Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth has outlined a four-step approach to resolving interpersonal conflicts in the workplace, drawing from his own experience managing teams and navigating internal tensions.
In a blog post published on September 29, Andrew emphasized the importance of seeking meaningful feedback over reacting emotionally, especially in high-pressure environments.
His framework is designed for managers and leaders who often find themselves mediating disputes between team members.
Andrew’s method encourages empathy, reflection, and structured dialogue, offering a practical alternative to avoidance or top-down decision-making.
🔹 Step 1: Listen to the Offended Party
Andrew begins by urging managers to create space for the offended individual to share their perspective.
“It is healthy to make space for them to tell their story and show care for how it affected them,” he wrote.
This step is about acknowledging emotional impact and validating the experience without immediately jumping to solutions.
He notes that this initial listening phase helps build trust and sets the tone for a constructive conversation.
🔹 Step 2: Encourage Reflection on the Substance of the Conflict
The second step involves asking the offended party to reflect on the core issue.
Andrew believes that even emotionally charged situations often contain valuable critiques.
“There is always some substantial critique worth considering,” he explained.
This step shifts the focus from personal grievance to actionable insight, helping both parties move toward resolution rather than defensiveness.
🔹 Step 3: Ask the Other Party to Consider Context
Andrew then recommends engaging the second party in the conflict by asking them to consider the broader context that may have influenced the situation.
He shared an example where a new employee criticized a Meta tool, upsetting the engineer who built it.
Andrew challenged the employee to consider whether the tool’s limitations were due to resource constraints rather than poor design.
This step encourages empathy and helps both sides understand the constraints and pressures each may be facing.
🔹 Step 4: Facilitate Reconciliation
Finally, Andrew advises bringing both parties together to reconcile.
He believes this step is essential for restoring working relationships and preventing lingering resentment.
“I’ve done this so many times that I am now able to recognize this same duality inside myself,” he wrote, referring to his ability to identify emotional reactions and redirect them toward constructive feedback.
Leaner Management Structure at Meta
Andrew’s guidance comes at a time when Meta has been reducing its layers of middle management.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously stated that “flatter is faster,” and criticized structures where “managers manage managers.”
This shift has placed more conflict resolution responsibilities on senior leaders like Andrew.
With fewer intermediaries, executives are increasingly required to engage directly with team dynamics, making structured conflict resolution strategies more critical.
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