Most high-performing sales teams are naturally prone to heightened tension and rivalry … but they also benefit from higher levels of cooperation, trust and performance.
That’s according to new research from the Harvard Business Review, which reveals several proven ways to harness that competitive fire, and use it as a force for good.
Here are three universal keys to transforming the healthy tension in your department into a constant stream of revenue, productivity and sales:
1. Focus on causes, not effects. Harvard MBAs define “cappuccino teams” as those that break for coffee every time a conflict arises, assuming the momentary distraction will simply make the issue go away. In reality, avoidance only causes the level of resentment to escalate, as reps come to feel like their point of view is either being ignored or overruled. This is the cumulative result of dealing with the effect of a team issue, rather than rooting out the cause.
When in-house conflicts are handled efficiently, all parties involved actually walk away feeling better about both the job they’re doing, and the manager they’re doing it for. Three keys to effective conflict resolution in the workplace:
- Gain firsthand perspective from all parties involved, so no one feels slighted and you get every available side of the story. Be sure to meet with each party separately, to avoid people clamming up, feeling awkward or cutting each other off the whole time.
- Get to the heart of what led to the acrimony by encouraging reps to share as much info as possible, even if it seems completely off-topic. The devil is almost always in the details, and a negligent resolution that fails to address the real problem will often make small matters worse.
- Ask each party how it would like to see the issue resolved. The goal in most cases is to find a mutually beneficial compromise, which starts by understanding what will satisfy all of those involved.
2. Turn anger into empowerment. Cambridge business expert Mark de Rond cites the example of a U.S. rowing coach whose team members were consistently at one another’s throats.
Sensing the tension, the coach spent an entire afternoon having rival members wrestle one another on the banks of the river.
The exercise not only allowed the team to work out its aggressions, it also taught key members how passionate rival teammates were about winning.
When it came time for the team’s next race, it shattered its previous record and beat all of its opponents.
While management can’t exactly advocate an in-house battle royal, what it can do is provide a healthy outlet for working out key personnel issues.
Some proven tactics:
- Break the salesforce into teams. Make it a point to put rival reps on the same team, so they’ll be forced to work together, recognize one another’s strengths and unite to accomplish a common goal.
- Whenever possible, consider implementing a version of both solutions. This won’t only make both salespeople feel appreciated, it’ll give them added incentive to ensure their strategies succeed.
- Allow both reps to present their case, and let the sales team decide. Sometimes the most democratic way to resolve an issue is by letting a jury of sales peers determine what the best course of action is.
3. Let them know it’s natural. While you probably don’t want to encourage conflict, it’s important to let reps know this type of thing is both common and beneficial. It removes any lingering feeling of guilt, and it proves their actions aren’t being frowned upon by management … that is unless they insist on drumming up random conflict over and over and over again.
Source: “Conflict Keeps Teams at the Top of Their Game,” by Mark de Rond, Harvard Business Review Blog Network, 7/3/12.
