Conflict will (and should) occur; be prepared for it

Large groups of people always contain multiple perspectives based on different backgrounds, values, experiences, information, etc.

Therefore, in any large group of people we should expect conflict to occur.  In fact, if we don't see this conflict, it's highly unlikely that there are no actual problems.  It's much more likely that we are in a situation where perspectives are being withheld and problems are being hidden.  In Lean/Toyota lingo, the phrase would be:

No problem is a big problem

So we want to actually encourage conflict in the sense of encouraging openness about disagreement, which in turn suggests that it is essential that we are prepared to resolve conflict.

As an example of this kind of preparation, according to Jay Galbraith, Intel trains every new employee on their conflict resolution process and this process is posted on the wall in all the conference rooms.

I'm not familiar with the specific Intel approach but in terms of an actual conflict resolution process, I don't think you'll go wrong by starting with principled negotiation (see Getting to Yes, Getting Past No) which I'll sum up as:

• Separate the people from the problems
• Focus on interests (what do I/you want), not positions (how will we get there)
• Generate many options before deciding what to do (that is, look for Option C, D, E, F, etc.)
• Agree on the standard for deciding before deciding (see also Criteria First)