Warm-up
Teamwork & Resolving Conflict
Teamwork & Resolving Conflict
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key teamwork and conflict vocabulary
- Talk about past mistakes and missed possibilities with should have / could have
- Apologise, accept responsibility and avoid blaming
- Mediate a disagreement and look for common ground
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Have you ever had a disagreement with a colleague? How did it end?
- Are you more likely to stay silent or to say what you think?
- What makes a good team player?
- Do you find it easy to apologise at work?
Say it out loud
Practise taking responsibility. → I should have told you earlier. I'm sorry — I'll make sure it doesn't happen again.
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Teamwork and conflict vocabulary
Useful phrases for solving conflict
| I think there's been a misunderstanding. | Мені здається, сталося непорозуміння. |
| Let's clear the air. | Давайте розрядимо обстановку. |
| I should have told you earlier. | Мені слід було сказати вам раніше. |
| You could have asked me first. | Ви могли б спочатку запитати мене. |
| I shouldn't have said that. | Мені не слід було цього казати. |
| Let's try to find some common ground. | Спробуймо знайти спільну основу. |
| I see it a bit differently. | Я бачу це дещо інакше. |
| Can we focus on solving the problem? | Можемо зосередитися на вирішенні проблеми? |
Try out the new words
Say how you usually clear the air after a disagreement. → I usually … and say …
Describe a team player you know. → A good team player is someone who …
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English.
Grammar
should have, shouldn't have, could have
| Form | should / shouldn't / could + have + past participle (told, sent, asked). In speech: should've, shouldn't've, could've (never "should of"). |
| should have + pp | a past action that was a mistake not to do; criticism or regret: I should have told you earlier. (I didn't tell you, and that was wrong.) |
| shouldn't have + pp | a past action that was a mistake to do: I shouldn't have said that. (I said it, and that was wrong.) |
| could have + pp | a past possibility that did not happen: You could have asked me first. (You had the chance, but you did not.) |
| Criticising politely | Use I for yourself and soften it for others: I should have checked with you. It might have been better to ask me first. |
| Giving advice now | If I were you, I would talk to her today. / You'd better call him today. / Why don't you ask for a meeting? |
| Careful! | NOT "should of", NOT "should have told" (for the future), NOT "I should told". After have use the past participle. |
Choose the correct form
Open the brackets
Regret, criticism or possibility?
Make a sentence
Write the sentence.
Correcting mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Say it about your own work
Say one thing you should have done differently at work, and one thing you could have done. → I should have … and I could have …
Reading
Read: a mediated conversation
Setting: Pavlo and Irina work in the same team. Pavlo sent an important offer to a client without telling Irina, who had already agreed a different price with the same client. Their manager, Olena, asks them to talk.
Olena: "Thanks for coming. I'd like us to clear the air. Pavlo, could you start by describing what happened — without blaming anyone?"
Pavlo: "I sent the offer on Monday because the client was waiting. In hindsight, I should have checked with Irina first."
Irina: "I was really upset. I had spent two weeks negotiating, and the client now thinks we don't know our own price. You could have called me — I was in the office. But I overreacted in the meeting, and I shouldn't have shouted. I'm sorry."
Olena: "Thank you both. So there is a misunderstanding about who owns this client. Let's find some common ground: what do you both want?" — Pavlo: "A happy client." — Irina: "And one clear price." — Olena: "Good. What could you each do to compromise?" — Irina: "I could call the client today and explain." — Pavlo: "And I'll make sure I check with the account owner before sending anything. Next time, I'll pick up the phone."
True or false?
Pavlo sent the offer after asking Irina.
Irina was upset because she had agreed a different price.
Irina says she handled the meeting perfectly.
Olena takes Pavlo's side.
They find common ground: a happy client and one clear price.
They decide to ignore the problem.
Answer the questions
What did Pavlo do wrong?
What could Pavlo have done differently?
What does Irina apologise for?
What do they agree to do?
Find the past modals
Write the phrase from the dialogue.
Fill in from the text
Why is Olena a good mediator?
Your own opinion
- Who was more responsible, Pavlo or Irina? Why?
- Would you have apologised in the same way as Irina?
- What else could Olena have done?
Practice
Picture the conversation
Problem → Calm down → Common ground → Compromise. Criticise the problem, not the person.
Match the phrase to its function
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Fill in the missing phrase
Make it less personal
Rewrite the criticism so that it is about the problem, not the person.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
A conflict fact
Speaking — Solve It Together
How to use this section
Your tutor plays a colleague in a disagreement (or your manager). React in real time — explain your view, take responsibility, mediate and agree a solution. Use should have / could have / shouldn't have correctly, and keep the tone calm.
Raising an issue calmly
Task: tell a colleague that a task was done without informing you. Stay calm and specific.
Starter: "I'd like to talk about the offer you sent on Monday. I think there's been a misunderstanding about who owns this client."
Taking responsibility
Colleague: "You didn't tell me about the change!"
Starter: "You're right. I should have told you earlier, and I'm sorry. What can I do now to fix it?"
Criticising politely
Task: tell a colleague that they could have asked for help but did not.
Starter: "I understand you wanted to finish alone, but you could have asked me. We would have solved it much faster."
Mediating between two colleagues
Task: you are the manager. Two employees disagree. Ask each to describe the problem without blame and find common ground.
Starter: "Thank you both for coming. I'd like us to clear the air. What does each of you want from this meeting?"
Disagreeing without attacking
Colleague: "Your plan is unrealistic."
Starter: "I see it a bit differently, but I'm open to your view. Which part worries you most? Maybe we can find some common ground."
Apologising for overreacting
Task: apologise to a colleague after you shouted in a meeting.
Starter: "I'd like to apologise for yesterday. I overreacted, and I shouldn't have raised my voice. I'd like to start again."
Agreeing on a compromise
Task: agree a compromise on a disputed deadline: each side gives up something.
Starter: "I could finish the first part by Wednesday if you accept the second part on Friday. Would that work for you?"
Full conflict conversation — no stopping
Role-play a full disagreement with your tutor: raise the issue, take responsibility, find common ground, agree a compromise and close with a clear next step — entirely in English, even when it feels uncomfortable.
Let's talk — reflection
- Which should have / could have sentence was the hardest?
- Did you criticise the problem and not the person?
- What phrase will you use in your next real disagreement?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Use key teamwork and conflict vocabulary
- Talk about past mistakes and missed possibilities with should have / could have
- Apologise, accept responsibility and avoid blaming
- Mediate a disagreement and look for common ground
Quick self-check
Which form follows "should have"?
What is the difference between "should have" and "could have"?
Why is "should of" wrong?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor one thing you could have done differently this week. → This week I could have …
Homework
- Do the exercises below and press Check in each one. Green = correct. Red shows what was expected.
- Do the writing and speaking tasks and tick them when they are done.
- Write your name and press Copy my result, then send the text to your tutor.
Words to remember
| a conflict | конфлікт |
| a misunderstanding | непорозуміння |
| tension | напруга |
| to blame | звинувачувати |
| to take sides | ставати на чийсь бік |
| to mediate | виступати посередником |
| to compromise | іти на компроміс |
| common ground | спільна основа |
| to clear the air | розрядити обстановку |
| to back down | відступити, поступитися |
| a team player | командний гравець |
| to overreact | надто різко реагувати |
| to cooperate | співпрацювати |
| a consensus | консенсус |
| to take something personally | сприймати на свій рахунок |
| to let something go | відпустити (образу) |
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct form
Open the brackets
Correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write a short message (6–8 sentences) apologising to a colleague after a misunderstanding: say what you should have done, what you could have done, and how you will avoid it next time.
Practise out loud
Say your apology aloud twice. Check that your tone sounds calm and sincere.
Read aloud
Read the mediated conversation from the Reading section aloud twice, playing the three parts.
- 8.7 I wrote an apology message (6–8 sentences)
- 8.8 I said my apology aloud twice
- 8.9 I read the mediated conversation aloud twice