How to foster awareness, understanding, and respect for the different perspectives around the table.
October 20, 2023
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It’s best to start any new project by fostering the right conflict mindset among team members. Productive conflict requires that all parties appreciate the competing demands and necessary trade-offs. But don’t expect stakeholders to show up with clarity about their position or empathy for the needs and demands of others. As a great project manager, you need to foster awareness, understanding, and respect for the different perspectives around the table. Your job is to harness the opposing forces and ensure that decisions are made with the benefit of diverse perspectives, the full knowledge of their impact, and the optimal trade-offs between various priorities. Fulfilling that responsibility will require that you embrace productive conflict and hone the associated skills.
When you’re new to project management, you might think the secret is to keep conflict to a minimum to ensure that your team completes tasks, meet deadlines, and avoids melees. Maybe you frame your role as the bridge-builder — the peacemaker. While that sounds good in theory, trying to keep everyone happy misses the point of effective project management.
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HBR Learning
Project Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Project Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to get it done right, on time, and on budget.
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