Most dysfunction stems from just a few sources. Once you can spot the type, you can choose the right intervention and stop it turning toxic.
1. Task Conflict
What are we actually doing?
Symptoms:
- People disagree on what the actual problem is
- Arguments over facts, data, or evidence
- Different views on what success looks like
- Competing priorities or timelines
Can sound like:
“That’s not the right approach” or “We should be focusing on X, not Y.”
Helpful when: It surfaces competing priorities/goal conflict or unclear goals. When handled well, this often leads to better decisions.
Unhelpful when: No one agrees what matters and progress stalls.
2. Process Conflict
“How are we doing the work?”
Symptoms:
- Confusion over who’s doing what
- Frustration with how work is being organised
- Disputes over timelines, methods, or tools
- Repeated breakdowns in handover or coordination
Can sound like:
“Why are we doing it that way?” “Why am I always chasing this?”
Helpful when: It improves the way work gets done.
Unhelpful when: People start protecting turf or ignoring processes. Draining if not resolved.
3. Values Conflict
“Why are we doing it this way?”
Symptoms:
- Strong emotional reactions
- People feel personally offended or disrespected
- Conflict tied to identity, culture, or personal principles
- Often hard to ‘solve’ with facts or compromise
Can sound like:
“That’s not how we treat people.” “This doesn’t sit right with me.”
Helpful when: It reveals what people care about.
Unhelpful when: It gets personal or moralistic. Can run deep and become toxic if ignored.
When the first three types of conflict go unaddressed for long enough, they often evolve into the fourth: interpersonal conflict.
At this point, emotions have spilled over, people have spoken or acted in ways that have triggered personal offence, and this is often the most destructive form of conflict and the most difficult to resolve.
4. Interpersonal Conflict
It’s not about the work anymore.
Symptoms:
- Eyerolls, sarcasm, or cold silences
- People avoid each other or go around each other
- Ongoing tension that pops up in different situations
- Misunderstandings or negative assumptions
Can sound like:
“They don’t respect me.” “I’m done trying with them.” “I just don’t trust them.”
Unhelpful every time. Reduced productivity, eroded trust and drained energy.
There’s nothing helpful about this type of conflict going unchecked. Left alone, it can even seep into the culture, creating silos, fuelling passive-aggressive behaviours and making the team feel generally unsafe.
Leading Through Conflict Without Fuelling the Fire
Once you’ve got clarity on the conflict type, here’s a quick cheat sheet for how to respond:
A leader’s guide to solving unhelpful conflict
The Only Way Is Through
When it comes to conflict, it can be tempting to work around it, avoid it, or even try to bulldoze over it. But here’s the truth:
The only way out of conflict, is through it.
With clarity, curiosity and a steady hand.
The best leaders don’t shy away from the hard stuff, instead they create safe space for their teams to challenge ideas, not attack each other. They build conditions where people can speak up, disagree, and stay focused on the work, not the politics.
Because when teams learn to play the ball, and not the person – everyone wins. This is when the game gets a whole lot better.
At Tenaxiti, we help leaders create the conditions for healthy teams and healthy conflict, because progress and performance rely on both.
Whether you’re:
- Building proactive team habits through values alignment, team diagnostics and leadership development, or
- Needing responsive support with conflict resolution, mediation or targeted coaching,
We’ve got the tools, frameworks and experience to help you go through the hard stuff.
Keen to explore what this could look like for your team? Let’s chat.
Anthony@tenaxiti.com.au or visit tenaxiti.com.au to learn more.
