Provide a brief explanation of the conflict scenario and any necessary background details. Describe the specific steps you took to help resolve the conflict as well as the results of your actions.

Times of conflict can be stressful and uncomfortable for a team. However, it is important to acknowledge and resolve the situation in a way that honors the opinions and feelings of the individuals involved. Remember to demonstrate empathy for the parties involved in the conflict. MBA candidates at MIT have well-developed soft skills and your ability to relate to others during times of conflict is a valuable skill.

I am an IT director and I manage four technology teams. My group was assigned a new high-profile client last quarter. Given the scope of their requests, it was unclear which of my teams was the best fit for their needs. I raised the opportunity in our leadership meeting, and several of my team leads jumped straight to their opinions about why other teams would be unable to handle the opportunity.

Things were tense, so I stepped in to help resolve the conflict. It was clear we needed to step back and look at the facts as opposed to engaging in a political war. I let everyone know I appreciated their passion for taking on new work, but we needed to focus on finding the right mix of resources for the job. We reviewed current projects, timelines, and resource allocations.

It became clear that none of the teams could adequately handle the new client on their own, so we ended up creating a new team comprised of talent from each of the four existing teams. This approach ensured that the needs of the new client were met while we worked to maintain the work we were already doing for our existing clients.

I feel confident I can use a similar approach should any conflicts arise during my projects at MIT. I remain calm, show empathy, and then encourage the team to find a fact-based or data-driven approach to moving forward.