Removing the causes.
WHAT PREVENTS MOST CONFLICT
Clear responsibilities Clear expectations Clear decision rights Consistent treatment Information shared
WHY CLARITY OF RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS MOST
Most friction arises where two people believe different things about who does what.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Who is responsible for each area of work Who decides what What each role is accountable for
WHAT TO EXAMINE
Overlaps and gaps between roles.
WHY GAPS
Work nobody owns produces blame when it fails.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT HANDOVERS
What is passed, by whom, in what state.
WHY
Handovers are where conflict between individuals and teams concentrates.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT DECISIONS
Who decides, who is consulted, and who is informed.
WHY THE DISTINCTION
Being consulted and being the decision maker are different, and confusion between them causes resentment.
WHAT TO COMMUNICATE
Decisions, and their reasoning.
WHY
Decisions appearing without explanation are attributed to favouritism or indifference.
WHAT TO EXAMINE
Whether objectives conflict.
WHAT TO ADDRESS
Measures that set people against each other.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT RESOURCES
How they are allocated, and on what basis.
WHY
Scarce resources allocated without a stated basis produce persistent conflict.
WHAT TO PROVIDE
Opportunities for people to raise difficulties before they become disputes.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
That raising something is not complaining.
WHAT TO MODEL
Disagreeing with someone respectfully, visibly.
WHY
People follow what they see rather than what they are told.
