In the hotel environment, conflicts between team members, however minor they may seem, can create resentment that, if not addressed in time, can lead to cynicism, distrust and a decline in both individual and collective performance. How should leaders address this situation in a sector where collaboration and harmony are essential?
The intuitive response might be to arrange candid, albeit difficult, conversations between the parties in conflict. However, without a pre-existing foundation of trust and goodwill, these conversations rarely lead to the desired reconciliation. In fact, research shows that people tend to cooperate less when they expect others not to do so. Therefore, a more effective alternative may be to create
interdependence among employees who harbour resentment, making them reliant on one another to achieve shared goals.
The Interdependence Strategy
Think about the last time you desperately needed the help of a colleague with whom you did not have a good relationship, but who ultimately provided the support you needed. At that moment, your negative
feelings were likely eased by gratitude or relief at having received help. This situation can be replicated in the hotel environment, particularly in teams where collaboration is key to daily success.
This does not mean that longstanding conflicts are resolved instantly, but it does create a foundation of goodwill that makes future conversations more honest and constructive. This
strategy can be particularly useful in teams where resentment stems from middle management—individuals whose influence is crucial to team dynamics and hotel operations.
Creating Interdependence Builds Reciprocity
A classic psychology study conducted in the 1950s by Muzafer Sherif and his team perfectly illustrates this
strategy. The researchers divided a group of teenagers into two teams and pitted them against each other in various competitions. Despite having much in common, conflict between the teams escalated rapidly, creating a hostile environment.
To resolve this conflict, the researchers devised situations in which both teams had to work together to achieve shared goals, such as moving a giant rock blocking the camp's water supply. Over time, this mutual need for cooperation replaced hostile feelings with more favourable attitudes, laying the groundwork for a psychological theory known as
intergroup contact theory: it is difficult to hate someone you depend on.
In a hotel context, applying this theory means designing tasks that require collaboration between team members who do not get along. For example, a Front Office Manager who has friction with the Head of Guest Services might be required to work together on organising an important event, where success depends on close cooperation between the two. This need to work together can reduce resentment and foster more positive team dynamics.
How Hotel Leaders Can Address Resentment
To apply this
strategy in a hotel, the first step is to determine whether resentment within the team is serious enough to require intervention. If so, leaders should map out the ways in which team members in conflict need one another's expertise and resources. Projects should then be created or adapted to require their cooperation, framing the need to collaborate as an external pressure that cannot be resolved otherwise.
It is crucial to design these tasks with additional incentives that encourage successful collaboration. For example, employees could be offered a bonus if they jointly achieve a specific goal, such as improving guest satisfaction at an event or reducing check-in times during peak season. These incentives not only motivate cooperation but also create genuine interdependence, showing each employee that their success is tied to the other's success.
Solutions in Action
Imagine you manage a hotel sales team and your top salespeople are in conflict because each believes the other is trying to poach their clients. Rather than confronting them directly, you could create a shared objective that requires them to collaborate, such as designing and leading a training seminar for new salespeople. Through this project, both will need to cooperate to deliver an excellent seminar, and you could add an extra incentive, such as a bonus based on participant evaluations.
Another example might be a team member known as the "devil's advocate", who always warns of potential future problems. While these perspectives can be valuable, resentment towards this person may cause their warnings to be ignored. Assigning them a collaborative project with other team members on a less contentious matter, such as preparing a sales report, could help reduce tension and improve team dynamics.
Fostering interdependence among team members can be an effective
strategy for reducing resentment and improving collaboration. If leaders create incentives for cooperation and provide opportunities to build trust and positive feelings, individuals are more likely to work together, even if they do not initially like one another. After all, it is difficult to maintain resentment towards someone whose help you need.
