Suppose the manager has those reactions.  What then?  They&#x27;ll sit down with the team and have the &quot;don&#x27;t be mean&quot; talk?  I&#x27;m just not sure I see that working well.  That seems more likely to breed resentment even if it resolves the superficial &quot;combative&quot; behavior.<p>I&#x27;d probably try talking to the individual team members 1:1.  As uncomfortable as that would be, I think it is a better bet than having it come from the manager.