Your team is divided by conflicting priorities. How can you steer them towards a constructive conversation?

Steer your team towards a constructive conversation by facilitating a structured discussion where everyone can express their priorities and concerns. Focus on common goals and find areas of alignment. Encourage collaborative problem-solving and ensure each viewpoint is considered, guiding the team towards consensus and actionable solutions.

Actively acknowledge and validate each team member's unique contributions and viewpoints. Showing appreciation for their individual perspectives enhances mutual respect and encourages more productive conversations.

To show respect and understanding, recognise each team member's worries and points of view. Assist everyone in feeling heard by paying attention and summarising what they have to say. Emphasise the need of a range of viewpoints in identifying all-encompassing answers. Establish a culture where dissenting views are viewed as chances for development rather than as roadblocks. Encourage team members to freely share their opinions in order to create a psychologically comfortable environment. You may establish a foundation of mutual respect by acknowledging and valuing differences, which is essential for guiding the team towards productive dialogue.

Articulate the common goals in specific, measurable terms. Clear definitions ensure that all team members understand and are committed to these objectives, providing a unified direction.

Liderar equipos con opiniones divergentes es una circunstancia que me ha ocurrido con frecuencia al trabajar proyectos importantes y/o urgentes. Muchas veces las diferencias nacen de posturas personales o de formas individuales de entender cómo debe realizarse el trabajo. O sea, los miembros del equipo en ocasiones pierden el enfoque viciados por sus antecedentes profesionales, su experiencia laboral, su formación académica o hasta por su idiosincrasia. Sin embargo, a mi me ha funcionado retomar el enfoque poniendo al equipo sobre un piso común, con base en la misión de la organización. El secreto para reorientar el rumbo es retomar el espíritu de la institución o de la empresa, recordando qué es lo que ella espera de nosotros.

Clearly state and convey the mutual goals that complement the team's overarching purpose. Make sure these objectives are time-bound, meaningful, quantifiable, achievable, and targeted (SMART). Stress the significance of these shared objectives for the success of the team and the organisation. Involve the group in creating the goals in order to promote commitment and ownership. To keep your focus and alignment, go over and reaffirm these goals on a regular basis. You may bring the team together and focus their efforts on achieving a common goal by emphasising the advantages and shared purpose. This will encourage productive dialogue and cooperation.

Encourage team members to listen attentively and respond thoughtfully. Active listening helps validate each person’s contributions and fosters deeper understanding.

The most important thing needed while resolving conflicting priorities among team mates is to first start having open and clear communication within the team. As a leader, it holds lot of value to hear the opinions of each member wrt their priorities, and explain the collective goals of the organisation on which the priorities can be decided. When each person’s point of view is heard and understood, and there is clarity in the team wrt the organisation’s collective goals, then a fruitful conversation is possible to resolve these conflicts.