During a project, two team members have a disagreement over the design of a critical component. As the project manager, you notice that the conflict has escalated to personal attacks, affecting the work atmosphere and slowing down progress. Based on the team members' shared commitment to project success and their normally collaborative nature, what is the most effective initial approach to resolve this conflict?
Remove one of the team members as the issue has devolved to personal attacks and is unlikely to be resolved.
Facilitate a mediation session between the two team members to guide them towards a mutually acceptable solution.
Escalate the issue to higher management to allow for disciplinary action against both team members.
Assign them to separate parts of the project to minimize contact and avoid further confrontation.