Conflict

Age diversity in the workplace presents challenges in the areas of communication, expectations, work ethic and skills. Some of the most difficult situations involve managing a much older or younger staff. But it is also important to understand the perspective of team members who are reporting to a younger or older manager.

Managing conflict among key project participants can be a tricky proposition for project leaders. Most conflicts can be resolved through dialogue and compromise, but sometimes you are not going to be able to broker a resolution and you have to make the call that keeps your project on course. Here are four fundamental steps for managing conflict.

Conflict is hard to handle, but letting it go unresolved can be much worse. The post mortem on any project failure often reveals critical information went unaddressed because somebody was afraid to raise it. Here are three reasons we avoid conflict, and tips to overcome them.

Putting out fires is an all-too-common job requirement for many project managers. If you are struggling with resolving conflicts on your team, here are some tips for turning those emotionally charged disputes into productive conversations.

If your project has adversaries, participants who are hostile or reluctant to contribute, it can damage team cohesion and threaten the outcome. You must confront the problem early on, taking steps to win them over to allies, minimize their negative impact, or remove them from the effort entirely.

We pay a steep toll when it becomes more important to be right than to exercise tact. But when it comes to working relationships, harmony, not righteousness, is the higher purpose. Perhaps no area of project management is more contentious than scope change. Documentation is a good friend.

Processes are great until they become roadblocks that get in the way of where you need to go. “Workarounds” can help you deal with project delays and difficulties. The author of a new book describes how to overcome barriers to productivity, and says these breakthroughs start with you; you don’t need permission.

Stepping into a predecessor’s mess and facing a ruthless timeline, an IT contractor delivered a critical operations system for the 2010 Census by relying on agile expertise, an essential application lifecycle management tool and above-and-beyond dedication of the development team. But first politics and skepticism about agile practices had to be overcome.

To recover a troubled project you must have the experience to "see it how it is" and the courage to "call it like you see it." You also must negotiate a different set of rules by which to manage the project, with an emphasis on change. If you possess these qualities, the troubled project environment may be for you.

Merger-and-acquisition-related projects pose daunting challenges to executive leaders, not the least of which are conflicting agendas and compressed timelines. Understanding and anticipating four “enduring M&A realities” can smooth the transition and help companies achieve the intended strategic benefits.