Two members of a new project team have disagreed on the best approach to solve a problem. The conflict has lasted one week, they are tense around each other, and are taking things personally. What should the project manager do?

The project manager's primary role in conflict resolution is to facilitate a solution that benefits the project and team. Helping the team members resolve the conflict themselves, aiming for the best team performance, promotes collaboration, strengthens relationships, and often leads to more sustainable solutions. Offering a compromise might temporarily resolve the issue but could lead to suboptimal outcomes and doesn't address the underlying conflict. Selecting one argument over the other is a win-lose approach that can damage team morale and future collaboration. Sending team members to HR is an escalation that should be reserved for severe, unresolvable conflicts, as it bypasses the project manager's responsibility to manage team dynamics.