The Challenge
Conflict is inevitable, but how it’s managed determines the outcome
Conflict can be uncomfortable and confusing, often damaging relationships and effectiveness when left unaddressed. However, when managed well, it can lead to stronger ideas, better solutions, and team growth.
As a manager, you play a crucial role in helping your team resolve issues, learn from challenges, and move forward constructively.
Two common traps managers fall into:
Avoidance: Sweeping conflict under the rug, hoping it resolves itself. Managers with Considerate or Reserved Core Drivers are more prone to this.
Control: Tackling conflict aggressively, dictating solutions, and demanding resolution. Managers with Candid or Driven Drivers are more likely to use this approach.
Where do you fall?
The Solution
Core Drivers can help identify potential sources of conflict
Conflict is natural in high-performing teams—differences in backgrounds, traits, and values create diverse perspectives that fuel innovation. The key is working through these differences in respectful, productive ways.
The Core Drivers Team Report highlights team similarities and differences, helping managers proactively identify potential conflict areas and address them before they escalate.
Here’s What You Can Do
Step 1: Review the Cognitive Diversity Chart
Teams with diverse traits and values approach work in different ways. Without awareness, these differences can cause tension or misunderstandings.
Use the Cognitive Diversity chart to help your team see where they align and where they differ. This creates shared understanding and prevents misinterpretations of others’ behaviors or intentions.
Step 2: Understand Your Team’s Core Risks
Conflict is most likely to surface under pressure—tight deadlines, competing priorities, or scarce resources.
Core Risks tend to emerge in these moments. As a manager, identify both individual and team-level risks so you can help your team anticipate and manage them.
Encourage each person to reflect on how their stress behaviors may affect others.
Step 3: Create a Culture of Curiosity and Consideration
Curiosity is an antidote to conflict. It’s difficult to feel defensive or angry when you are genuinely curious. Triggering curiosity helps people think more rationally and creatively about solutions.
Consideration ensures curiosity is expressed respectfully. By paying attention to others’ needs and emotions, conversations become more open and constructive.
When curiosity is paired with kindness rather than bluntness, people feel safe to lower their guard, engage honestly, and reciprocate with respect.
Final Thoughts
Curiosity + Consideration = “I’m not sure I understand you, but I really want to.”
When conflict is managed with curiosity and consideration, teams grow stronger, more cohesive, and more innovative.
Read our blog to explore four more ways to defuse conflict with curiosity.