Is Conflict Normal at Work? 10 Coaching Practices to Try
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Is Conflict Normal at Work, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Practices that may help
- Engage in productive ideological conflict
Teams that avoid conflict don’t avoid disagreement — they bury it, where it grows into resentment and bad decisions.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Made Practical - Competing (assertive, uncooperative)
Pursue your own position firmly when speed, principle, or stakes outweigh the relationship cost.
The Five Conflict-Resolution Styles - Storming: name the conflict without taking sides
Surface the tension that’s already there rather than managing it away.
Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development - Transform the relationship, not just the issue
Use each conflict as an opportunity to raise the quality of the relationship itself.
The Third Alternative, Made Practical - Recognize when to shift modes mid-conflict
The mode that’s right at the start of a conversation may not be right ten minutes in.
The Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) - Separate the person from the problem
Treat the conflict as a problem you face together, not a contest you fight each other.
The Third Alternative, Made Practical - Adapt your conflict approach to the other person’s DISC style
Conflict lands differently for each style — match your approach to reduce defensiveness.
DISC Behavioral Styles - Fight the problem, not each other
Reorient conflict so both partners face the problem together rather than facing each other.
Secure-Functioning Relationships - Teach speak-up skills, not just encourage speaking up
Give team members specific language for raising concerns, not just permission to raise them.
Psychological Safety in Teams - Collaborating (assertive and cooperative)
Work the underlying interests until you find a solution that genuinely meets both sides’ needs.
The Five Conflict-Resolution Styles
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- Our meetings are all polite nods and "sounds good," and then the real opinions come out afterward in side conversations and quiet eye-rolls
- Something’s genuinely wrong here and there’s no time to coax everyone to a comfortable yes
- There’s real friction on my team
- We solve the immediate thing but the same ugly dynamic underneath stays exactly the same, so the next disagreement plays out identically
- I came in hard because the situation called for it, but partway through the urgent part got settled and the other person clearly just needed to feel heard
Related concerns
- Why Does Conflict Develop In The Workplace
Teams that avoid conflict don’t avoid disagreement — they bury it, where it grows into resentment and bad decisions.
Engage in productive ideological conflict
- Why Does Conflict Happen In A Workplace
Teams that avoid conflict don’t avoid disagreement — they bury it, where it grows into resentment and bad decisions.
- How Do You Handle A Conflict With A Team Member
Teams that avoid conflict don’t avoid disagreement — they bury it, where it grows into resentment and bad decisions.
- How To Address Workplace Conflict
Teams that avoid conflict don’t avoid disagreement — they bury it, where it grows into resentment and bad decisions.
- How To Avoid Workplace Conflict
Teams that avoid conflict don’t avoid disagreement — they bury it, where it grows into resentment and bad decisions.
- How To Deal With Conflict As A Team Member
Teams that avoid conflict don’t avoid disagreement — they bury it, where it grows into resentment and bad decisions.
Describe your situation in your own words to search the complete practice library.