Why us vs. them thinking arises, how to spot it, and how — and why — to bridge the divide.
You’re on the hook for a high-profile project with a tight deadline and a critical dependency on another team. And, from your perspective at least, that other team is blocking your progress at every turn.
As staff+ engineers, we’re expected to build alignment across groups with genuinely conflicting priorities (e.g., dev and ops, IT and “the business”), handle tricky political dynamics, and deliver results through influence rather than authority. These pressures leave us navigating some challenging “us vs. them” conflicts.
Join this session for a tale of two teams in deep conflict. We’ll talk about practical strategies for building bridges, why your effort can be worthwhile even if “they” seem unmovable, and how to recognize when it’s time to redirect your energy elsewhere.
Key takeaways
- How to spot “us vs. them” thinking in action
- Tips for how to bridge the divide
- Why the effort is worthwhile
