33. Your Team Is In Conflict. Should You Step In? | with Dr. Anna Miller, MD

Two highly capable professionals on your team are stuck in conflict, and somehow you’ve become responsible for fixing it. Stepping in may get things moving temporarily. But when you become the problem-solver every time, your team gets less practice having the difficult conversations they need to have without you. In this episode, orthopedic surgeon and physician leader Dr. Anna Miller shares how she guides colleagues through conflict without taking responsibility away from them. We talk about what to do when someone would rather give in than have a difficult conversation, how to uncover what people actually want when they’re stuck at an impasse, and how your own decisiveness can unintentionally make it harder for other people to speak. If you’re tired of getting pulled into other people’s conflict, this conversation will help you support your team without getting stuck in the middle. In This Episode 6:00 How to Stop Being the Person Who Solves Every Team Conflict, So Your People Learn to Solve Their Own 7:00 The One Question That Lets Two Stuck Colleagues Both Get What They Actually Want 8:00 How to Stay Fact-Based Instead of Story-Based While You're Mediating a High-Stakes Conflict 9:00 How to Help a Conflict-Avoidant Colleague Finally Have the Hard Conversation, Without Shutting Them Down Further 12:00 Why Your Fastest Decision-Making Habit Might Be Silencing Your Best People, and How to Catch It *** Resources Drama-Free Feedback Toolkit — $20 Give your team a clear, practical structure for providing difficult feedback, resolving conflict, or repairing a relationship. *** Other Episodes You’ll Love 32. Before You Quit Over One Difficult Colleague, Listen to This 29. What’s Really Driving Conflict on Your Team (And Why Many Leaders Miss It) *** Next Time Anna returns for a conversation about what to do when someone starts crying during a difficult conversation, so you can respond with compassion and still move the conversation forward. If this episode would be helpful to a colleague, please share it with them. That’s one of the best ways you can support the show! *** Have a question you'd like answered on the show? Click here to send me a message. Love this show? Leave a review to say thanks, or share it with your colleagues. ... More Resources for You: Explore Dr. Annie's Senior Leadership Coaching Programs Get the (free!) Drama-Free Leadership Starter Kit so you can eliminate interpersonal drama on your team. Connect with Dr. Annie online: LINKEDIN | WEBSITE ©Ⓟ 2025-2026 Annie Campanile, LLC. All rights reserved.