Conflict Diagnosis Tool
Identify what type of conflict is present in your team and match it to the right intervention. Four categories, four different solutions.
Purpose: Not all conflict is the same. Task conflict (disagreement about what to do), process conflict (disagreement about how), relationship conflict (personal friction), and status conflict (competition for recognition and authority) each need different responses. Treating relationship conflict as if it were task conflict, or vice versa, typically makes things worse. This tool helps you diagnose which type is dominant before you decide how to respond. Adapted from De Dreu and Weingart (2003) and Thomas (1992).
Instructions: Rate each statement from 1 (Not at all true of our team right now) to 5 (Very true of our team right now). You can complete this individually or share it with the team for a collective view.
1.Task Conflict
Task conflict is disagreement about goals, priorities, and what the right outcome looks like. In moderate doses it improves decisions; at high intensity it paralyses progress.
The team frequently disagrees about priorities and which work matters most right now
There are genuine differences of opinion about the right approach to key decisions or projects
People have different views about what success looks like on current work
We often reach alignment slowly because underlying disagreements about goals aren't resolved
There are unresolved questions about what the team's goals or direction should be
2.Process Conflict
Process conflict is friction about how work gets done: who does what, how decisions are made, what the process should be. It's often mistaken for task conflict but the intervention is different.
There is friction about how work is organised or who is responsible for what
Roles and responsibilities are unclear or regularly disputed
There are ongoing debates about the right process, method, or way of working
Coordination is difficult because people disagree about how decisions should be made
Time is lost to re-doing work or duplicating effort because accountability isn't clear
3.Relationship Conflict
Relationship conflict is personal friction, distrust, and tension between individuals. It's the most damaging type for team performance because it persists even when the task or process issue is resolved.
There is personal tension or hostility between individuals in the team
Trust between team members is genuinely low
Disagreements frequently become personal rather than staying focused on the issue
There are people who actively avoid or undermine each other in this team
Past incidents continue to colour how people interact now
4.Status & Power Conflict
Status conflict is competition for recognition, credit, authority, and influence. It often runs underneath other types of conflict as a hidden driver, and it's rarely named directly.
Competition for recognition, credit, or influence is causing problems in the team
There are disputes about who has authority to make certain decisions
People feel their contribution is undervalued compared to others
Competition between individuals or factions gets in the way of collaboration
There are unresolved questions about seniority, decision rights, or who leads on what