Yes, it can (I mean, if the answer were “no,” I wouldn’t really need a post about it would I!?). Bringing in a conflict consultant can generate negative outcomes. Obviously if the consultant mishandles the conflict, violates confidentiality, or is otherwise not competent, you will see bad results, though those cases are generally rare and there isn’t much you can do to prevent that, other than a solid vetting process when you’re bringing someone in.
What is more important to worry about are the situations where the consultant does their job, but things go sideways anyway.
Conflict consulting is more likely to backfire when one or more of the following conditions are present:
- The organization is looking for a quick fix. If leaders want one meeting to solve a long-running, layered conflict, people often leave feeling exposed rather than helped.
- The process is not aligned with the nature of the conflict. If the conflict is being driven by unclear roles, bad incentives, workload pressure, or unresolved leadership issues, treating it like an interpersonal mediation will produce an agreement that does not resolve the issues..
- One side is negotiating in bad faith. If either side isn’t fully committed to the process, there will be no follow up and things could get worse.
- The neutrality of the consultant isn’t established. If people believe the consultant is a proxy for HR, management, or one side of the conflict, they may withhold key information or treat the intervention as performative.
- Timing is wrong. If emotions are too raw, facts are still unclear, or a formal investigation needs to happen first, pushing into a facilitated process too early can increase tension.
It is up to the client AND the consultant to work together to avoid these traps.
The best time to stay ahead of these problems is during the contracting process. Having a clear conversation about the nature of the conflict or conflicts that are involved, and the details of the consulting or facilitation process to be used is the best way to avoid the backfires.
A few practices reduce the risk significantly:
- Diagnose before intervening. Do not assume every conflict needs mediation, coaching, or a joint meeting. Start by understanding what is driving it.
- Be honest about leadership’s role. If leaders are part of the problem, the solution cannot be designed as though they are neutral observers.
- Match the process to the situation. Some issues need one-on-one coaching, some need team facilitation, some need mediation, and some need formal HR action first.
- Prepare people well. Good preparation reduces surprises, increases trust, and helps participants understand what the process is and is not.
- Plan for follow-through. Conflict work is rarely resolved in one moment; agreements and insights need reinforcement afterward.
There is Always Risk
Bringing in a consultant to help with organizational conflict will always have some risk. It puts more attention on the conflict, so it raises the stakes. But you can take steps to minimize that risk, and remember two things: (1) even if things “get worse” after the first conflict conversation, sometimes things need to get a little worse before they get better, and (2) the cost of ignoring the conflict tend to outweigh the risks of something going sideways.
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