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R6 Siege:
Conflict Resolution

Set your mindset right for resolving arguments within your R6 Siege team!

"The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress."

- Joseph Joubert

Conflict Resolution
Definition

Conflict, the noun, has been defined by a dictionary as: “a situation in which people, groups, or countries are involved in a serious disagreement or argument” (link)

As this guide is dedicated to R6 Siege and specifically leadership, let’s focus on one particular situation: a verbal conflict within your own team.

We will discuss potential sources and types of conflicts in the Rainbow Six Siege team later on, but generally, in life, a disagreement is an effect of a discrepancy between people in interests, ideas, or needs.

When handled poorly, conflicts can significantly decrease performance on both individual and group levels. In fact, they can be detrimental to teamwork and chemistry levels within the group.

Is Conflict bad?

Conflict is neither good nor bad. Disagreements are a natural part of interactions between people, especially in a highly competitive environment.

In fact, the lack of conflicts is often a sign of the absence of deeper interactions within a group.
What I propose is to measure a conflict depending on how your team managed it and how constructive was the outcome.

If handled well by involved players, an argument can result in strengthening the relationship between teammates. On the other hand, teams that struggle with conflicts may be devastated by its effects.

TYPES OF CONFLICTS

There are various classifications of conflicts, depending on the industry, such a classification relates to and the person’s focal points.

For the purpose of this guide, I propose that we split conflicts to:

Emotional

As the name indicates, it is a type of conflict where the emotions of people are at the source.
The primary emotions that tend to cause such a conflict are fear, jealousy, insecurity, frustration.
Indication fear as the source might seem odd as people who start arguments tend to be rather aggressive in their position, don’t they?
 
Understand: Under anger, there is always fear.
It might not be the most apparent emotion emanating from people. People do not want to show that they are afraid, hell, they might not even realize why they’re angry. But if you look close enough and think through the eyes of other people, then you will find fear in one form or another.
 
Where do such emotional conflicts come from?
Everyone has emotional needs like the desire to belong, of status, recognition. If such desires are left unrecognized and suppressed, they eventually escalate and result in tensions.

Substantive

The second type of conflict that we all may encounter during our time with R6 Siege is more rational.
 
Substantive conflicts will still arise due to differing opinions and may be heated.
However, at their core, such disagreements focus on tangible areas:
 
  • tactics
  • role assignment
  • performance expectations
  • or misunderstanding in goals
 
In short, those disagreements are about recognition of the problem (i.e., winning the match) and proposed solutions (i.e., strategy).

Sources of Conflict

The below list contains the most common sources of conflict. Not every argument may initially seem to come from those.
 
However, if you look closer, you will most likely find a root cause somewhere here:

UNCLEAR ROLES

Defining roles is especially useful prevention measure for R6 Siege teams that are serious about improvement and with a competitive spirit.
Doing so prevents unhealthy internal competition that eventually may escalate to conflict.
Additionally, a lack of clarity in roles can lead to frustration.

LACK OF COMMUNICATION

Ideas, information, and messages must flow clearly between a leader and the team, as well as between team members.
Poor communication eventually results in assumptions and misunderstandings. Leave it unchecked for long enough, and conflict is just a matter of time.

PERSONALITIES CLASH

At the root of this source of conflict is the inability for two (or more) people to get along. Some people just don’t work together too well.
No specific incident or problem will trigger this type of conflict.
Such a case can occur especially in teams created from multiple “star players.”

UNRESOLVED MINOR ISSUES

Isolated and attended to, small differences are insignificant. However, if we let enough little problems slip through unrecognized, they will eventually escalate to significant conflict.
 
Example: Praising top KD players on the team, while not appreciating your support player for a well-done job. Little frustration appears but is not noticed by teammates.

MISALIGNED GOALS
& EXPECTATIONS

Team, as well as individual goals, need to be aligned to avoid conflicts within a group.
 
Example: An individual player expects to be in a spotlight and focuses on improving KD, while the team wants to improve communication and execution of strategies.

POOR LEADERSHIP

Lastly, lackluster quality of your skills and piss poor mindset as a leader of the R6 team can result in conflicts.
 
Do the opposite of our suggestions in leadership basics or communication guides, and you are likely to create some unnecessary drama in the team.

HOW TO:
CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Now that we’ve got some theory discussed, let’s get to practical and actionable tips that will help you with this inevitable part of leading a team.
 
You do not have to use all the tips all the time. Please treat below as general guidance on the subject and pick your own techniques. Adapt to the situation at hand and be open!
Despite your best intentions, some conflicts are bound to happen.
First, let’s establish a goal in resolving the conflict as a leader of the R6 Siege team.
Despite what your ego may attempt to achieve, the goal is not winning the disagreement. Nor is it making others lose the argument.
Your main objective is: To reach mutual understanding and agree on a solution.
 
With the above goal in mind, let’s get to specifics on how to achieve it:

How to Start?

ACKNOWLEDGE THE DISAGREEMENT

It is almost like 12 steps of AA (Anonymous Alcoholics) group. Their program got the point, though.
The first step you need to make as a leader and as a team is to agree that you have a conflict.
You cannot proceed further constructively unless everyone involved realizes it.
Once you recognize the problem, you can move on to cooperate towards the solution.
 
Understand: The natural instinct is to avoid conflict. We tend to put more emphasis on immediate gain (current peace of mind) than on the long-term implications of such a decision (recurrence and escalation in the future). Do the opposite, what’s not comfortable at the moment, and face the conflict!

INITIATE COOPERATIVE SPIRIT

Both involved parties need to be willing to cooperate to achieve constructive resolution.
If one person is in fight-or-flight mode, then cooperation will not be possible.
I suggest you initiate such an approach. Though, bear in mind that you cannot enforce people’s willingness for cooperation.
Thus, don’t order such a course of action, propose it instead!
 
Example:
TheLegend27, perhaps we could try to understand each other first and then reach an agreement. What do you think?
Most people will agree. If your teammates are not ready for cooperation, then take a step back and give them some time. Negative emotions are likely the obstacle, so wait them out if possible.

DON'T GET PERSONAL

No, really – don’t take another person’s opposing view as a disparaging assessment of you as a player, leader, or as a person!
Disagreements are natural in teamwork and are not an indication of your worth, nor theirs.
In fact, they rarely have much to do with you personally. Most of us think about ourselves first and foremost.
 
Furthermore, don’t attack other peoples’ opinions and beliefs. Do your best to think about the conflict the same way as you would if you heard about it from a friend.

DON'T BLAME

As mentioned in forewords to this section of the guide – it is not about who is right or wrong; it is about reaching an agreement.
The blame game won’t help to achieve that.
The only things blame accomplishes are deepening the conflict and showing the weakness of your character. And you don’t want that, do you?

COOPERATION

FOCUS ON THEIR POINT OF VIEW FIRST

Everyone wants to be understood. That applies to you….and people you have a conflict with.
The natural tendency is to try to be understood first.
Have you ever witnessed a discussion or conflict in which both people attempt to get their points across first? Ye, me too. Such an argument wasn’t going well, was it?
 
Most people won’t listen – be different. You can do that by either asking them for their opinion or stating your perception of their side. Either way works great!
If you’re worried about being understood, then have no fear. People will listen to you even better once they feel appreciated. Seriously. You will be amazed by how helpful and constructive this is.
 
Examples:
Perhaps you could tell me, why are you upset? I would like to understand you better.
I think I get your point. Let me try to put it in words and then see if I understand you correctly, ok?

LISTEN ATTENTIVELY

Most of us listen to reply, especially in conflicts. We rarely seek to understand what another person is saying entirely, not to mention reading between the lines.
Instead, we grab bits and pieces here and there, while trying to prepare our statement and arguments.
 
Understand: What matters most is how the other person feels. Facts and your opinion matter way less than you think when it comes to resolving a conflict.
Next time, try not to think about how you will respond, focus entirely on what the person says. Try to think from their perspective, to understand them.

LIST POINTS OF BOTH SIDES

Now that you got their point and shared your own (check effective communication guide), it is time to wrap up a mutual understanding of opinions.
Sum it up and list everyone’s sides to ensure you avoid misunderstandings.
 
This is especially helpful in case the argument is based on substantive differences.
However, you can still use it well for the emotional type of conflict. This can be especially helpful if emotions were exaggerated – stating points out loud may help understand feelings.
 

REaching Solution

BRAINSTORM IDEAS

Make sure everyone involved in the argument can share their opinion on how to solve the issue.
Instinctively you may want to tell others your point first. Just like in the previous section, I recommend that you let others share their ideas first.
 
Why?
First, you may get a better idea than yours was, to begin with.
Secondly, and more importantly, people like their ideas more than those from others.
Therefore, you want to make others think the solution came from them. Even if your idea is better or was just the same. Your ego may not like this suggestion, but make it sound like it came from them, with the addition of your own bit that upgrades their idea.

LOOK FOR WIN-WIN

A win-win solution is the one that makes everyone involved content with the resolution of the disagreement.
 
A common misconception in seeking win-win solutions is that people think you have to be nice and prioritize agreeing to what another person wants. But that’s not always true – watch out for lose-win scenarios disguised as a win-win!

DON'T ENFORCE, PROPOSE INSTEAD

This is especially applicable if no solution proposed by team members satisfies everyone.
Make sure you don’t attempt to force people into agreeing to the conclusion. Nobody follows and respects such agreements.
If needed, propose taking time so that everyone can think of better solutions than offered.

HOW TO
PREVENT CONFLICTS

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Benjamin Franklin
Preventing conflict is probably the best way to handle one, wouldn’t you agree?
 
Though there are a couple of things to bear in mind while developing the ability to prevent conflicts.
First, it won’t bring you external recognition. Your R6 Siege team (and even you) will see only a limited impact of your prevention efforts.
Yes, prevention is a funny thing – its impact is enormous, but rarely anybody sees and appreciates it.
 
Secondly, you may not be able to prevent every conflict. Nonetheless, attempting doing so may decrease damage done by the argument itself and prepare you for resolving a disagreement.
Thus, adhering to the below tips will benefit you in both scenarios.

DON'T IGNORE EARLY SIGNS

A good rule of thumb here is to consider potential conflict arising at 2nd occurrence of similar signals.
Once signs of arising tension are spotted, do the hard thing – avoid the temptation to ignore conflict.
 
Example:
Your teammate gets slightly irritated a few times with being required to play Thatcher on the attack.

LOOK FOR A ROOT CAUSE

The earlier you realize the potential source of conflict, the higher are your chances of preventing escalation of the problem.
 
Often what seems to be the root cause is in fact just a syndrome. Therefore, it is best to look for underlying issues. 

USE EMPATHY

If you sense a rising negative emotion from your R6 Siege teammate(s), then put yourself in their skin. Assume their position.
This may help you in a couple of ways.
First, you will be less judgmental about the other person.
Second, you may figure out underlying problems.
 
Example:
Your teammate starts getting unhappy with being designated as the defuser planter.
Imagine his POV, the pressure he feels to clutch in unfavorable situations. Perhaps your team blames him for losses? Or entry fraggers brag about their high KD when he has lower due to the role?

COMMUNICATE OPENLY

I honestly believe that the vast majority of conflicts can be prevented by merely discussing concerns and issues before they escalate in our minds.
Unfortunately, people tend to wait with having such a conversation, often until it is too late.
 
Initiating a tough conversation with another person is not an easy choice at the moment, but can save you from even tougher ones in the future.

KEEP EMOTIONS ON A LEASH

Don’t let your emotions and ego get in your way.
Emotions come and go, most of them are irrational. Don’t let them get the best of you.
 
Stay cool, calm, and collected!

ESTABLISH TRUST

Building an environment of trust in a group will take time. In fact, trust is a culmination of your work, not an isolated action.
Building trust is more about how you act towards others on a day-to-day basis. If you follow principles from leadership basics and communicate using our effective communication guide, then I am sure you will eventually establish an environment of mutual trust in your R6 Siege team. Be patient, trust is earned not given!
 
Why is trust important?
The way people approach any potential tension differs significantly depending on levels of trust.
When trust is present, teammates will naturally assume the leader considers the best interest of the R6 Siege team, as well as team members.
In cases where trust is absent, folks tend to assume harmful and malicious intent.
 

SUMMARY:

  • Conflict is an inevitable part of working in a team
  • Judge argument (good or bad) based on outcomes and your team’s ability to handle them
  • Conflicts can be based on either emotional aspect or substantive
  • The main sources of arguments are: missing element of clarity in both communication and roles, ignoring minor issues, as well as lack of direction
  • The main objective of conflict resolution is to reach mutual understanding and agree on the solution.
  • Start disagreement by ensuring that you’re: aware of the conflict, cooperative and focused on the resolution
  • Thorough the discussion remain empathic, open and listen to others
  • Prevention is the best solution to conflicts, but not always possible to achieve
  • Do the hard thing – don’t ignore signs, talk to others, be honest
  • Don’t go for easy immediate wins which would endanger element of trust within the team. Trust is the most important quality in a team.

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