Best Examples of Conflict Resolution Skills Review Examples for 2024–2025

Strong examples of conflict resolution skills review examples for high performers

When someone consistently navigates conflict well, your review should go beyond “good communicator.” You want to highlight how they diagnose issues, involve the right people, and protect relationships while still driving results.

Here are high-performing examples of conflict resolution skills review examples you can adapt:

Manager-to-employee example (top rating)
“Regularly turns tense situations into productive problem-solving. During the Q2 product launch, facilitated a structured discussion between Sales and Engineering when deadlines slipped. Clarified each team’s constraints, steered the group away from blame, and guided them to a revised plan that protected the customer launch date while reducing overtime by 18%. Team members from both groups reported in our engagement survey that they felt ‘heard and respected’ during the process.”

Peer feedback example (cross-functional leader)
“Acts as a neutral facilitator when disagreements surface between teams. In weekly cross-functional standups, you consistently summarize different viewpoints, ask clarifying questions, and propose next steps everyone can accept. Your approach reduces back-channel complaints and helps us resolve conflicts in the meeting instead of letting them fester.”

Self-review example (senior individual contributor)
“This year I focused on addressing conflict early instead of letting frustrations build. When the data team and I disagreed about reporting priorities, I scheduled a joint working session, asked each person to list their top three needs, and proposed a shared roadmap. As a result, we cut duplicate report requests by 30% and improved turnaround times without escalating to leadership.”

These high-performing examples include specific behaviors: naming issues early, facilitating dialogue, and driving to a clear agreement. They also connect conflict resolution to outcomes like engagement, project timelines, and reduced rework.

Solid performer examples of conflict resolution skills review examples

Not everyone is a natural mediator, and that’s fine. Many employees are solid at handling conflict when it arises, even if they don’t actively seek out tough conversations. Your review should acknowledge strengths while nudging them toward more proactive behaviors.

Manager-to-employee example (meets expectations)
“Handles interpersonal disagreements calmly and professionally. When you and a colleague disagreed about ownership of a client account, you requested a brief meeting with your manager to clarify expectations rather than arguing over email. You listened to feedback, accepted the final decision, and maintained a positive working relationship, which helped preserve continuity for the client.”

Peer feedback example (reliable collaborator)
“You’re respectful during disagreements and rarely escalate tension. In team meetings, you’re willing to say when you disagree, but you keep your tone neutral and focus on the work, not the person. It would be helpful to see you take a more active role in surfacing underlying issues instead of waiting for others to bring them up.”

Self-review example (developing confidence)
“I’ve become more comfortable speaking up when I see conflicting priorities. When Marketing and I had different expectations about campaign timelines, I scheduled a call instead of continuing a long email thread. We walked through each step and adjusted the plan. I’d like to improve at raising concerns earlier, before deadlines feel at risk.”

These examples of conflict resolution skills review examples show someone who is steady under pressure, follows process, and protects relationships, even if they’re not yet a go-to conflict facilitator.

Needs-improvement examples of conflict resolution skills review examples

Sometimes you need to be candid that an employee’s approach to conflict is creating risk: missed deadlines, disengaged teammates, or formal complaints. The key is to be specific about behaviors and outcomes, and to suggest concrete next steps.

Manager-to-employee example (needs improvement)
“Tends to avoid addressing conflict directly, which allows issues to escalate. During the Q1 scheduling dispute with the customer support team, you expressed frustration in group chats but did not initiate a conversation with the stakeholders involved. The conflict eventually reached HR when a teammate reported feeling undermined. In the next review period, you need to raise concerns directly with the people involved and use our conflict resolution framework before escalating to HR.”

Peer feedback example (impact on team morale)
“When disagreements arise, you sometimes make sarcastic comments or withdraw from conversations. During the sprint planning discussion in March, this made it harder for the team to understand your concerns and contributed to tension in the room. More direct communication about what you need would help the team resolve issues faster.”

Self-review example (honest but constructive)
“I recognize that I often shut down when conflict appears, especially in larger meetings. This year, I sometimes used email to vent instead of having a direct, solution-focused conversation. I’ve started using our company’s conflict management training and plan to practice stating my perspective calmly and asking more questions in the moment.”

These needs-improvement examples of conflict resolution skills review examples avoid labels like “difficult” or “emotional.” Instead, they describe observable behaviors and their impact on the team and business.

Hybrid and remote work: conflict resolution review examples for 2024–2025

Conflict looks different when half the team is on video and half is in the office. Misunderstandings over chat, tone-free emails, and camera-off meetings can all create friction. Surveys from organizations like the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and research covered by Harvard Business Review have highlighted rising conflict in hybrid teams, especially around workload, responsiveness, and meeting norms.

Here are updated examples of conflict resolution skills review examples tailored to hybrid and remote work:

Manager-to-employee example (remote team lead)
“Effectively resolves conflicts that arise in remote channels. When tensions surfaced in our Slack channel about response times, you suggested creating shared norms for availability and status updates. You facilitated a 30‑minute discussion, captured agreements in writing, and followed up two weeks later to check how the changes were working. This reduced after-hours messages by 22% and improved satisfaction scores in our pulse survey.”

Peer feedback example (distributed team)
“You’re skilled at noticing when written conversations are going off track and moving them to a live discussion. When a disagreement about code review standards became heated in comments, you proposed a quick video call, clarified the core concerns, and helped the group agree on a new checklist for reviews.”

Self-review example (hybrid collaboration)
“In a hybrid environment, I’ve learned to check assumptions before reacting. When I felt a colleague was ignoring my messages, I scheduled a short call instead of escalating my frustration. I discovered they were overloaded and had missed notifications. Together, we set clearer expectations for urgent vs. non-urgent requests.”

These examples reflect current realities: digital overload, unclear expectations, and the need to switch from text to voice or video when conflict heats up. They also align with guidance from leading organizations on psychological safety and respectful communication in remote work (see, for example, resources from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management).

Role-specific example of conflict resolution skills review examples

Conflict plays out differently for managers, team leads, and individual contributors. You should adjust your language to match the scope of responsibility.

For people managers

Managers are expected not just to handle their own conflicts, but to coach others and create a climate where issues are addressed early.

Manager review example (people leader)
“Proactively addresses team conflict and models healthy disagreement. When two direct reports disagreed over project ownership, you met with each individually, then brought them together for a joint conversation. You encouraged them to describe the impact of the conflict, guided them to define shared success metrics, and documented the new roles in our project tracker. Follow-up feedback from both employees indicated they felt supported and clear about expectations.”

Development-focused example
“Handles one-on-one conflicts well but hesitates to address tension in group settings. In cross-team meetings, you sometimes move quickly past visible disagreements to stay on schedule. Over the next six months, focus on pausing to surface concerns and facilitating short, structured discussions before moving on.”

For team leads and project managers

Project leaders often sit at the center of conflicting priorities, deadlines, and stakeholder expectations.

Project lead review example
“Demonstrates strong conflict resolution skills when navigating competing priorities. During the ERP implementation, you balanced Finance’s need for control with Operations’ need for speed. You organized a working session where each group articulated must-haves and nice-to-haves, then brokered a compromise that kept us on schedule while meeting audit requirements.”

For individual contributors

ICs aren’t expected to mediate every dispute, but they are expected to speak up, listen, and collaborate.

Individual contributor review example
“Handles disagreements about approach in a thoughtful, data-driven way. When you and a colleague had different views on the A/B test design, you proposed running a small pilot to compare both options. This reduced tension and allowed the team to move forward based on evidence rather than opinion.”

These role-specific examples of conflict resolution skills review examples help you calibrate expectations fairly across your organization.

How to write your own conflict resolution skills review examples

You don’t need a script for every situation. You need a simple pattern you can reuse. A useful approach is to describe:

• The situation: What was the conflict about? Who was involved?
• The behavior: What did the person actually say or do?
• The impact: What changed as a result, for people and for the business?

In practice, a sentence might look like this:

“During [situation], you [behavior], which [impact].”

Here’s how that pattern looks when turned into an example of conflict resolution skills review examples:

“During the disagreement between Sales and Support about discount approvals, you brought both groups together, asked each to list their main concerns, and guided them to a shared approval process, which reduced escalations to leadership by 40% over the next quarter.”

This structure keeps you focused on observable facts instead of assumptions about attitude or intent. It also aligns with behavior-based performance systems and many modern competency models used in HR.

For additional guidance on conflict resolution frameworks, you can explore training materials from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, or look at research on workplace communication and psychological safety from institutions like Harvard University.

Frequently asked questions about conflict resolution skills review examples

How many examples of conflict resolution should I include in a performance review?
Aim for at least one clear example of conflict resolution skills review examples for each rating area where conflict is relevant (collaboration, communication, leadership). For someone in a leadership role, two or three real examples across different situations (peer conflict, direct report conflict, cross-functional conflict) give a more accurate picture.

What is a strong example of conflict resolution in a self-review?
A strong example names the situation, your specific actions, and measurable or observable outcomes. For instance: “When our timelines conflicted with the design team’s workload, I initiated a joint planning session, adjusted my requests to match their capacity, and we delivered on time without weekend work.” That kind of example of conflict resolution shows ownership, empathy, and problem-solving.

How do I describe poor conflict resolution skills without sounding personal or unfair?
Stick to specific behaviors and their impact. Instead of saying, “You are bad at conflict,” write, “When disagreements arise, you often stop responding to messages, which delays decisions and creates confusion about next steps.” Then add a development focus: training, coaching, or specific behaviors to practice.

Can I use the same examples of conflict resolution skills review examples for different employees?
You can reuse structure and phrasing, but the details should always match the actual person and events. Copy-paste reviews erode trust. Use these best examples as templates, then adjust the situation, behavior, and impact so they reflect real examples from your team.

Where can I find more guidance on conflict resolution skills for employees and managers?
In addition to internal HR resources, you can look at materials from organizations that study workplace behavior and mental health, such as the National Institutes of Health for stress and communication resources, or public-sector guidance on mediation and dispute resolution from OPM.gov. These sources can help you design training that supports the behaviors you describe in your reviews.

Used thoughtfully, these examples of conflict resolution skills review examples help you move beyond vague labels and toward clear, behavior-based feedback that employees can actually use to grow.