How can you manage conflicts with stakeholders outside your team?

As a team leader, you may encounter conflicts with stakeholders outside your team, such as clients, suppliers, partners, or senior managers. These conflicts can arise from different expectations, interests, perspectives, or communication styles. How can you manage these conflicts effectively and maintain positive relationships with your external stakeholders? Here are some tips to help you.

1 Identify the source of conflict

The first step to managing conflicts with stakeholders outside your team is to identify the source of conflict. What are the main issues, concerns, or goals that are causing the disagreement? What are the underlying needs, values, or emotions that are driving the conflict? Try to understand the situation from the other party's point of view and empathize with their position. Avoid making assumptions or judgments about their intentions or motivations.

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Ahmed Elshebiny

Senior SCADA Engineer | Distribution Automation Expert | Smart Grid | Telecommunications | Project Manager | Ph.D. | PMP
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The most successful way as per my experience is to identify the source of conflict and have face to face meeting with related stakeholders, with being cooperative, supportive and practical, the conflict will be solved.

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2 Communicate respectfully and constructively

The second step to managing conflicts with stakeholders outside your team is to communicate respectfully and constructively. Use clear, polite, and assertive language to express your own views and needs, as well as to listen and acknowledge the other party's views and needs. Avoid blaming, criticizing, or attacking the other party, as this will only escalate the conflict and damage the relationship. Instead, focus on finding common ground, mutual benefits, and shared goals.

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Luis Manuel Uribe Tellez

Diversity and Inclusion Expert - Inclusive Comms - / LinkedIn Top Voice LGBTQI+ 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
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El conflicto siempre será parte de la vida, como personas líderes tenemos que revisar el conflicto como una oportunidad para crear nuevas soluciones o identificar otras perspectivas. Tenemos como líderes establecer un espacio donde las personas por medio de la empatía, la comunicación efectiva y la negociación podamos dialogar con apertura a la posibilidad de que la otra persona tenga la razón.

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3 Negotiate a win-win solution

The third step to managing conflicts with stakeholders outside your team is to negotiate a win-win solution. This means finding a way to satisfy both parties' interests and needs, without compromising your own values or standards. To do this, you need to be flexible, creative, and collaborative. Explore different options and alternatives that can address the core issues and concerns of both sides. Seek feedback and input from the other party and be open to their suggestions. Aim for a solution that is fair, realistic, and sustainable.

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Guilherme Bonaroti

IT Executive | Managing Director (MD) | Program Manager | Chief Operations Officer (COO)
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Dica: Escute mais, e faça perguntas.. Negociar muito mais em torno do que você quer descobrir, do que aquilo que você já sabe

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Tomek Dabrowski

EMEA Men's Training Apparel Merchandising @Nike ▪ Merch excellence through purpose, people, and process know-how ▪ I help others with insights about business ~ career ~ personal growth
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Win-win solutions are not always an option. Sometimes there is no way in which both parties will be satisfied, and either one or both will have to compromise. Consider the source of the conflict, and how important the relationship with the stakeholder is in comparison to the outcome of the conflict. Is it a stand-alone issue, or part of a bigger topic? Can you treat it as give and take, yielding in this case to gain elsewhere? Sometimes conflicts can be resolved by involving a third party that sits outside the situation and play as the neutral agent. At times a more senior person from the organization can play this role, which gives the added benefit that their experience may give rise to a new solution not considered before.

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4 Implement and follow up

The fourth step to managing conflicts with stakeholders outside your team is to implement and follow up. Once you have agreed on a solution, you need to put it into action and monitor its progress and outcomes. Make sure that both parties understand and commit to their roles and responsibilities in implementing the solution. Communicate regularly and transparently about the status and results of the solution. Provide feedback and recognition to the other party and celebrate the achievements and improvements.

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5 Learn and improve

The fifth step to managing conflicts with stakeholders outside your team is to learn and improve. Conflicts can be opportunities for learning and growth, if you reflect on the experience and identify the lessons and insights that you can apply in the future. Evaluate the effectiveness of your conflict management skills and strategies, and identify the strengths and areas for improvement. Seek feedback and suggestions from the other party and your own team on how you can enhance your relationship and collaboration. Apply the best practices and avoid the pitfalls that you have discovered in managing conflicts with stakeholders outside your team.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Javier Giménez Divieso

Expert manager in leadership, teams and HR, I offer you my services on a temporary or freelance basis 🔹Business consultant & external advisor, mentor, interim, executive & team coach, trainer 🔹174 reviews in my profile
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Adicionalmente a las fases muy bien descritas de como solucionar un conflicto, por mi experiencia personal muchas veces el conflicto escala porque no se afronta en las primeras etapas. Igual que los pensamientos negativos en nuestra mente, poco a poco se van haciendo grandes y llega un momento que nos restan energía y salud. Afrontar un conflicto implica valentía, nada egoístas, ya que si eres un líder tu prioridad es el equipo. Detrás del conflicto muchas veces hay prejuicios, sesgos, expectativas, poca empatía, mala comunicación, etc. La clave a mi entender en la resolución de un conflicto es: que haya voluntad por ambas partes de solucionarlo y mucha escucha. Y recordar que Roma no se hizo en un día, "piano piano si va lontano"😉

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Guilherme Bonaroti

IT Executive | Managing Director (MD) | Program Manager | Chief Operations Officer (COO)
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Dica: Qual a prioridade da OUTRA PESSOA? Nunca se trata do que você acha que é, mas sim do que a outra pessoa ACREDITA que é....

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How can you manage conflicts with stakeholders outside your team?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify the source of conflict

2 Communicate respectfully and constructively

3 Negotiate a win-win solution

4 Implement and follow up

5 Learn and improve

6 Here’s what else to consider

Team Leadership

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How can you manage conflicts with stakeholders outside your team?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify the source of conflict

2 Communicate respectfully and constructively

3 Negotiate a win-win solution

4 Implement and follow up

5 Learn and improve

6 Here’s what else to consider

Team Leadership

Rate this article

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