I recently coached a highly achieved woman leader who was bringing together two distinct teams with different work styles and priorities. The leader asked for guidance on leadership best practices given the emerging friction – leaders clash over approaches, team members feel uncertain about their roles, and morale plummets. The leader’s question was, “how do I navigate this change and build a strong, cohesive team?”
Here’s how we tackled this challenge together.
Change Can Be a Catalyst, Not a Catastrophe
In our coaching conversation, the leader reflected on her perspective on merging the teams, as follows:
Sure, change and conflict are inevitable in the fast-paced world of technology. But before panicking, it is useful to remember that healthy conflict isn’t all bad. It can spark innovation, drive transformation, and even boost organizational well-being. The key? Creating a supportive environment that addresses the human side of change.
With this reflection, we dove into some best practices.
Tailored Practices for a Thriving Team
Change often triggers emotions like frustration, fear, and anxiety. While these emotions may lead to team conflict and resistance, reframing and normalizing human emotions offers leaders the best tool to navigate change. To do so, we explored two leadership frameworks: inclusive leadership (emphasizing dignity, respect, and justice) and trauma-informed leadership (providing specific implementation strategies).
Here’s what the powerful woman leader came up with, drawing on the six principles of trauma-informed care:
- Psychological Safety: Create a safe space where employees can openly express themselves without fear.
- Trustworthiness and Transparency: Be upfront and honest. Explain the “why” behind changes and follow through on decisions.
- Peer Support: Allot resources for Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) where people with shared experiences can connect and support each other.
- Collaboration and Mutuality: Actively seek diverse perspectives and practice active listening. This leader even decided to lead by example by joining an ERG, showing their commitment to collaboration.
- Empowerment/Voice/Choice: Maintain employee agency through fair evaluations, constructive feedback, and opportunities to contribute to solutions. This can extend to conflict resolution, where collaboration, respect, and a sense of agency are key.
- Cultural, Historical and Gender Considerations: Advocate for systematic fairness and acknowledge the challenges faced by marginalized groups. This ensures everyone feels valued and has the opportunity to thrive.
Taking Action for a Stronger Team
The leader realized that implementing these practices takes time, and she scheduled a check back in two weeks to continue our conversation. She left feeling empowered by the potential of inclusive and trauma-informed leadership. She learned that prioritizing safety, trust, collaboration, and empowerment can foster a culture where diversity thrives, and conflict becomes a springboard for innovation.
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