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Last updated on Dec 21, 2024
  1. All
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  3. Project Leadership

Your cross-functional team is stuck due to personality clashes. How can you break through the impasse?

When personality clashes halt your cross-functional team, it's crucial to return to collaborative productivity. To navigate this challenge:

- Facilitate open dialogue. Encourage each member to express concerns in a structured setting.

- Define clear roles and responsibilities. This helps prevent overlap that can lead to friction.

- Seek external mediation. Sometimes a neutral third party can provide perspective and help resolve conflicts.

How have you overcome personality clashes within your teams? Share your strategies.

Project Leadership Project Leadership

Project Leadership

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Last updated on Dec 21, 2024
  1. All
  2. Soft Skills
  3. Project Leadership

Your cross-functional team is stuck due to personality clashes. How can you break through the impasse?

When personality clashes halt your cross-functional team, it's crucial to return to collaborative productivity. To navigate this challenge:

- Facilitate open dialogue. Encourage each member to express concerns in a structured setting.

- Define clear roles and responsibilities. This helps prevent overlap that can lead to friction.

- Seek external mediation. Sometimes a neutral third party can provide perspective and help resolve conflicts.

How have you overcome personality clashes within your teams? Share your strategies.

Add your perspective
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
28 answers
  • Contributor profile photo
    Contributor profile photo
    Mirza Tahmasap Baig

    Sr. Network & System Executive | Network Administrator | System Administrator | System & Network Engineer | IT Administrator | Database Engineer

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    Understand Individual Differences: Mapping out personalities within the team can help recognize behavioral patterns and similarities, allowing for better alignment.

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    Contributor profile photo
    Rommel Daun da Silveira

    Diretor Comercial | Diretor de Operações | Diretor de Compras | COO | CCO

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    O líder deve numa reunião 1:1 conhecer o perfil de cada colaborador e nos feedbacks frequentes ir lapidando e aprimorando a escuta ativa e a colaboração. Estimular um ambiente de confiança onde todos podem compartilhar suas opiniões e expertises sobre os projetos permitirão o exercício de aprendizado contínuo e o respeito mútuo, evitando choques de personalidade. Focar na busca de soluções e participação de todos no objetivo comum, em equipe, alinham as expectativas e geram a boa sinergia no grupo. E buscar a realização de atividades de integração ( team building ) para reforçar laços de cooperação, conhecimento e integração de todos.

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    Contributor profile photo
    Luciane V.

    ◍ Seleção, Hunting – conectando pessoas às empresas – Brasil | ◍ Estrategista de Carreira, Psicóloga | Especialista em RH, Comportamento & Desenvolvimento | ◍ Construção de CV e LinkedIn, Treino de Entrevistas

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    Uma boa estratégia é promover comunicação aberta e honesta entre os membros da equipe. Incentivar cada um a expressar suas opiniões e preocupações de forma respeitosa, criando ambiente onde todos se sintam ouvidos. Além disso, estabelecer objetivos comuns e reforçar a importância do trabalho em equipe pode ajudar a alinhar as expectativas. Talvez também seja útil realizar atividades de team building para fortalecer os laços e melhorar a colaboração.

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    1
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    Jannick Simon

    gu-veni.de - LaaS | Lighting as a Service - Die Full-Service-Lösung mit sofortiger Energieeinsparung ohne Investitionskosten. Innovativste LED Beleuchtungslösungen aller Art.

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    Meiner Erfahrung nach sollte vorrangig versucht werden, ein bestmögliches Matching der Charaktere zu gewährleisten, auch wenn das häufig eine Herausforderung ist. Hier ist zwischenmenschliches Feingefühl gefragt. Gegebenfalls habe ich auch im laufenden Projekt / Arbeit Teams neu organisiert, wenn die Chemie nicht gepasst hat und das die Ergebnisse gehemmt hat. Es ist wie bei einem Fußballtrainer, der die Herausforderung hat, eine Mannschaft aufzustellen. Nicht die besten Individualspieler kommen zum Erfolg, sondern die Mannschaft, die gemeinsam am besten funktioniert.

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    Angel ROTHEN, MBA, MSc Student.

    Global Procurement Executive | Strategic Sourcing and Transformation | P&L Management | EBITDA Impact | Automotive | Supply Chain Resilience | C-Level Leadership | High-Performance Teams

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    When personality clashes stall a cross-functional team, I leverage a leadership approach grounded in coaching, servant, and transformational styles to restore collaboration. I prioritize creating a safe space for open dialogue, encouraging each member to express concerns respectfully while actively listening to understand diverse perspectives. Clarifying roles and responsibilities reduces friction and aligns efforts toward common goals. When needed, I am open to involving neutral facilitators to provide unbiased guidance. This approach fosters trust, transparency, and renewed focus, driving collective success and high performance.

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    1
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    Contributor profile photo
    Sâkshám Vìshwâkãrmã

    29K+ LinkedIn Family || Entrepreneur || Business Manager || Business Consultant || Human Resource Manager || Outsourcing Specialist || Automobile Engineer ||

    • Report contribution

    Personality clashes in cross-functional teams can stall progress, but restoring collaboration is key. Start by facilitating structured, open dialogue—allowing team members to voice concerns without judgment. Clearly define roles to minimize overlaps and reduce friction. When tensions persist, bringing in a neutral third party can offer fresh perspective and guide resolution. The goal isn’t to change personalities, but to align them toward shared objectives. How have you handled personality clashes in your teams? What worked best for you? Let’s share strategies and learn from each other’s experiences.

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    Malik Wilkes, CMB®, AMP

    Certified Mortgage Banker | Dedicated to helping families and helping those in my network reach their goals | President of NAMMBA South Florida Chapter | Sometimes talk about mortgage info from while walking |

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    Cross-functional teams can often clash simply because the skills required for one team vs another can be vastly different. It is important to allow dialogue, but in the method that the team member is comfortable with. Some are comfortable voicing concerns in a team meeting while others may prefer a one on one conversation. The key is produce an environment that shows that everyone is working towards the same goal. At times, stopping the work and doing a team building exercise or even a social gathering so that the team members get to know each other on a personal level is the best source to cut the tension.

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    Victor Fernandes

    CEO na Mani Alimentos

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    O mapeamento das personas do time pode ser uma alternativa considerando a particularidade de cada pessoa. Entender as diferenças, mas o mais importante analisar as similaridades dentro das características comportamentais do time. Dentro das possibilidades reorganizar as atividades, redefinir os limites de energia, foco ou interação entre os membros da equipe.

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    Jucy Sousa

    Gestão de Serv. Jurídicos, Notariais e Registros | CRA-SC Nº 6-02352 | Dep. Pessoal | Contas a Receber | Análise e Concessão de Crédito | Assist. Propriedade Industrial | Gestão de Marcas, Domínios | Códigos de Barras..

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    Para romper o impasse causado por choques de personalidade em uma equipe multifuncional, o primeiro passo é criar um espaço seguro para o diálogo. Promovo uma conversa mediada, onde cada integrante possa expressar suas percepções, frustrações e expectativas, com foco no respeito mútuo. Em seguida, reforço o propósito comum: o porquê daquela equipe existir e o objetivo coletivo que está acima de preferências pessoais. Quando todos lembram o que estão construindo juntos, o senso de colaboração tende a prevalecer. Choques de personalidade não são sinal de fracasso, mas de diversidade. O segredo está em transformar atrito em aprendizado — e equipe em aliança.

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    Inês Teixeira

    Coach e Mentora de Carreira | Especialista em Liderança de Equipas e Negócios | +20 anos de Experiência em Liderança Corporativa | Analista de Perfil Comportamental DISC e de Sabotadores

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    Na minha experiência, os choques de personalidade acontecem porque há gaps na comunicação. E para comunicar com eficácia, eu recomendo conhecer os perfis comportamentais de cada elemento, e do líder da equipa. A competência técnica de capa membro do projeto, na maior parte das vezes, é inquestionável. Por exemplo, o que falta é saber que um Executor não vê importância em demaisados detalhes, um Comunicador pode-se perder no seu próprio discurso e confundir os colegas, um Planeador não avança enquanto não tiver o seu plano "bem afinado" e todos os colegas sensibilizados, e um Analista não irá receber bem um feedback dado informalmente, no corredor... apenas alguns exemplos.

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