Slack Conflict Playbook: How We Use an AI Mediator to Turn Threads into Team Agreements

Slack conflict is part of real work. It can sharpen ideas or drain energy. We built Disputly as an AI mediator inside Slack, so teams can stop nonsense arguments, focus on core issues, and reach clear team agreements. In this playbook we share how we handle dispute resolution in Slack with simple habits, short templates, and a steady use of Disputly when threads start to wobble.

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Why Slack arguments spiral

We see the same patterns across engineering and product threads. When a thread derails, it is usually because of one or more of these causes:

• No shared frame. People argue positions, not interests or constraints.

• Role confusion. No clear decision owner or approver.

• Mixed time horizons. One person is shipping this week, another is protecting a quarter plan.

• Status pings and reactions create noise, while intent stays hidden.

• The thread keeps growing, and nobody wants to pause to reset.

Slack conflict is not the enemy. The problem is a lack of structure. A light structure inside the thread turns heat into progress.

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Our three step flow for dispute resolution in Slack

This is the flow we use when a thread gets stuck. It is simple and fast, and it keeps the work inside Slack.

1) Call a pause

• Anyone can post: "Pause for framing. Give me two minutes."

• Add a neutral emoji so the thread cools down. We use the tea emoji.

2) Ask Disputly for a neutral summary

• We ask Disputly to extract positions, interests, constraints, and open questions from the thread.

• We ask for a short list. We keep it to the essentials, not a transcript.

3) Move to a decision format

• We post a small decision template, fill it in together, and close with a single owner.

• We agree on a time box and a follow up check.

Here is the exact decision template we drop into threads:


Context: one paragraph on what problem we are solving
Options:
1) Option A
2) Option B
Tradeoffs:

• A: what we gain, what we risk

• B: what we gain, what we risk

Decision owner: name
Inputs needed: who and by when
Time box: until
Plan to revisit: what signal would trigger a change
Final decision:


This keeps Slack conflict contained and moves the group to a clear team agreement.

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What Disputly does in the thread

Disputly is an AI mediator that works inside Slack. In our flow we rely on it for a few specific jobs:

• Neutral summary. It restates what each person wants in plain language.

• Assumption check. It lists assumptions and unknowns so we can test them quickly.

• Option shaping. It proposes a few balanced options with tradeoffs, not a single winner.

• Agreement capture. It echoes the final agreement so the thread ends with shared text.

We do not expect Disputly to replace judgment or leadership. It creates clarity so humans can decide.

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Three real patterns and how we handled them

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Naming rules fight in a codebase

A short thread on naming rules became a long back and forth. The stated issue was style. The real issue was test flakiness from inconsistent patterns.

What helped:

• Disputly summarized the thread into two interests. Fast readability and stable tests.

• We added a time box and chose a trial. Use the stricter rule for new code for two weeks, measure test noise.

• Clear owner closed the loop with a date.

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Cross team dependency and a missed deadline

Infra and frontend argued over a service change and a delivery date. The thread mixed reliability targets with a feature launch.

What helped:

• Disputly separated goals. Protect the service level and ship the feature.

• We posted two options with tradeoffs. Ship with a flag now, or slip one sprint for a safer path.

• The owner picked flag first with a rollback plan.

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Product priority tug of war

Growth and core product debated where to spend a small design block. It kept circling.

What helped:

• Disputly pulled out the time horizon gap. One team cared about this week, the other about the quarter.

• We aligned on a single success metric for this thread. That ended the swirl.

• The team agreed to revisit next sprint with data.

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Prompts and micro scripts we use in Slack

We keep prompts short and concrete. Here are a few lines that work well for us:


@channel Pause for framing. I will ask Disputly to summarize the thread into positions, interests, constraints, and open questions.

Disputly, summarize this thread in 6 bullet points:

• positions

• interests

• constraints

• open questions

• shared ground

• risks if we delay

Disputly, propose 3 balanced options with tradeoffs. Keep each option to 3 lines.

Here is our decision template. Please fill the context and tradeoffs from the summary.


If you are not sure what to ask, start with summarize the thread and list the open questions. That alone can unblock a lot of Slack conflict.

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Team safeguards that prevent rework

• Define a decision owner early in the thread.

• Use a single success metric for the decision at hand.

• Keep options to three, or the group loses focus.

• Write the final agreement as a short paragraph and echo it in the thread.

• If the topic turns sensitive, move to a call or a private channel with a human facilitator.

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When not to use an AI mediator

There are threads where a human should lead. We avoid Disputly for private feedback, performance topics, and personal conflicts. Use a manager or an HR partner in those cases.

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What we learned so far

• Short structure beats long rules. The decision template does most of the work.

• A neutral summary lowers temperature faster than advice.

• Ending with a single owner and a clear plan prevents a second thread later.

• We still get it wrong sometimes. When that happens we post a brief retro in the thread, learn, and move on.

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Try this next

• Pick one channel and agree on the pause for framing phrase.

• Save the decision template as a snippet for easy paste.

• Invite Disputly to that channel and use it on a low stakes thread this week.

• Share one win in your team meeting, even a small one. Momentum matters.

Slack conflict will not vanish. With a simple flow and a steady AI mediator, you can turn threads into clear team agreements and keep shipping.