We have always been an advocate of open discussions in our team where everyone gets to express their opinion. We have faced such situation in past. To align everyone, I took a step back and encouraged the team to revisit our core objectives: who we were serving and what we wanted them to experience. To make it relatable, I shared a story from a past project where we made a rushed IA decision that ultimately confused users. This misstep had led to a significant drop in user engagement and an extensive overhaul later. We conducted empathy mapping workshops to put ourselves in the users' shoes, helping us see how each proposed IA change would impact their journey. Once everyone was on same page, we had a common goal.

I bring team members together by focusing on a shared goal: the delivery of a successful project that benefits both the company and the team members.

Encourage open dialogue so everyone feels heard, but keep the focus sharp—remind the team of the project’s core objectives and the impact on users. Share real, relatable examples where hasty decisions led to user confusion or rework, grounding the discussion in practical outcomes. Foster empathy by considering the user’s journey together, and reinforce small wins to build unity. The goal isn’t just to compromise, it’s to create an IA that truly serves.

We found its important to be clear on organizations goals #1. After this we need to understand the target audience(s) on a deep level. As long as these two things are in mind, the team can confidently find middle ground on any input as we think through content structure further. When you work down from the top, it's easier to consolidate feedback and keep the whole team on the same page!

Keep the teams aware of the changes well in advance Educate them on what and how the changes in the IA benefits keeping the user as upfront priority Celebrate wins and collaborative members, even the small one's Acknowledgement of few drawbacks should be made clear and set that expectation early Uniting the teams across is challenging be patient, empathetic and always communicate better Read the room, and educate the room effectively

Unite Your Team Amid IA Changes - Encourage Open Dialogue: Create a space for team members to voice concerns and share suggestions. - Define Clear, Achievable Goals: Align the project’s needs with team values to set unified objectives. - Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize progress to build momentum and reinforce teamwork. How do you bring your team together during divisive times?

User testing. Your team is mostly likely thinking of users from a different lenses and assumptions. Test these lenses and assumptions with user testing. Prepare prototypes for both IA’s and put them in front of the users with specific tasks to complete. Record the time and the ease of doing the task. If possible, conduct moderated interviews and end them with users walking you through their decision making progress