How to manage the clash of egos in organizations?

As the popular saying goes, “Unity is strength,” a motto that appears on the coats of arms or coins of Belgium, Bolivia, or Canada, to name just a few. We cannot overlook the fact that, in today's organizations, teamwork is one of the most in-demand competencies internally and one of the most sought-after qualities when selecting candidates.

On the other hand, creating and strengthening organizational structures that foster these synergies becomes a real challenge within organizations, requiring the promotion of the communication and knowledge networks necessary for teamwork to thrive with all the right guarantees.

The great challenge for organizations is knowing how to manage their teams, identifying the needs of each member, facilitating their participation and, of course, supporting them when difficulties arise. But if there is one thing inherent to human relationships, it is conflict. The origin of conflict is largely based on hostility, resentment, or distrust, which become obstacles to moving forward on the right path.

“Conflicts arrive, and they take on different forms, such as: lack of communication, opposing interests, conflicting opinions, incompatible personalities, arguments, fights… all of this reflects the hidden need to be right.”

When our clients talk to us about their needs regarding team management, they all highlight the time wasted on the “clash of egos.” Hence the importance of building work teams that are not only united by their training and ability, but also whose personalities fit together in a balanced way to manage conflicts optimally.

The clash of egos is related to any sign of defeat or humiliation in front of others, something that makes you feel sad and furious at the same time. In life, we are taught to win, but we must also be willing to learn.

On many occasions, conflicts are perceived from a distance when we get to know the personalities that make up the teams, their different communication styles, their eagerness to assert their authority, etc. Conflicts arrive, and they take on different forms, such as: lack of communication, opposing interests, conflicting opinions, incompatible personalities, arguments, fights… all of this reflects the hidden need to be right.

Relational talent is positioned as a key piece in the proper functioning of the organization and the achievement of its objectives. In this sense, the market offers those who manage people in organizations human behavior assessment methodologies that make it possible to identify different personality traits and the way people interact. The leading methodology in this area is called DISC, created by psychologist William M. Marston, which identifies four predominant patterns in human beings: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness.

This type of methodology contributes to creating effective relationships that ensure greater results and greater satisfaction among its members. The reasons for the success of using this methodology are:

• It allows each individual to understand their own style, detecting behavioral tendencies with the rest of their colleagues.
• It develops empathy through a deep understanding of the needs of each style and personality.
• It develops relational talent to design and implement strategies that facilitate understanding and cohesion with others.
• It increases people's self-awareness, generating awareness of those areas that may be limiting their development.

Based on these premises and with useful tools at our disposal, from personnel management departments, we can make relationships flow in the right direction, anticipating potential conflicts and facilitating the search for solutions if we cannot avoid them.

Sara Martos

Director of Talent Acquisition and Development