How do you help two team members get on the same page?

Team dynamics can feel complicated, especially when it seems like two people are constantly working against each other. As a leader, you’re left wondering how to step in without making things worse. The truth is, these situations are rarely about people not liking each other – most of the time, it’s simply a clash of working styles or priorities. And with the right approach, you can help those team members connect, understand each other, and move forward together.

This question was unpacked by Dr. Khristin Highet, a clinical psychologist and founder of Mind Evolution Enterprises who has spent over 15 years supporting creative professionals and workplace wellbeing, and Nick Hunter, Co-founder and CEO of Paper Moose, a B Corp certified creative agency. Andy Wright, founder of Never Not Creative and CEO of Streamtime, facilitated the discussion.

Start with the shared goal

Khristin recommends grounding the conversation in a common purpose: "It can be helpful to determine what the shared goal or objective is between these two people and even if this shared goal is an overarching organizational one, if that's the thing that gets them together at least it's a talking point." This is the first step to moving away from “us versus them” and towards “us versus the challenge.”

Once you’ve established that shared goal, help each team member see how their unique approach contributes to achieving it. This shifts the focus from defending their own perspective to working collaboratively toward a bigger picture.

Understand different working styles

One of the most important reminders from Khristin is that differences are often about working styles, not personalities: "More often than not when there is sort of like a misalignment within a team is that because it's because of these different work styles."

She shares an example: "Someone could be particularly outcome or goal focused and therefore not necessarily that interested in the finer details and that's just how they operate and how they process information. On the other hand there could be someone who's very detailed and process oriented and so therefore it takes them they like to take the time to think things through."

Taking the time to acknowledge these differences helps people feel seen and understood. It also gives you a foundation to work from when suggesting new ways forward.

Try the perspective switch technique

Nick introduces a technique inspired by Kim Scott’s "Radical Candor": "Getting them to switch roles and argue the point of the other one as if it was theirs. It's a great way of sort of immediately going oh okay I understand now what their point of view was and I understand where they were coming from because I've argued their point and I've argued it from their perspective."

This exercise can be a game changer. It forces each person to step outside their own viewpoint and can quickly build empathy.

Identify the barriers

Khristin also suggests asking deeper questions about what’s getting in the way: "Determining what it is about the situation that makes it most difficult for them to accept the other person's point of view or approach because this can really help to identify the barriers to them feeling that they can't move forward."

Uncovering these barriers is critical. Otherwise, you risk addressing surface-level symptoms instead of the real issues holding your team back.

Find the middle ground together

Rather than imposing a solution, Khristin advises involving both people in finding a way forward: "Ask them both what would they feel would be a helpful way forward and how can their ideas be met in the middle... summarize back their ideas and what they actually identified as that middle ground and to ask them specifically are they happy with this middle ground as a starting point."

This collaborative approach helps each person feel heard and gives them ownership over the solution.

Set up communication preferences early

Nick recommends setting expectations from the start: "Openly discussing at the beginning of a project as to how you like to communicate and your kind of modes of communication can also be kind of helpful to understand the way that you work, because often that happens with new teams as well."

Clarifying communication preferences early can prevent misunderstandings before they become major issues.

Moving forward with confidence

Helping two team members get on the same page isn’t about forcing them to think or work the same way. It’s about helping them understand and value each other’s strengths and creating a safe space where collaboration can happen. As Nick points out, both people are ultimately "on the same team and they're trying to achieve this ultimate goal."

Conflicts like these are a normal part of leading a creative team. When handled with patience, curiosity, and empathy, they can actually strengthen your team’s culture and performance. Diverse perspectives are powerful – sometimes they just need a little support to align.

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