Although workplace conflict sometimes seems unavoidable, it is important to find ways to resolve conflicts and prevent these scenarios in the future.
Fortunately, it's possible to turn conflicts into opportunities for growth and collaboration. Today, we'll explore 12 conflict resolution activities for teams to foster an integrated work environment.
Conflict in the Workplace: What Does the Data Say?
Conflict forms part of workplace dynamics in almost all industries. Team members argue with each other over small or significant differences, and the key is always to find a solution to the problem.
The following statistics reveal the impact of workplace conflicts from different perspectives:
- Unresolved conflicts at work can heavily affect teams. According to Zipdo, unresolved conflicts can negatively impact a company's success rate by 20-30%. Moreover, 88% of employees believe that unresolved conflicts lead to unhealthy work environments and problems in team dynamics;
- Although conflict in the workplace is rather common, the statistics show that resolving conflict is crucial for the majority of team members. The Niagara Institute found out that 80.6% of workers are not afraid to have a “difficult conversation” if it can move the conflict toward a mutually beneficial solution;
- Workplace conflict resolution tends to be a bottleneck in workplaces. According to a study by PRN, 1 out of 4 team members believe their managers handle group conflict poorly. Additionally, over 36% of employees think that workplace conflict is more common than it was a few years ago.
How to Choose Conflict Resolution Events in 3 Steps
Managing workplace conflicts can be challenging - the point is not to favor one person over the other, but to understand the reasons that have led to conflict and find common ground.
Consequently, selecting a conflict resolution game or activity is a process that demands a comprehensive understanding of the situation:
- Step 1 - Identify the Nature of the Conflict: What triggered conflict in the workspace? Was it interpersonal situations, or task disagreements? The first step to choosing a path to conflict resolution is to focus on the nature of the problem. Listen to each side of the story—more than one person should give their opinion on the conflict—and use this information to determine the next step.
- Step 2 - Choose an Appropriate Activity: The first step to choosing an appropriate activity is to not assume one party is right and the other one is wrong - see the different scenarios before choosing a game to play. According to SHRM, one of the main reasons for workplace conflict is poor communication. Find a healthy way to promote active listening, collaboration, and teamwork through a game that integrates the parties in question and other participants as well;
- Step 3 - Encourage Participation to Avoid Future Conflicts: Practice an activity that teaches the whole team how to solve, prevent, and avoid future conflicts. Discuss whether the activity was effective or not, and write down things that can be improved to avoid similar scenarios in the future.
12 Conflict Resolution Activities for Teams
The following 12 conflict resolution activities will provide your team with the tools they need to navigate and address workplace conflicts - let’s check them out.
1. Activities that Encourage Communication
As mentioned before, poor communication is one of the main catalysts behind workplace conflicts.
Choosing a communication team building activity is a great way to foster communication and teach all team members how to express their feelings and ideas without hurting others.
Some games and activities include blindfold races, instant artist, and classic charade games.
Another alternative is to try Teamland’s Effective Communication Workshop. This workshop, imparted by an expert host, teaches hybrid teams how to enhance their communication skills to improve productivity and workplace harmony.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: Hybrid and in-office groups, depending on the type of activity chosen.
2. Conflict Resolution Workshop
Having the practical skills required to solve work-related conflicts is easier with the help of professionals.
Teamland’s Conflict Resolution Workshop enables managers, team members, and company leaders to effectively manage and resolve potential conflicts within a company.
The workshop includes role-playing exercises with hypothetical scenarios that help participants develop emotional intelligence and empathy toward others.
Conflicts can be costly for teams in all industries, and by equipping employees with conflict-resolution skills, it’s possible to improve business performance, foster a more respectful workplace, and create a more productive company culture.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 5 hours.
- Group Type: All group sizes (hybrid groups).
3. Conflict Storytelling
Conflict Storytelling is a creative way to resolve conflicts among several team members.
To play this game, two teams will choose conflicts from popular movies or stories that feature protagonists who have experienced and successfully solved problems between them.
Some examples include Captain America and Iron Man, Harry Potter, and Ron Wesley, and Sherlock Holmes and Watson.
Each team will defend one character, and after a while, they will switch sides to see different points of view on the same conflict. Creative writing can be integrated into this simple yet highly entertaining game, successfully teaching your coworkers how to handle a workplace conflict scenario as a united team.
- Activity Duration: From 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
4. Problem-Solving Team Building Activities
Solving problems together is one of the best ways to foster teamwork and create meaningful bonds in the workspace.
Team building problem-solving activities are designed to prepare team members for collaborative scenarios, reinforcing vital problem-solving skills in different ways.
Some activities include egg drop games, “Stranded on a Desert Island,” virtual and in-person escape rooms, and more.
By tackling these activities from a conflict-resolution perspective, it’s possible to enhance team dynamics, foster effective communication, and create a shared problem-solving mindset.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: All group types and sizes, depending on the activity chosen.
5. AITA
“Am I the A**hole?” or AITA, is a dynamic originated in Reddit that consists of explaining conflictive personal and work-related situations to determine which party is wrong.
By integrating this dynamic into the office, it is possible to help team members identify whether their point of view is wrong or not.
To play AITA, ask the workers to explain the situation that led to the conflict, and ask participants to give their opinions.
It is important to be respectful at all times - otherwise, AITA can lead to a more heated discussion, which isn’t the goal of the activity.
- Activity Duration: From 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
6. Conflict Confessions
Conflict Confessions is a classic conflict resolution game. This exercise consists of listening to the different perspectives of workplace conflicts, from a neutral point of view, and asking different groups to give their opinions from multiple angles.
Each opinion should be given partially to prevent different parties from arguing with each other.
The objective is not to determine if someone is wrong or mistaken - the goal is to encourage team members to open up about workplace-related conflicts and get real-time, honest feedback.
At the end of the game, the two parties will learn how to handle conflict and solve problems.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: All group sizes and types.
7. You Said, I Heard
“You Said, I Heard” is a communication game that teaches team members how to improve their communication skills.
All the participants will talk to each other - the first speaker says something like “You Said: you need to log in at 9:00 AM every day, I Heard: you are always late to work.”
Then, the other person responds: “I Said: you need to log in at 9:00 AM every day, I Meant: my supervisors require me to keep control of employees work time, which is stressful.”
This will form a discussion based on having a better understanding of the tough situations that might arise at work, learning how to manage conflicts based on improved communication.
- Activity Duration: From 30 to 45 minutes.
- Group Type: Small and medium-sized hybrid teams.
8. Public Speaking with Confidence
It’s clear that communication plays an important role in preventing conflicts inside the office.
Based on this, participating in Teamland’s Public Speaking with Confidence workshop will empower all team members and professionals with the tools they need to communicate effectively.
This workshop, designed to learn how to speak in public, contributes to conflict resolution, as participants will learn how to clearly communicate their ideas with clarity and efficiency.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 5 hours.
- Group Type: All group types and sizes.
9. Go on a Company Outing Activity
Company outings in open spaces help to improve workers’ mental health and create meaningful connections among team members.
Some of the most famous company outing ideas include participating in City Scavenger Hunts, going to the beach to engage in a Sandcastle War, and going to a local go-kart venue to have some fun together.
Integrating hands-on and engaging activities into the office works to resolve conflicts, as the team spirit is ignited and all team members feel closer to each other.
For remote teams that can’t go to outdoor activities together, it’s possible to integrate virtual events, such as video game nights and virtual escape rooms.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: Small, medium, and big-size in-office teams.
10. Empathy and Diversity Activities
The lack of empathy and respect in office spaces tends to lead to more conflicts among coworkers.
To avoid this scenario from happening, fostering and embracing diversity through diversity team building activities is a great starting point.
Diversity and empathy activities are designed to teach all team members how to treat others regardless of their ethnicity, sexual orientation, and beliefs.
This leads to the creation of a more empathic and harmonious work environment, solving and preventing future potential conflicts.
- Activity Duration: From 1 to 2 hours.
- Group Type: All group types (remote, in-office, and hybrid, depending on the activity).
11. Team Management Feedback
Team managers are the main individuals in charge of solving and preventing conflicts among each team member of the office.
By teaching managers how to provide employee feedback, it’s possible to create a more suitable environment where conflicts can be solved efficiently.
Educating managers and employees about the need for conflict resolution skills will give them the tools to quickly identify, address, and resolve potential office problems.
- Activity Duration: From 45 minutes to 1:30 hours.
- Group Type: All group types and sizes.
12. Participate in Wellness Programs
Your team’s well-being is one of the most important factors to watch out for. Poor mental health and high levels of stress can contribute to conflicts in the workspace.
This creates the need to find healthy ways through wellness-based conflict resolution activities led by experts.
When your team’s mental health and well-being are on point, it’s easier to de-escalate and prevent potential conflicts.
- Activity Duration: From 2 to 3 hours.
- Group Type: In-office and remote teams of all sizes.
13. Human Matter
Human Matter fosters team connection through deep, meaningful conversations, addressing the challenge of workplace disconnection in flexible work environments.
The activity is designed to help participants explore feelings of disconnection, learn to reconnect, and understand the essence of belonging within their team.
This experience is especially beneficial for improving cooperation, meaningful engagement, farewells, networking, and welcoming new hires.
- Activity Duration: 1 hour.
- Group Type: Suitable for virtual and hybrid events, accommodating 6 to 500+ participants.
Summary: 12 Conflict Resolution Games and Activities for Teams
The following 12 conflict resolution exercises are the key to fostering a harmonious work environment for you and your team:
- Activities that Encourage Communication: Engage in communication-fostering activities to reduce misunderstandings.
- Conflict Resolution Workshop: A structured workshop designed to equip individuals with practical tools and strategies for addressing and resolving conflicts in the workplace.
- Conflict Storytelling: Participants draw inspiration from popular conflicts in movies, switching sides to gain empathy and explore creative solutions to enhance conflict resolution skills.
- Problem-Solving Team Building Activities: Engaging activities designed to enhance problem-solving skills within a team setting, encouraging collaboration and innovative thinking.
- AITA (Am I the A**hole): Encourage team members to consider different perspectives and reflect on their own actions in potential conflict situations.
- Conflict Confessions: Make team members confess the reasons behind the conflicts and understand different points of view from an impartial perspective.
- You Said, I Heard: A discussion-based activity fostering a better understanding of tough workplace situations through structured communication, minimizing misunderstandings.
- Public Speaking with Confidence: Participate in a workshop led by a professional to enhance team member’s communication abilities in public;
- Go on a Company Outing Activity: Hands-on and engaging activities during company outings that facilitate team bonding, ultimately contributing to a positive and collaborative work environment.
- Empathy and Diversity Activities: Exercises designed to promote empathy, understanding, and appreciation for diversity, addressing potential sources of conflicts related to differences.
- Team Management Feedback: Provide managers and employees with feedback to foster their conflict resolution skills.
- Participate in Wellness Programs: Participate in events focusing on stress reduction and mental well-being to create a healthier and more resilient work environment.
