Managing when senior leaders are in conflict

Many things can hamper a project, but none are as impactful as a conflict between senior leaders. While project managers usually can’t resolve those conflicts themselves, there are things they can do to manage the situation. Here are things project managers can do about potential conflicts between senior leaders that impact a project.

Listen to stakeholders to identify a conflict. Careful listening to stakeholders can reveal conflicts about impacts that aren’t being discussed. Often taking the form of lukewarm or missing project endorsements, probing to determine underlying concerns can bring these conflicts to the surface. 

Ensure sponsor awareness. When a conflict becomes known, ensure the sponsor understands it and its potential impact on the project. Offer to provide information to the sponsor to assist in conflict resolution. Should the sponsor be one of the parties in the conflict, seek to understand what assistance can be provided to resolve the conflict. If the sponsor determines to exercise their authority and get their way in the conflict, share the impact that may occur if support from the other key stakeholder is withdrawn from the project.

Support the sponsor. A project manager’s job is to support the sponsor, even when the sponsor’s approach to a conflict may jeopardize the project. In that instance, inform the sponsor of the risks and any issues. Remember, the project manager’s job is NOT to prevent the sponsor from taking risks. It’s to keep the sponsor informed of the project’s status and the impacts decisions have on project outcomes. The project manager can also do whatever they can to help the sponsor resolve the conflict. How? Ask the sponsor what will best help.

Be the information provider without taking sides. Key stakeholders who aren’t the sponsor may decide to take a risk regarding the project. Those risks are often at the heart of conflicts between stakeholders. Once again, the project manager shouldn’t try to stop a risk from being taken. They should inform key stakeholders so they understand the implications of any conflicts and decisions that may come from those conflicts. Try not to take sides. Being a neutral source of information and control of the project is best for current and future projects where those key stakeholders may play a substantial role.

Hold emotions in check. Conflicts can trigger emotional reactions. It’s easy to get caught up in discussions that vent emotion. Acknowledging the emotions triggered by the conflict and their impact on the project’s progress is okay. However, emotions shouldn’t be the primary focus of a discussion. Stick to the facts and any alternatives that may address the risks and issues that surface. 

Be persistent, to a point. Try to get the project delivered in the best way possible. But, sometimes, if key stakeholder conflicts can’t be resolved, that isn’t the project manager’s fault. Conflicts that cause undue risk for a project usually mean the project should be abandoned. It can simply be the fact that, at this time, with these stakeholders, this project isn’t meant to be.