Conflict in Project Management: It’s Your Fault | Video

Conflict in projects seems to be a big part of a Project Manager’s life… So, you’d better learn to suck it up. And you also need to learn to handle it effectively… and with respect.

But you can do better

This video is safe for viewing in the workplace.

This is learning, so, sit back and enjoy

The ideal position is to make conflict in Projects a smaller part of your life.

Wouldn’t it be good it you could speed up conflict resolution? And better still, how about if you can reduce the amount of times conflict arises?

You can.

Alpha Project Managers

In his excellent book, ‘Alpha Project Managers’, Andy Crowe reports that the top 2% of project managers are rated nearly twice as highly on their performance on conflict management, than their peers.

Customers, team members, and senior managers do rate them far better than their peers. But, curiously, this is an area where their absolute performance is poor, rating barely over 60%.

So, there is a lot for even the best project managers to learn.

By the way, I reviewed that book in: Alpha Project Managers: What you’ll Learn and Whether to Buy it.

I have a video program: ‘Dealing with Conflict in Projects’

Learn more about the course and get a 30% discount with this link.

Here are the main topics you’ll cover:

• The sources of conflict
• How to listen
• The effect of personalities on conflict
• Ways people resist imposed ideas
• The signs and stages of conflict escalation
• The steps for de-escalating conflict
• Strategies for resolving conflict
• Five ways to handle conflict
• How to recover a broken (workplace) relationship

But, let me Give You an Absolute Top Tip about Conflict in Projects

That conflict…

It’s your fault.

Whether it is your fault or not; it is your fault.

And there are two good reasons for this…
Neither of them is about blame.

1. Sorting out conflict with team members, stakeholders, and sponsors or bosses is your job. So, you may as well take responsibility. Because, if you don’t sort it out, guess what? It’s your fault.
2. And, if you don’t like that, here’s a more pragmatic reason. When you take responsibility for the conflict, you allow the other person to save face. And that makes it far easier for them to back down. That’s how conflict de-escalates.

So, in a nutshell, Conflict in your project… It’s your fault.

What Kit does a Project Manager Need?

I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own. 

Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs

Note that the links are affiliated.

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For more of our videos in themed collections, join our Free Academy of Project Management.