4 Common Mistakes Leaders Make That Lead to Conflict and Lack of Productivity - and How to Fix Them

Is your team struggling to collaborate? I’ve personally witnessed teams who not only struggle with collaboration but are in constant conflict. This includes blaming each other for mistakes, misunderstanding the actions of others, and complaining about teammates. Much of this behavior stems from the attitude and actions of the leader. When the leader begins to change, the people follow.

Facilitating and modeling collaboration, whether is it is cross-functional or within a team, takes work and often requires a mindset shift. Here are key examples.

1.   Shift from closed ended questions to open ended.

This can be as simple as building a habit of saying, “Tell me more about ABC…” Close ended questions that lead to one word answers shut down conversation. Open ended questions spur discussion and help deepen understanding. 

2.   Shift from protecting information to sharing information.

One CTO I know has spent a significant effort building a culture of information sharing to ensure everyone on the team has access to it at any time without having to ask for it. This has required a change in how they think about information, where it is stored and even how they talk about it. It’s paying off as the team has become more transparent, collaborative and efficient.

3.   Shift from formulating your response to listening.

Active listening is hard to do, but critical to collaboration. Often, we are thinking about our rebuttal or pithy response when a teammate is talking rather than seeking to understand what they are saying. Active listening is done well when the listener can play back what they hear in their own words. Doing this helps the person communicating feel heard. It also helps us increase our empathy. When we truly hear what a co-worker is saying, we can more easily put ourselves in their shoes and understand their point of view.

4.   Shift from complaining to providing straightforward feedback.

All too often, I’ve seen gossip and water cooler talk prevail over healthy feedback. It is a leader’s job to set the tone for safely giving and receiving feedback so that issues can be addressed quickly. Doing this well involves plainly stating the issue, explaining how it impacts others and then discussing what new behavior will result in a better outcome.

Would you like to learn more about how you can shift your mindset as a leader and facilitate better collaboration? I help tech leaders overcome challenges that come with leading people so they grow themselves, their people and their business. Click here to schedule a leadership strategy call with me.