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Communication & Conflict (OLGA 2025) | Session 3

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HBR: 4 Triggers Cause the Majority of Team Conflicts

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HBR: 4 Triggers Cause the Majority of Team Conflicts

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When not managed well, conflict can wreak havoc on your team and even harm your managerial reputation. As a new leader, how can you mitigate conflict before it gets out of hand, or deal with it when it does?

Establish clear channels of communication. Remote teams that rely mostly on emails and chats are more susceptible to conflict, as clear communication often relies on non-verbal cues, most of which can't be translated succinctly into words. And remember to use the right channels of communication, such as delivering nuanced messages in-person or on a video call as opposed to email or Slack.

Be transparent about performance expectations. Don't leave standards, such as what "good" versus "just okay" looks like, entirely open to interpretation. Take some time to identify your most important performance standards and clearly communicate them to your team.

Manage time expectations. Conflict can happen when you are misaligned on timing or deadlines. Encourage your team members to track their hours and how they spend their day at work. Have them share it among each other, too, if they're agreeable. Build time into your weekly schedule to review your team's trackers and identify opportunities for improvement.

Clarify task and role expectations. When everyone assumes that someone else is responsible for completing a task, balls are inevitably dropped, leading to finger-pointing, blame, and missed deadlines. With your teams input, create a short guide that lays out the expectations you have of your team members, their roles, and assigned tasks.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here.

What's the one thing you fret about most as a new manager? If you said, "dealing with conflict on my team," we're not surprised.

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4 Triggers Cause the Majority of Team Conflicts

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When not managed well, conflict can wreak havoc on your team and even harm your managerial reputation. As a new leader, how can you mitigate conflict before it gets out of hand, or deal with it when it does? Establish clear channels of communication.

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The University of Texas Permian Basin | UTPB

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We've all heard that 90% of communication is nonverbal, but is there any truth to this adage? When someone reads a transcript of a politician's impassioned speech, are they really missing out on the majority of the message? While the audience may get the essence of what's being said, there will always be something lost in translation when nonverbal communication isn't conveyed. Conversely, nonverbal communication can shed light on the hidden truth within a message.

Information is no longer limited to print. It's delivered through social media, television, blogs, and other channels of communication. Professionals interested in a communications career have to concern themselves with not only what's being said but how it's said. Let's take a look at how much of communication is nonverbal and how professionals with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication can use nonverbal signals to better their personal and professional lives.

The 55/38/7 Formula

The 90% figure wasn't plucked out of thin air. It was Albert Mehrabian, a researcher of body language, who first broke down the components of a face-to-face conversation. He found that communication is 55% nonverbal, 38% vocal, and 7% words only. This is where the idea that the vast majority of communication is nonverbal originated, but does this really mean that less than 10% of information is conveyed in spoken words?

It turns out that the above formula was developed with a specific purpose in mind: comparing facial and vocal components to decipher a person's attitude. According to Mehrabian, "When there are inconsistencies between attitudes communicated verbally and posturally, the postural component should dominate in determining the total attitude that is inferred." Is 90% of communication nonverbal? No, information is conveyed verbally, but in a face-to-face conversation, body language and facial expressions can have an incredible impact on how information is interpreted.

In " The Definitive Book of Body Language," Allan and Barbara Pease analyzed thousands of recorded sales negotiations from the 1970s and 1980s and found that body language accounted for the majority of the impact made negotiating. They also considered how the person with the strongest argument usually wins in negotiations over the phone but not always in face-to-face conversations. Although the idea that 90% of communication is nonverbal can be put to rest, a person's body language and our first impression of them can heavily influence our decision-making.

The Power of Body Language

Now that we know that we know the important role nonverbal signals play in communication, how can we use body language and tone to communicate more effectively? Perhaps more importantly, how can we prevent nonverbal forms of communication from falsely influencing our perceptions of others?

Making a Good First Impression

If you're interested in a communications career, you'll come to learn the true value of a first impression. Allan and Barbara Pease also assert that when we meet people for the first time, we make snap judgments about their friendliness, assertiveness, and appearance. Without a single word being spoken, without even realizing it, people use nonverbal communication to size people up.

According to the 55/38/7 formula, nearly 40% of a person's attitude is conveyed vocally through tone and inflection, so try to ensure that your tone matches whatever message you're trying to convey. You can also try speaking in a deeper voice. Research has shown that people who speak with a low-pitched voice are rated more authoritative and competent than those who speak with a higher pitch.

Although people are rarely conscious of their body language and facial expressions, there are a couple of behaviors a person can tweak to improve their communication skills. For instance, research has shown that it takes conscious effort for a person to frown when looking at someone smiling-a smile is literally infectious. Research also shows that both men and women are more attracted to people who make eye contact and smile more often. A smile and just the right amount of eye contact can help you effectively convey information during first impressions and long after.

Hand gestures can not only express your thoughts but also convey your enthusiasm and passion for a topic. According to body language expert Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman, "Gesturing can help people form clearer thoughts, speak in tighter sentences and use more declarative language." As with tone, try to ensure that your hand gestures match what you're saying, otherwise people will notice the mismatch and may be less likely to trust you.

Interpreting Body Language

Body language can also provide insight into a person's emotional condition. For example, you likely already know that someone who crosses their arms is guarded or discontent even when they claim the contrary. Reading body language is like learning a second language and can help separate perception from reality.

According to Dr. Jeff Thompson, we can better decipher nonverbal signals by remembering the three C's of nonverbal communication: context, clusters, and congruence. We've already covered congruence-comparing spoken words to body language and tone. Applying context means better understanding the setting. For example, knowing that someone has anxiety can explain why they appear tense during a fireworks display. Finally, using clusters means using not one but multiple expressions or movements to influence our interpretation of a person's body language.

There's So Much More to Communication

How much of communication is nonverbal? It may not be exactly 90%, but nonverbal communication-eye contact, smiling, hand gestures-heavily influences how people interpret and react to information. This is an important lesson to learn for anyone interested in a communications career, and it's only the tip of the iceberg.

The University of Texas Permian Basin offers an online BA in communication program that teaches theories on communication with regard to human interactions, groups and organizations, intercultural interactions, and mass and social media. Whether you're working toward a career in journalism, speechwriting, or social media, our online program can empower you with the skills needed to convey your message clearly and profoundly.

Learn more about UT Permian Basin's online BA in communication program.

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/books/chapters/0924-1st-peas.html https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beyond-words/201109/is-nonverbal-communication-numbers-game https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/attraction-evolved/201906/deep-impact-asserting-authority-low-pitched-voice https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201206/there-s-magic-in-your-smile https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2017/09/13/5-body-language-tips-for-success/#295ea5246419

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How Much of Communication Is Nonverbal? | UT Permian Basin Online

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How much of communication is nonverbal? In UTPB's online BA in communication program, students learn that nonverbal signals have a profound effect on how we interpret information.

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No one likes conflict, especially at work. But disagreements between those you work with are sometimes inevitable. So, the question isn't how you avoid conflict. It's when conflict arises, how do you handle it?

One thing that will influence how you handle conflict is your dominant conflict management style. In the 1970s, The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) was created, which identified five main conflict management styles used by individuals. Those styles include collaborating, competing, avoiding, accommodating, and compromising.

To find out which of these styles you are naturally inclined toward, take our Conflict Styles Quiz below! Then, read the explainer guide to learn more about your conflict style, the characteristics commonly associated with it, the advantages, and the possible disadvantages. While you're at it, take some time to understand the other conflict management styles as well. This will help you understand those you work with better and navigate conflict as it arises more effectively.

Additional Reading

Do you want to continue learning about effective conflict resolution? If so, we recommend taking a read through the following resources that are related to the topic:

Conflict Management Styles Explained in 5 Minutes: Each one of the five conflict styles has its own advantages and drawbacks. No one conflict style is better than the other. Learn about all five styles in this short article.

Workplace Conflict Statistics: How We Approach Conflict at Work: We took the answers from over 700 respondents from 36 countries to uncover how professionals resolve conflict at work.

[Infographic] Workplace Conflict Questions, Answered: Why does conflict at work happen? Is it preventable? Are there any benefits? We've answered the most frequently asked questions about workplace conflict in this infographic.

The Do's and Dont's of Conflict at Work: How do you engage in conflict at work and difficult conversations that are productive? Be sure to follow this list of universally applicable do's and don'ts.

The Guide to Overcoming Bad Communication: Is the way you are communicating helping or hindering your ability to effectively resolve conflicts? Find out and learn what you can do to correct it in this guide.

How To Stand Up For Yourself at Work: In certain conflicts, you may come to the point where you feel it's necessary to stand up for yourself. If so, we suggest following the tips outlined in this blog to ensure you have the desired effect.

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Conflict Styles Quiz: What's Your Approach to Conflict?

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Do you know what your conflict management style is? If not, take this quiz to find out!

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That's the BIG question Harris Poll asked for Grammarly's recent The State of Business Communication survey. Their goal, after speaking with 1,252 business leaders and knowledge workers in the U.S, was to reveal what's impeding our ability to effectively connect, collaborate, and get work done in our now-hybrid world of work. To discover the cost of poor communication in the workplace.

"Yes sir, we've got Trouble...with a capital T"

Unsuccessful communication methods and practices cost U.S. businesses $1.2 trillion ( yes, you read that right...TRILLION with a capital T ) per year.

True, 93% of business leaders agree that " communication is the backbone of business " and 96% believe " effective communication is essential for delivering the business results expected of my team in the coming year ".

Yet, we're left with the rather obvious question here:

If effective communication is that essential, why are you still losing trillions of dollars to poor communication each year?

Let's Get Real

If, like 73% of knowledge workers and 82% of leaders, your immediate response was " well, that's not me or my team - we communicate effectively", the results tell a different story...

Your people spend almost half of their time (approximately 26 hours) during the week collaborating with others either verbally or in written communications, including within their team, with leadership, and with your clients. Clear, concise, and effective communication is vital for these interactions to be successful. Yet, a majority of knowledge workers (86%) reported having experienced communication breakdowns and challenges due to issues such as:

Not receiving timely responses from others (49%)

Communicating clearly so receivers understand the message (37%)

Understanding messages received from others (33%)

And the numbers aren't necessarily better for your hand-picked leaders.
The amount of time business leaders spend communicating is even greater: over 36 hours per week. This includes virtual meetings (5.82 hours), in-person meetings (5.23), and project or sales management software (5.06).

But, about 3 in 4 leaders (72%) and almost half of workers (45%) admitted their " team struggles to communicate clearly and consistently". In fact, leaders estimate their teams lose an average of 7.47 hours per week (about 19% of a 40 hr. week, or one entire workday) to poor communication.

The Costs of Poor Communication

While many of us may sometimes gripe about the "meeting that could have been an email" or joke with our colleagues that "that's an hour of my life I can't get back", there are real and, quite frankly, painful costs to poor communication tools, practices, and principles at work ( and in life, too, but that's a topic for another day... ).

Ineffective communication can not only impact how well employees and leaders collaborate, connect, and work through obstacles, it's dipping s). deep into your business bank account...to the cost of about $12,506 per employee per year ( based on average salary and communication failure estimate hat's almost 20% of their salary! T

And, it's not just your knowledge workers who encounter these communication roadblocks. Three in four leaders agreed that " my team spends too much time and energy resolving miscommunications" (76%) and "I spend too much time and energy resolving miscommunications" (75%).

90% of them also reported feeling the pangs of poor communication, including increased costs (45%), missed deadlines or increased time to resolution (39%), and eroded brand credibility or reputation (34%).

In addition to the internal costs, 1 in 5 leaders (22%) reported a loss of business due to poor communication, with 86% citing the business value lost $10,000 or more and 22% losing $50,000 or more.

The Other Not-So-Obvious Costs of Poor Communication

While there are those direct, more quantitative numbers around the cost of poor communication, there are also several qualitative impacts that are seen (and heard).

90% of workers and 96% of leaders noted that poor communication negatively impacts their team, productivity, morale, and growth

87% of leaders felt that "my team will not be able to goals without effective communication skills"

An increase in stress and burnout was cited as the top impact of poor communication

Almost 100% of both leaders and workers agreed that "it makes my job easier when my colleagues communicate clearly"

So, Now What?

With nearly three-quarters of business leaders stating " My company underestimates the cost of poor communication" and " My company undervalues the impact of strong communication", our question to you is... how valuable is effective communication to YOU and YOUR business?

86% of the leaders surveyed indicated they have or were planning on investing in improving their communication tools or strategies. Are you? And if so, how?

The hybrid models of work (mix of on-site, remote, synchronous, and asynchronous) are most likely here to stay, with 9 in 10 executives in a recent McKinsey & Company study citing the model (in some variation and depth) as to where they see their organization heading ( unless your name is Elon...). This introduces new opportunities, as well as challenges. While where work is performed may be different, teams must still be able to effectively collaborate, stay connected, creatively problem-solve, and keep progress moving forward. This requires attention and intention around setting communication principles and practices. As the survey so wonderfully states, " Work no longer takes place 100% in the office-but your teams still need to communicate 100% of the time. "

While, in our now digital-first age, the solutions explored seemed to often start with a technology tool, the reality is all the tech in the world won't solve fundamental communication problems like misunderstanding, misinterpretation, misaligned language and messaging, insufficient preparation, and poor listening. This means focusing first on People Tools & Principles before you introduce process and system solutions. It's training your leaders and workers on how to effectively, efficiently, confidently, and mindfully communicate.

To have the emotional intelligence and awareness of message tone, audience, and delivery

To embrace healthy conflict in order to challenge stale habits and methods and craft new, innovative solutions to the needs of your business and those you serve

To manage stress in order to prevent emotionally-charged, energy-depleted IDGAF message delivery

To better prepare for the critical and tough conversations, meetings, and decisions necessary to move your business forward

The increase in remote and hybrid work environments did not create poor communication, it simply helped shine a light on and expose the realities of an already-struggling collaboration barrier. Over the last few years, and for the foreseeable future, you will be investing in new tools, new technologies, and new ways of doing business and supporting your teams. As part of your communication strategy, don't forget to spend a little time getting the fundamentals of good communication right before you launch yet another chat tool, video meeting platform, or collaboration system.

Your People, Your Processes, and Your Profits will thank you.

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Poor Communication is Co$ting Your Business A LOT

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Unsuccessful communication methods and practices cost U.S. businesses $1.2 trillion per year. While 93% of business leaders cite communication as the backbone of their business, why are you losing so much money each year due to poor communication practices and principles?

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LeeAnn Renninger: The secret to giving great feedback

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Humans have been coming up with ways to give constructive criticism for centuries, but somehow we’re still pretty terrible at it. Cognitive psychologist LeeAnn Renninger shares a scientifically proven method for giving effective feedback.

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Forbes: The Role Manager's Play in "Lifeplace Engagement"

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Forbes: The Role Manager's Play in "Lifeplace Engagement"

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Priscila is the CEO of LifeLabs Learning, a global leader in manager training for technology, financial services and healthcare companies.
Skillful management matters in the workplace. It's the Manager: Moving From Boss to Coachis based on Gallup's largest global study of the future of work and details how effective management is a predictor of employee performance, motivation, productivity and retention. When managers are effective, companies are more likely to succeed, and the entire economy benefits.

But even this impressive array of outcomes doesn't tell the whole story. Managers don't simply impact people within the narrow confines of their day jobs. They also play a massive role in people's everyday lives outside of work.

At LifeLabs Learning, we have studied and trained over 300,000 managers at more than 2,000 companies and, in the process, discovered the three most significant and far-reaching manager outcomes.

The Stress Spill-Over Effect
Tips To Create A Resiliency Spill-Over:
While there is much concern about the impact of stress on work performance, seldom do we address the larger danger of the "stress spillover effect." Stressed-out managers can "infect" their team members, who in turn pass on toxic stress to their coworkers, who then carry that stress into their relationships outside of work. The impacts include irritability, frustration, social withdrawal and impaired family functioning (registration required). High negative stress levels even predict physical illness, including inflammation and heart disease.

Given the power that managers hold over their direct reports, it doesn't take much for a manager to become a stressor in someone's life. A lack of clarity, confusing feedback and micro-management are all too common drivers of stress. On the flip side, skilled managers can actually serve as a stress buffer for employees, and equip their teams with resiliency skills that also spill over into daily life and relationships.

1. Deblur. Whenever you hear or use what we call "blur words"-terms that can be open to misinterpretation, such as "urgent" or "on brand"-take the time to clarify what you mean, especially when it comes to goals and roles. Increased clarity and autonomy can reduce stress.

2. Link up. Whenever you delegate, assign work or give feedback, "link up" to why it matters. Make it clear how their work impacts the mission of the organization. Why? A sense of meaning can serve as a buffer for stress.

3. Link out. Whenever someone on your team comes to you for help, use it as an opportunity to "link out." Build links between them and others within and outside the organization. Increased social capital can expand people's emotional and physical resources to cope with stressful events.

Lifeplace Engagement
Tips to cultivate CAMPS on your team:
Workplace engagement-an eager willingness and commitment to one's work-predicts retention and performance (registration required). But what we call "lifeplace engagement" is perhaps even more significant. It is the degree to which we feel committed to our personal well-being. And just as with stress, engagement at work spills over into engagement at home. For this reason, the crisis of disengagement we've been observing in the workplace is even more damaging in everyday life. Exhausted, burnt-out employees don't suddenly transform into energetic, creative and physically healthy individuals when they "clock out" at the end of the day.

Here too, great managers have positive power. We've found through our research that managers directly impact five psychological factors that most influence engagement and developed the CAMPS Model to help explain it. The CAMPS Model stands for certainty, autonomy, meaning, progress and social inclusion. When all (or even most) of these factors are at play, employees don't just end their week feeling inspired by their work, they also leave feeling a greater sense of confidence within themselves and more compassion toward others.

1. Certainty. When time and resources are limited, make sure your team is clear on priorities. Use the "MIT Method" by aligning on the most important things you need to get done at least once a week.

2. Autonomy. Balance freedom with support by agreeing on feedback checkpoints. The more skilled the individual becomes and the greater your alignment, the farther apart the checkpoints can become.

3. Meaning. Show your team evidence that their work matters. Give positive feedback, pass on notes of gratitude from others and give end users an opportunity to share how they've been impacted.

4. Progress. Engineer frequent opportunities to feel a sense of personal and professional growth. For example, start your one-on-ones by asking about small wins and review a task and personal development progress board on a monthly basis.

5. Social inclusion. Monitor your team meetings to ensure that every voice is heard. Rotate your meeting facilitators and notetakers.

Core People Skills

Last but not least, managers function as critical role models when it comes to people skills. Managers serve as first guides for essential life skills such as collaboration, communication and conflict resolution. So, when unskilled managers lead through control, fear or avoidance, they unknowingly set the standard for interpersonal interaction within and outside of their organizations.

Of course, the bright side is that effective managers with a good grasp of core people skills pass on their skills to others, who go on to carry them into their homes, communities and personal relationships. Employees who learn skills like asking good questions, listening, inclusion, influence and conflict resolution become "competency carriers" everywhere they go.

To build these skills, I recommend two books: The Leader Lab: Core Skills to Become a Great Manager Faster by Tania Luna and LeeAnn Renninger, PhD, and the aforementioned It's the Manager: Moving from Boss to Coach by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter. I also recommend Google's re:Work guide to manager skills.

All too often, when we complain about bringing our work home with us, we forget that we are also bringing home the effects of our work. What if instead of bringing home stress, burnout and bad interpersonal habits, we brought home resilience, engagement and the skills we need to build stronger and more trusting relationships and communities? This is the social impact that effective management can have. Want better lifeplace engagement? Make better managers.

Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?

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Council Post: The Role Managers Play In "Lifeplace Engagement"

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Lifeplace engagement is the degree to which we feel committed to our personal well-being. And just as with stress, engagement at work spills over into engagement at home.

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Powerful Phrases to Deal With Workplace Conflict [Book Summary]

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Powerful Phrases to Deal With Workplace Conflict [Book Summary]

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Powerful Phases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict

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You are contagious | Vanessa Van Edwards | TEDxLondon