How would you handle a conflict between two of your teammates?
Stay neutral, talk to each person separately to understand their side, bring them together to agree on facts and a shared goal, and escalate to the lead only if the conflict keeps hurting the work.
Explain it simply
Here you are not in the fight; you are the bridge. That is different from handling your own conflict.
Taking sides, even quietly, makes it worse. Listen to each person alone first, because people speak more openly in private. Then bring them together around the shared goal and the facts, not about who was wrong. Turn it into a decision about the work. If emotions run too high or it keeps happening, involve the lead.
Example
Situation: Two members of Lakshmi's project team argued over using Flask or Django, and stopped talking.
Task: Get the project moving again without choosing sides.
Action: She meets each one separately and lists their reasons. She then calls a short meeting, writes the project needs on a whiteboard (deadline, team skills, features needed), and asks both to score each option against them.
Result: They agree on Flask because three members already knew it, and the one who wanted Django takes the lead on the database layer instead.
What to say in the interview
"I'd stay neutral, talk to each person separately, then bring them together around the facts and the goal. If it still affected the work, I'd involve the lead."
Common mistakes
- Taking sides with your closer friend.
- Ignoring it and hoping it goes away.
- Making the decision for them without hearing both sides.