IT Dynamics

Conflict Case: IT Team Dynamics – When Collaboration Breaks Down
Team Members:
• Leann Pipen – Junior Systems Analyst, 6 months
• Fawn Cheng – Systems Analyst, 11 months
• Jeff Johnson – Senior Systems Analyst, 1.5 years
Your team of IT analysts is experiencing increasing interpersonal conflicts. You’ve noticed rising tension, and this weekend, a situation escalated into a heated argument between Leann and Fawn during their shift.
On Saturday, a client (Tim Gomez) submitted an urgent support ticket at 11:00 AM regarding access issues with a critical system. Tim claimed he had called last Tuesday, spoken to “the woman in IT,” and set up a remote support appointment for Saturday at 11:00 AM. Since Fawn hadn’t worked on Tuesday, she assumed that Leann must have been responsible for setting up the appointment and therefore made the scheduling error. Both Fawn and Leann already had support sessions scheduled at 11:00 AM, so neither could immediately assist Tim. Fawn spoke with him to apologize and attempt to reschedule, but he was frustrated and irate.
During the conversation, Leann overheard Fawn suggesting to Tim that the scheduling issue was “Leann’s fault.” After Tim ended the call angrily, Leann confronted Fawn. Both raised their voices, and their argument could be heard in the lobby. The IT Manager intervened, overhearing Leann say, “You need to stop undermining my professionalism!” to which Fawn retorted, “If the shoe fits…” Other team members within earshot appeared visibly uncomfortable with the outburst.
Later that day, Leann sent you a lengthy message expressing her frustrations. She felt Fawn had undermined her credibility by blaming her in front of the client. She also mentioned feeling isolated and unsupported, as Fawn and Jeff are close friends and seem to exclude her from conversations and decision-making. Leann claimed she is often the “odd one out” since neither Fawn nor Jeff greets her warmly in the mornings, whereas they are openly friendly with each other and other team members. Any time there’s a debate on a project or workflow, Leann feels that Fawn is quick to criticize her while Jeff sides with Fawn, even if she’s clearly wrong. Leann described this dynamic as “selective favoritism” and mentioned feeling unable to tolerate the work environment any longer.
Leann also noted that Fawn and Jeff frequently spend time together outside of work, going out for happy hours and social gatherings. Leann, who recently got married, said she’s never invited and feels intentionally isolated, though she has expressed in the past that she wouldn’t join them even if asked.
On the other hand, Fawn left you a voicemail explaining her side. She felt that Leann’s confrontation was aggressive, and she was simply trying to handle the client’s issue professionally. Fawn believes it was evident that Leann made the scheduling error, as she was the only woman on the IT team working that Tuesday.
Fawn, who had overseen Leann’s initial training, has previously mentioned concerns about Leann’s attitude and professionalism. Fawn has described Leann as unpredictable, saying, “You never know which version of Leann you’ll get.” She also cited concerns about Leann’s attention to detail, claiming Leann often “drops the ball” on tasks or misses critical information. Fawn mentioned that when she tries to discuss these issues with Leann, Leann becomes defensive and refuses to acknowledge any mistakes.
Recently, Fawn has begun copying you on every email she sends to Leann, including routine communications that don’t typically require your input. She admitted that she and Jeff have a close friendship and always “have each other’s backs.” They enjoy a relaxed, friendly atmosphere with each other in the office, and both are well-liked by colleagues and clients for their collaborative spirit and lighthearted demeanor.