Your team is divided on project goals. How do you navigate conflicting interpretations for success?

1 Listen First

Active listening is a cornerstone of servant leadership and is crucial when your team has conflicting goals. Engage with each team member to understand their concerns and ideas fully. This isn't about merely waiting for your turn to speak; it's about genuinely hearing what others have to say and validating their perspectives. By doing so, you create a foundation of trust and respect, which is essential for navigating through conflicts and moving towards a unified vision of success.

2 Clarify Goals

Once you've listened to your team's viewpoints, it's time to clarify the project goals. This involves breaking down the project into tangible objectives and ensuring that everyone understands what success looks like. Use this opportunity to align the team's interpretations of the project's purpose and outcomes. By having a clear set of goals, you can mitigate misunderstandings and set a clear path forward that everyone can commit to.

3 Embrace Empathy

Empathy is a powerful tool in resolving conflicts and uniting a divided team. As you navigate through differing interpretations of success, strive to put yourself in your team members' shoes. Understand their motivations and concerns. This empathetic approach will help you address the root causes of the divide and find a common ground where all voices feel heard and considered.

4 Encourage Dialogue

Encouraging open dialogue is essential for servant leaders. Facilitate discussions where team members can express their views and brainstorm solutions together. This collaborative environment allows for the exchange of ideas and promotes a sense of ownership among the team. When people feel their input is valued, they're more likely to support the collective goals and work towards them with enthusiasm.

5 Reframe Perspective

Sometimes, to move past a stalemate, you need to help your team reframe their perspective. Highlight the bigger picture and how individual contributions fit into the overall project. Remind your team of the shared values and vision that brought them together in the first place. Reframing the situation can shift the focus from individual interpretations of success to a unified, team-oriented approach.

6 Build Consensus

Finally, as a servant leader, your role is to build consensus among your team. This doesn't mean forcing agreement but rather facilitating a process where everyone feels their input has been considered in the final decision. Use the insights gained from listening, empathizing, and encouraging dialogue to guide your team towards a consensus on what success looks like for the project. This collective agreement will serve as the compass for the team's efforts moving forward.