imapMyTeam Blog

Disagreements: From Conflict to Consensus

‘No wine before it’s time.” It is an old line from an Earnest and Julio Gallo TV commercial – but it can be applied to conflict resolution too. How so? You won’t get the best outcome by jumping right into a solution before you really understand the person and the proper path to a resolution with that specific person.

Sometimes conflict is externalized and it is easy to observe. Tempers flare; two people thundering away at each other, neither backing down from their point. Other times the conflict can go underground, and everyone believes that people are in agreement, when in fact they are far from it.

Do you know who on your team does which?

One quick way to learn is by looking at the individual’s Team Player Grid. Locate the square symbol and evaluate its position against the vertical axis. The higher on the grid the more likely the conflict is externalized, the lower the more it is internalized. You might have learned this through an iterative process over the course of time- but there may be far more subtlety present that you can see.
Consider:

• Take time to evaluate all information – both the situation and the person or persons in the situation. A too-quick decision does more harm than good when it turns out to be the wrong decision and you further alienate the individual involved.
• Further – if you use a solution path that is less than optimal – while it could work - odds are the problem will resurface. Then, not only will you have the initial problem to deal with, but also the interpersonal damage that gnawed at your team throughout the process.

The “Resolving Disagreements” report in imapMyTeam® is your personal guide to dealing with disagreements quickly and effectively so that your team stays on track. It picks up the shades or nuance of conflict rather than the dominant characteristics we find by looking at only the Team Player Grid.

You will find the “Resolving Disagreements” report is an accurate blue print as to why disagreements are difficult, why you get stuck – and best of all – suggestions for how to get unstuck.

Once you digest that information, the conflict, just like the wine is ready for its time to be resolved. Use this imapMyTeam report to move from Conflict to Consensus with speed.