- In the highly competitive sales industry
personality clashes are inevitable.
A little conflict isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Tension can sometimes lead to real breakthroughs.
So it's fine to allow your reps the independence they need
to work out their own problems.
It's only when the conflict becomes unhealthy for the team
that it's an issue.
Emotions such as jealousy, insecurity, annoyance,
or favoritism can distract your team
and create a toxic environment.
Left unchecked, these problems can take a toll
on everyone in the office
and the team's performance can suffer.
The good news is that most of these conflicts
can be resolved with strong communication
and maybe even avoided in the first place.
Most problems arise when two people
aren't given the chance to really get to know each other
or when they accidentally step on each other's toes.
By maintaining a healthy flow of communication,
keeping things friendly,
and making your rep's individual jobs clear
you can avoid conflict before it even begins.
For example, in my company if I notice two reps have tension
I like to have them work closely together on a project
with a shared goal.
By having reps depend on and invest in each other,
you can create a bond that wasn't there before.
It's also important that managers have communication
with their team.
Have an open door policy,
use active listening to understand
what stresses your reps out,
and never end a conversation on a negative note.
One way of dealing with conflict,
especially if it affects the whole team,
is acknowledging the conflict and allowing healthy debate.
Let opinions be heard,
but stress that respect, team work, and positive attitudes
are expected from all team members.
Stress can also lead to reps acting out of character.
Do regular health checks on your team
to make sure their workload isn't overwhelming them.
Make sure goals are reasonable.
I think you should set quotas,
so that 75% of the team achieves them.
Give reps access to the resources they need
to do their job easily and efficiently.
If necessary, give them an extra day off to create
some space from their stress.
For more extreme conflicts and behaviors,
have Human Resources work with you early in the process
to monitor the situation.
Document any incidents you might need to reference later.
Pro-tip, one way to avoid conflict in the first place
is to have clear office rules,
which can help keep things respectful and professional.
Work with your HR team to establish guidelines
for a polite and respectful office culture
so that everyone understands what kind of behavior
is expected of them.
Taking your own team into account,
write down the main source of conflicts
that you see within your team
and think about how you can use communication
to lessen that conflict.
Using this approach will help you resolve the issues
that will arise in the future.