know, I actually agree with the higher ups about what you should be focused on. I know it's not what we agreed on, or I know it's not your favorite thing, but here's why I feel it's important. And I think the key is to really always tie it back to the business goals. What are you actually trying to to achieve why you've made that decision, and then deliver it. Clearly, I think the worst thing you can do is to let that stew of conflicts just get deeper and murkier. And if you can be clear about what you want or what you think is best and then negotiate on each side of that, I think you're better off. I think one of the worst things, and I can tell you I've been very tempted to do this myself, is to just be like, oh, boss, can you talk to direct report. Great. You handle it. Right. Because then you've just. You look powerless.

[Amy Bernstein]

Yeah. As I was looking at this question, I would ask, I would go back to my boss if I were in this situation and ask, why? What's behind this decision? Because I do want to buy into it. Right. Or if I don't agree with it, I want to disagree with it on the merits. Right. And there is a certain amount of mediation involved. Saying to your direct report, listen, I'm getting some pressure to switch around the way we're doing things. Here's what the boss is saying. Before we do this, I'm going to go investigate. I mean, there's a lot of transparency involved here.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah.

[Amy Bernstein]

And then investigate, ask the question, have the conversation with your boss and where you satellite. I'd love to understand why you're asking for this change. Here's where my resistance is coming from. And just help me understand so I can explain it in a way that is persuasive.

[Amy Gallo]

I love that. Help me understand so I can explain it. Because you may not get a satisfying answer and your direct report may still be unhappy with the decision, but at least you've understood it fully to your capacity and you've been made clear what the intention behind the decision is. And the question may be to your direct report. All right, I know you're not happy with this. I think in an ideal world I might have made a different choice. But let's talk together how we can make this work.

[Amy Bernstein]

The other thing I would do is if I really had doubts and because I really think my job is to advance the interests of the organization is to say to my boss, how about if we do this, we'll give it six weeks or six months and then let's check in. You have to be open minded.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah.

[Amy Bernstein]

But getting directives without any explanation kind of violates a basic rule of management, right?

[Amy Gallo]

Yes. And we have to recognize that that sometimes happens.

[Amy Bernstein]

It happens. But we're not powerless. We can go back and say, just help me understand.

[Amy Gallo]

Right. And then, I mean, I'm thinking of the worst case scenario of your manager saying, well, because that was the decision. Or even worse, I don't know, the guy above me made that decision. I don't know, the woman above him made that decision. You know, like, yeah, I don't know.

[Amy Bernstein]

I would not be happy if my boss said because so and so, because he made me.

[Amy Gallo]

Right.

[Amy Bernstein]

I mean, you could not say that with any kind of pride. No, come on.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

But as I hear you talk, this was one of the most common forms of conflict I feel like I encountered as a new manager.

[Amy Gallo]

And.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

And my tactic was always to be like, well, that's what the boss said. So, like, that was my approach. So to hear you kind of lay that out as, like, one of the worst possible things you could do, it's kind of funny to reflect.

[Amy Gallo]

But what made you do that?

[Kelsey Alpaio]

I think what made me do. I mean, it comes back to wanting to avoid that conflict. And being able to blame somebody else was the ultimate way to avoid conflict. Because it's like, you can be mad. This is a bad situation, but, you know, it's not my fault. We're still BFFs. We're still gonna go have drinks after work, and we'll all talk about how much we're mad at the higher ups for doing what they did. And it was a way to bond with my direct reports, and it was a way for me to not have to confront this thing that obviously I struggle with a lot.

[Amy Bernstein]

Yeah. So when you're taking down management over a margarita, at what point do you realize, well, wait a second, I'm management now.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Right.

[Amy Gallo]

I'm taking down myself? Well, it's perfect example, Kelsey, of prioritizing likability over respect. You think in the moment they respect you because you're in on it with them, but the minute you have to tell them to do something, they're like, what? You're one of us, Right?

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Exactly.

[Amy Gallo]

We were taking down management over our margaritas.

[Amy Bernstein]

And more to the point, I don't know why I'm asking you to do this isn't going to inspire a whole lot of respect, right?

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Definitely not.

[Amy Gallo]

No. Or motivation.

[Amy Bernstein]

Oh, hell no.

[Amy Gallo]

Right. Like, but that's a great way to get someone to give the least amount of effort to just get something done.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Right?

[Amy Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Amy Gallo]

And to be fair, sometimes you say, this is just a box we have to check because this is what's required. We all have been in that position. Like, just check the box. Hopefully that's not a major part of their job.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Right.

[Amy Bernstein]

But you have to choose your battles. And you say to your team, we have to choose our battles, and this is not the battle we're choosing.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah.

[Amy Bernstein]

And here's why. Yeah, but you always have to go into the. Here's why.

[Amy Gallo]

Yes. Yes.

[Amy Bernstein]

Oh, let's talk about another question we got from a listener, Crystal. She asks, how can you be open and honest with your team while shielding them from the office politics going on around and above you?

[Amy Gallo]

You want to help your team understand how the organization works.

[Amy Bernstein]

Right.

[Amy Gallo]

You want to help them navigate the informal politics, but you don't need to give them the play by play of the managers meeting.

[Amy Bernstein]

No, the other thing is you can't coddle people. You get three people in a room, you're gonna have politics. Right. So the shielding piece. I've been chewing on the whole idea of shielding people from politics. I mean, the blow by blows, the sharing of nasty little details that probably not necessary, but people really shouldn't think that management leadership and teamwork is frictionless. Correct.

[Amy Gallo]

I love the way you said that, Amy. Because you want to be sure they understand that conflict is normal and any.

[Amy Bernstein]

Decision is gonna involve trade offs. Sometimes the right thing to do is to be really transparent about the trade offs. We know that if we do X, we were gonna take a little hit over here on Y, but we decided that it's more important to do X. And we made this decision because this was the information we had. And in sharing the rationale, you're bringing people on board. Right. If other information comes to light, you would want your team to surface that. Right?

[Amy Gallo]

Yes. And to say, here's the decision, go off and do it. Instead of saying, hey, there was a great debate at the manager's team about wanting to do this and wanting to do this. Some folks felt this way, other folks felt this way based on this conversation, which, to be fair, got heated at times, but we came to a good conclusion. We're going to do this.

[Amy Bernstein]

Exactly.

[Amy Gallo]

If you find out in the process of carrying that out that there's actually more data that would inform this trade off we made, let me know. I think of this sort of sharing of office politics as sharing of gossip, which is that the research shows that gossip most negatively reflects not on the topic or subject of the gossip, but the gossiper, of course. So if you sit there going, oh, so and you know, so and so's department eight so and so. And it makes you look bad. Of course it doesn't make them look bad. This connects back to Kelsey's question about the cool boss is you have a lot of information that feels like power, and it is power. But if you use that to try to bond with your direct reports or get them to like you or you sort of exchange, it becomes transactional. Like, I'm going to give you this because you think it'll make them perform better for you or be more motivated, you gotta question that.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Yeah.

[Amy Gallo]

Okay, I know we need to wrap up. Kelsey, I'm dying to know because you started this by talking about how much you Hate conflict. How avoidant you are. Has this helped at all?

[Kelsey Alpaio]

It has. I came into this episode saying, amy G. Is gonna come in here and absolutely destroy me. I was so.

[Amy Bernstein]

Oh, you so know her.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

I was just so ready. Cause I know I'm bad at this, and I'm very self aware of that, but I do feel differently. And I think the reason this has helped me is because I've always treated conflict as something super negative, something to avoid at all costs. And I think hearing you both speak, you speak about conflict from a place of. It's actually there to help you. It's actually there to help everyone on your team, and it's actually there to help your organization. And that's just not a way that I ever thought about it. I always took the negative approach to it. And so, you know, coming away from this, I think my mindset around it is just very different. And I appreciate that a lot.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah. And just remember that conflict avoiders are not the ones doing it wrong. Like, I think in our culture, we do value the sort of directness and sitting down, hashing it out, but addressing every single conflict with complete directness and honesty is not the right solution.

[Amy Bernstein]

Who wants to be with that person?

[Amy Gallo]

So I don't want the conflict avoiders who maybe chose to listen to this episode because they're like, I need to get better at this. To feel like they're doing it all wrong. Again, no one's doing it right. It's just a matter of recognizing what your instincts are and trying to decide, do I follow those instincts because it's the right thing for this situation, or do I need to go against them because it's the right thing for the situation. Well, I look forward to hearing about your next conflict.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

You'll be the first person I message.

[Amy Gallo]

Maybe it's our conflict. Maybe we're gonna have conflict.

[Kelsey Alpaio]

Oh, gosh. Immediately I'm like, I hope not. But we can handle it. I feel confident we can.

[Amy Gallo]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

That was Amy Gallo in conversation with hosts Amy Bernstein and Kelsey Alpaio on Women at Work. Gallo is workplace conflict expert and contributing editor at hbr. She's the author of the book Getting how to Work with Anyone, Even Difficult People. We'll be back next Wednesday with another handpicked conversation about leadership from Harvard Business Review. If you found this episode helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues and follow our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you're there, be sure to leave us a review. And when you're ready for more podcasts, articles, case studies, books and videos with the world's top business and management experts. You'll find it [e-mail] this episode was produced by Amanda Kersey and me, Hannah Bates. Kurt Nickish is our editor. Music by Kirk Special thanks to Maureen Hoch, Tina, Toby Mack, Erica Truxler, Ian Fox, Ramsey Gabaz, Nicole Smith, Ann Bartholomew and you, our listener. See you next week.