Sthir Stories
Turning Anger into Action: A Case of Conflict Resolution and Team Transformation
Summary:
An IT services provider faced disruptive conflicts between two senior employees whose unmanaged anger was affecting team dynamics and project delivery.
Sthir’s targeted counselling, gender sensitization, and ongoing support helped the employees address triggers, understand each other’s perspectives, and develop a sustained, collaborative working relationship, positively impacting overall team culture.
Industry
Shipping & IT Management
Client
Client Name Withheld
Date
July 2022
Case Study
Challenge:
The client, a rapidly growing IT services provider in the shipping industry, approached us with a pressing issue cantered around the frequent expression of anger between two senior technical resources. Their inability to manage their anger led to constant clashes, severely impacting team dynamics and causing significant disruptions to service delivery. Although both individuals were highly skilled and dedicated, their ongoing outbursts and unresolved tension threatened project success and undermined team morale. Despite leadership’s attempts to mediate, the deep-rooted anger issues required professional intervention to restore harmony and productivity.
The Sthir Approach
Intervention:
Our mental health practice head conducted a comprehensive assessment, through in depth interviews with –
- The founders to understand the issue from the leadership’s perspective and the business impact of the conflict.
- Individual sessions with both employees to diagnose the underlying issues, which revealed that personal life stressors were exacerbating workplace tensions.
A tailored intervention plan was implemented, including:
- Individual counselling sessions to help both employees address their anger triggers.
- A gender sensitization session to foster mutual understanding and appreciation of different perspectives.
- Weekly reflective exercises and ongoing 24/7 counsellor support to help them practice new behaviours in real-time.
Over six weeks, the employees began to shift their behaviours and understand each other’s perspectives, culminating in a final joint session where they acknowledged each other’s positive changes and took onus of maintaining a healthy working relationship in the future too.
Outcome
Results:
Within six months, the conflicts were fully resolved. The employees stopped escalating issues to their leadership and developed a productive working relationship. One year later, the company leadership confirmed that the behavioural improvements were sustained, and both individuals had grown into better coaches for their teams.
Testimonial:
“The intervention transformed not just the working relationship between these two key team members but also positively impacted the overall team culture. Their cooperation now reflects the strong values of collaboration and mutual respect we aim for across the organization.”
Key Takeaways:
- Personal stressors can deeply influence workplace behavior. Recognizing and addressing these factors through professional intervention is crucial for sustained team harmony.
- Men and women may approach work differently, and understanding these differences can help teams collaborate more effectively.
- Long-lasting organizational change requires leadership commitment and a willingness to invest in team development.
