What's the best way to deal with a conflict between two people on your project team?

Both should be aware of the impact of their conflict on the project , besides this if possible PM should try to use them in separate areas of project.

When a team oversteps the mark of healthy difference of opinion, resolving conflict requires respect and patience. The human experience of conflict involves our emotions, perceptions, and actions; we experience it on all three levels, and we need to address all three levels to resolve it. We must replace the negative experiences with positive ones.

The three-stage process below is a form of mediation process, which helps team members to do this:

Step 1: Prepare for Resolution

• Acknowledge the conflict – The conflict has to be acknowledged before it can be managed and resolved. The tendency is for people to ignore the first signs of conflict, perhaps as it seems trivial, or is difficult to differentiate from the normal, healthy debate that teams can thrive on. If you are concerned about the conflict in your team, discuss it with other members. Once the team recognizes the issue, it can start the process of resolution.
• Discuss the impact – As a team, discuss the impact the conflict is having on team dynamics and performance.
• Agree to a cooperative process – Everyone involved must agree to cooperate in to resolve the conflict. This means putting the team first, and may involve setting aside your opinion or ideas for the time being. If someone wants to win more than he or she wants to resolve the conflict, you may find yourself at a stalemate.
• Agree to communicate – The most important thing throughout the resolution process is for everyone to keep communications open. The people involved need to talk about the issue and discuss their strong feelings. Active listening is essential here, because to move on you need to really understand where the other person is coming from.

Step 2: Understand the Situation

Once the team is ready to resolve the conflict, the next stage is to understand the situation, and each team member's point of view. Take time to make sure that each person's position is heard and understood. Remember that strong emotions are at work here so you have to get through the emotion and reveal the true nature of the conflict. Do the following:

• Clarify positions – Whatever the conflict or disagreement, it's important to clarify people's positions. Whether there are obvious factions within the team who support a particular option, approach or idea, or each team member holds their own unique view, each position needs to be clearly identified and articulated by those involved.

  This step alone can go a long way to resolve the conflict, as it helps the team see the facts more objectively and with less emotion.

  Sally and Tom believe the best way to market the new product is through a TV campaign. Mary and Beth are adamant that internet advertising is the way to go; whilst Josh supports a store-lead campaign.

• List facts, assumptions and beliefs underlying each position – What does each group or person believe? What do they value? What information are they using as a basis for these beliefs? What decision-making criteria and processes have they employed?

  Sally and Tom believe that TV advertising is best because it has worked very well in the past. They are motivated by the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

  Mary and Beth are very tuned-in to the latest in technology and believe that to stay ahead in the market, the company has to continue to try new things. They seek challenges and find change exhilarating and motivating. Josh believes a store-lead campaign is the most cost-effective. He's cautious, and feels this is the best way to test the market at launch, before committing the marketing spend.

• Analyze in smaller groups – Break the team into smaller groups, separating people who are in alliance. In these smaller groups, analyze and dissect each position, and the associated facts, assumptions and beliefs.

  Which facts and assumptions are true? Which are the more important to the outcome? Is there additional, objective information that needs to be brought into the discussion to clarify points of uncertainly or contention? Is additional analysis or evaluation required?

Step 3: Reach Agreement

Now that all parties understand the others' positions, the team must decide what decision or course of action to take. With the facts and assumptions considered, it's easier to see the best of action and reach agreement

It is very difficult to predict, of course, what one or the other might do next. If we knew that, we would certainly be in a very interesting position, I am sure.

As a PM, have an open discussion with both people separately, and put information together to make sense. Then make an objective decision and present it openly to both parties together. People must understand that there is a place for personal feelings outside work. The project is a team of people with specialised skills and that's what we should be concentrated on to succeed.

Is there any room for personal deviation or perception (is this an issue)? If yes, then maybe have some agreed standards/procedures in place in order to alleviate the problem.

Conflict isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. Healthy and constructive conflict is a component of high-functioning teams. Conflict arises from differences between people; the same differences that often make diverse teams more effective than those made up of people with similar experience. When people with varying viewpoints, experiences, skills, and opinions are tasked with a project or challenge, the combined effort can far surpass what any group of similar individual could achieve. Team members must be open to these differences and not let them rise into full-blown disputes.

Round table meeting and resolving mis communication and misunderstanding for completing the task required by management / project. Clarity on role and responsibility for better team work.

Confronting both of them so as to figure out the source of the conflict and then resolving the root cause of the conflict.

It varies from situation to situation,few techniques are given below:

1.Force and direct

2.Avoid/withdraw

3.Root cause analysis/Problem solving

4.Smoothing and Accomodating

The Project Manager shall discuss with them individually about the possible bad effect of conflict on project performance and as well as on their career prospective. At the same time the Project Manager shall inform the HR officer to arrange to reconciliation session in presence of a senior officer who respected by all, HR officer and the Project Manager himself. Hope, the conflict will resolve.

Listen to their problems and speek to each one a part then let them meet in my presence to adjust things back on track.

I'll distributed the task in a team,and allocate particular work to particular perseon as per his/her expertise in that particular area.