When does a team conflict need outside help?

Not every conflict requires an external facilitator, who can be useful when the team struggles to manage tensions on its own and these begin to affect collaboration, climate or results.

Some recurring signs are:

• conflicts that come back over time
• less participation in meetings
• recurring difficulties between functions or groups
• projects slowed down by misunderstandings
• informal communication that never becomes explicit discussion

An external facilitator can offer a neutral view and help make visible dynamics that are already present in the system, but have not yet been clarified and worked through.