Conflicts at work. What methods are effective for resolving conflicts in the workplace?
There are many methods of conflict management. They can be divided into several groups:
1. Intrapersonal - methods of influencing an individual, effectively used by specialists in helping professions: coaches, psychologists, psychotherapists. This is learning how to convey to another person your attitude to an event, to an object, not as to an enemy, without accusations and demands, but so that the other person changes his attitude. In essence, first you change your attitude and then you begin to influence the attitude and behavior of another person.
2. Methods for resolving conflicts in the organization; how the company itself participates in resolving work conflicts;
3. Interpersonal methods or styles of behavior in conflict - used between different people;
4. Negotiations;
5 Effective Methods for Resolving Conflict in the Workplace
What are the ways to resolve conflict situations in the workplace:
1. Discussion and communication
The first step to resolving any conflict is open communication. Give the parties to the conflict the opportunity to express their feelings, concerns, and suggestions. Try to create an atmosphere in which people feel safe and can share their thoughts.
2. Analyze the causes of the conflict
To find the best solution, you need to understand what is at the root of the conflict. It may be communication problems, differences in values, interests, or work styles. By assessing the causes of the conflict, you can find more effective ways to resolve it.
3. Conflict management skills training
Often, conflicts arise due to a lack of conflict management skills. The employer should train employees in active listening techniques, emotion management, and effective communication.
4. Accepting and Resolving Conflict
Sometimes conflict is inevitable and cannot be fully resolved. In such cases, it is important to accept the existence of the conflict and work to minimize its negative consequences.
5. Mediation and mediation
If the proposed measures do not lead to a solution, you can always involve a third party. The "Mediation" procedure for business in a conflict with employees or business games for the team will help you cope with conflicts in an environmentally friendly way and with a long-term effect.
There are several effective ways to manage a conflict situation. They can be divided into two categories: structural and interpersonal. The manager should start with an analysis of the actual causes and then use the appropriate technique. The possibility of conflict can be reduced by using conflict resolution techniques.
There are four structural methods of conflict resolution: clarifying work requirements, using coordination and integration mechanisms, setting overall organizational goals, and using a reward system.
Clarifying work requirements. One of the best management techniques that prevents dysfunctional conflict is clarifying what results are expected from each employee and department. This should include such parameters as the level of results that must be achieved, who provides and who receives various information, the system of authority and responsibility, and clearly defined policies, procedures, and rules. Moreover, the manager clarifies all these issues not for himself, but so that his subordinates understand well what is expected of them in each given situation.
Coordination and integration mechanisms. Another method of managing a conflict situation is the use of a coordination mechanism. One of the most common mechanisms is the chain of command. Establishing a hierarchy of authority regulates the interaction of people, decision-making and information flows within the organization. If two or more subordinates have disagreements on some issue, the conflict can be avoided by turning to their common superior, offering him to make a decision. The principle of one-man management facilitates the use of hierarchy to manage a conflict situation, since the subordinate knows perfectly well whose decisions he must obey.
Organization-wide comprehensive goals. Establishing organization-wide comprehensive goals is another structural method of managing a conflict situation. Effective implementation of these goals requires the joint efforts of two or more employees, groups or departments. The idea behind these higher goals is to direct the efforts of all participants to achieve a common goal.
For example, if three shifts in a production department are in conflict, departmental goals should be set rather than shift-by-shift goals.
Reward System Design Rewards can be used as a method of managing conflict by influencing people's behavior to avoid dysfunctional outcomes. People who contribute to the organization's overall goals, help other groups in the organization, and take a holistic approach to problem solving should be rewarded with praise, bonuses, recognition, or promotions. It is equally important that the reward system not reward unhelpful behavior by individuals or groups.
In summary, the systematic, coordinated use of rewards to reward those who contribute to the organization's overall goals helps people understand how to handle conflict in a way that is consistent with management's desires.
Interpersonal Conflict Resolution Styles
Below are four typical approaches to conflict resolution. The project team leader and team members must understand what these behavior patterns are and why they are ineffective in practice. Once this is understood, they must learn to recognize these approaches and neutralize them.
Global Coaching University
How you handle conflict in the workplace affects how employees perceive the company and its corporate culture. Therefore, the goal of an HR professional is to find creative and strategic ways to resolve confrontations in the workplace that will benefit both the individual employee and the entire organization.
Allow both sides to be heard, remain open-minded in decisions, and look for a solution that will make both parties happy - these are just some of the general recommendations from members of the Forbes People Council. Now about the specifics:
1. Empathy and openness
- Sit down with stakeholders and listen with an open heart to all versions of what happened. Empathize with everyone. Ask both parties to the conflict how they see a way out of the situation and try to understand why they behave this way. Offer solutions. It is important to show colleagues that you care about their situation and remind them that they have one common mission in the company - Evan Lassiter, Cloudreach.
2. Use a coaching conversation
- Employees come to us, HR managers, to magically solve any problem. However, this does not change the situation radically in the long term. HR should encourage employees to find independent solutions. We should prevent problems by engaging employees in coaching conversations, rather than trying to solve problems in the "conflict" mode, - Lisa Wheelon, GL group, Inc.
Master the dialogue in a coaching style to be able to prevent conflicts at work; apply coaching tools to solve business problems; gain knowledge about coaching in accordance with international professional standards - come study on the "Coaching in Business" program ACSTH ICF.
3. Ask questions
- It is dangerous to enter into conflict with assumptions or judgments. Being open to any outcome and asking questions we don’t yet know the answers to will help HR stay neutral and on track, - Jeff Buenrostro, Metric Theory
4. Unite the Parties Behind a Common Goal
- HR can feel pressure from above just like everyone else. Start by understanding that you are the solution, not the problem. Then get the parties to agree on a common goal. If they are willing to agree on a common goal and be open to new solutions, then the conversation can begin to focus on how best to achieve that goal, rather than how the parties defend their positions. - Pamela Potts, neosystemscorp.com
5. Initial Mediation
- I would encourage HR managers to become familiar with employees’ personal communication filters, actively listen to all parties, and identify each person’s conflict position. After the initial mediation, follow-up support helps resolve the conflict, - Mark Lascola, ON THE MARK.
6. Listen to Everyone
- It’s important to understand all sides of the story. Ask each participant questions about their experiences and listen to how they perceive the issue. Talk to each person individually, and then meet with all stakeholders to come to a resolution or shared understanding. This helps employees feel heard and makes them more open to resolving the conflict. - Sarah O’Neill, Humano LLC.
7. Encourage Open Communication
- Allowing open communication will allow both parties to fully express their point of view and get to the bottom of it. Once all the information is gathered, HR must act decisively to avoid losing employee trust in handling future conflicts, - John Feldmann, Insperity.
8. Genuinely care
- Genuinely care about people and outcomes. Listen to understand all perspectives and needs. Look for underlying issues and true needs. Then, based on a genuine desire for a positive outcome, communicate options that lead to a solution. - Ben Peterson, BambooHR.
9. Help Parties Come Up with Their Own Solutions
- HR's role is to help parties in conflict focus on the problem, not the people. HR should meet with each employee individually to understand the conflict, what the employees need/want, and what each person is willing to do to find a solution. Successful resolution comes when the employees in conflict come up with their own solutions. - Sherry Martin, Denver Public Schools.
10. Don't Overdo It
- Be respectful, be professional, and be genuine. When we're stressed (as we often are), the last thing we want to listen to is a lecture. So don't overdo it with the moralizing. Put yourself in the employee’s shoes and try to talk to them from a place of understanding. This won’t change your message, but it will positively reinforce the outcome, - Adam Mellor, ONE Gas, Inc.
11. Reframing the Situation
- Try reframing the situation to get people to change their position and make it possible to resolve the conflict. Help them see the problems from a different perspective. Then solve the small problems, because the big issues are usually the most contentious. Reaching agreement on small issues will lay the foundation for compromise on larger disputes. Build your work on small wins, - Toai Ha, Lynx Innovation
12. Stay Focused
- When frustration and emotions run high, people can easily get caught up in a cycle of aggression and defensiveness, and they may tend to combine multiple topics into one conversation: process issues, behavior, tone of voice, boundary crossing, etc. Keep the conversation focused on one topic. Once one topic is resolved, move on to the next, and so on - Katherine Decker, Outsell.
13. Post-Conflict Support
- It can take a while to resolve a situation, so it's a good idea to talk to those involved in the conflict after a unified resolution has been reached. You'll see if progress has been made and if additional support and follow-up are needed - Brooke Peterson, Skyfii.
14. Practice Healthy Conflict
- Healthy conflict is a good place to start: it starts with respecting each other as people and accepting that we each have a unique worldview. From there, working toward shared goals flows. Of course, you can facilitate conflict resolution by seeking compromise, but the best approach is to practice healthy conflict, - Dr. Dale Albrecht, Alonos, Inc.
ICF Russia Chapter
At an event, I once heard a speaker ask for a show of hands if anyone had recently experienced conflict at work. Almost everyone raised their hands. Next, she asked if they were confident in the conflict resolution tools they had. Only a few hands remained in the air.
Workplace conflicts are often dealt with like pests: as quickly and quietly as possible. This often results in problems being hushed up, poorly resolved, or incompletely resolved. Unfortunately, many managers and leaders still prefer this approach to the alternative of directly resolving workplace conflicts.
In fact, most people choose to avoid conflict in the workplace rather than resolve it. Instead, we strive to create a culture of cooperation by evaluating our ability to get along well. Disagreements are minimized, and only brought up in interviews as a case study when the question arises: “tell me about a time when you successfully dealt with a conflict.”
But how many of us are proud of our answers?
There are natural and understandable barriers to effective conflict resolution. Below, we will look at some common questions and issues related to this topic and offer a plan for resolving conflict in the workplace.
What prevents us from practicing effective conflict resolution?
One of the most serious obstacles to successful conflict management occurs when we choose whether to address a conflict directly, actively suppress it, or simply let it resolve itself. Unfortunately, the first option is often seen as the riskiest, given the likelihood that the problem will escalate and cause unnecessary irritation.
The threat of a rift that will disrupt normal workflow and impact productivity and efficiency looms: Managers do not want to be responsible for unleashing the drama caused by personal conflict in the workplace. This means that indirect methods are usually preferred.
The disadvantage of the indirect method is the assumption that temporary emotional outbursts have a greater impact on morale than unresolved issues that simmer within the team.
We consider it laudable when someone puts aside their grievances to focus on the task at hand, and an organization made up of such people should be resilient. The costs associated with this approach are difficult to quantify, but they exist: higher turnover, lower productivity, and poorer communication are all potential side effects.
Why focus on managing conflict in the workplace?
When you address conflict directly, you have a much better chance of nipping the problem in the bud and ensuring that it does not linger and reoccur. The situation may seem more painful in the short term, but more often than not, this strategy results in greater engagement in the workplace and less overall stress.
It’s worth noting that poorly managed conflict is likely to make the problem worse. When managing conflict in the workplace, it’s important to follow the same guidelines and common sense you would use to manage conflict in other settings – but there are specific guidelines for dealing with conflict at work.
Where’s the best place to start?
The reality is that most office conflicts stem from miscommunication. The easiest conflicts to resolve are the ones that simply require sharing more information to bring everyone to a common level of understanding.
Sometimes – and this is not often the case – all a good manager needs is to reach out and acknowledge the problem. Empathy is a powerful tool – taking the time to understand the problem can help ease the burden on the people involved. Understanding is often the first step to solving the problem.
It’s also important not to demonize the opposing parties or assign blame. An open approach, where you put aside your emotions and listen carefully to understand where each side is coming from, helps you focus on the issue rather than the person.
But sometimes you only have a general idea of a situation where different parties are expressing different points of view. Getting to the bottom of it isn’t always easy or possible – if you’re stumped, rely on facts that can be proven or documented rather than trying to understand a vague position. In other words, look at the facts of the situation and try to call a spade a spade without judgment.
Who should be involved in resolving workplace conflict?
In addition to the parties involved, HR and the immediate manager should always play a role in the process. Not all conflicts are the same, and the response should be proportionate to the severity of the issue.
The workplace hierarchy is your friend in this regard. Don’t be afraid to seek the opinion of more senior people if the issue seems too serious. This is where having experience in conflict resolution can come in handy in helping to calibrate your response. Managers and leaders with high emotional intelligence will be better equipped to resolve conflict.
What are the best practices for conflict resolution?
Every organization’s HR department likely has guidelines for resolving conflict in the workplace. These are useful and should be considered, but not relied upon exclusively.
Trying to resolve a conflict formally will likely result in eye rolling at best and hurt feelings at worst. Instead, the best way to reach a resolution is to facilitate as organic and constructive a conversation as possible. The role of the mediator should be to facilitate these conversations and intervene when or if they begin to become contentious to the point of being counterproductive.
When all else fails, try to find the human side of the issue, putting aside the financial side and the accusations; what are the dynamics of the relationship that are leading to the conflict? If you can figure this out, you are on the right track to a solution.
How should a conflict be resolved when mediating a conversation?
Here are some tips to get you started in the right direction:
What are the long-term benefits of conflict management for an organization?
You’ve successfully resolved a conflict – now what? Get back to your daily routine, never to return to the scene of the crime again?
Institutional memory is a funny thing. In a sense, it is the sum of all the interactions, good and bad, that shape an organization’s identity and culture over time. Think about the times when you grew as an individual, and you’ll find that many of those experiences occurred during times of conflict or adversity.
Likewise, an organization grows through conflict and adversity. When managed correctly, conflict can be used as a driver of change and innovation. It can break down walls you didn’t know you had. It can be a source of strength and competitive advantage.
What tools can you use to improve your conflict management skills?
From a developmental perspective, managers and leaders should think about how they apply their emotional intelligence skills to situations where they manage conflict. By becoming aware of their emotional intelligence strengths, they will be better able to handle conflict.
It is also important to learn about the cultural differences that exist within your own team and understand how best to approach interactions. By cultural differences, I do not mean cultural or ethnic differences, but rather an effort to understand why someone might think and behave the way they do.
Understanding this helps manage conflict in a positive way. To learn about differences in thinking and behavior, a manager/leader and their team can take the Global DISC assessment.
Coaching for executives, leaders, and managers is another tool to help manage conflict in the office. Executive coaching helps leaders take action to achieve goals and become more self-sufficient. Managers and leaders who have a coach work more easily and productively with their peers, bosses, and direct reports, and communicate more effectively at all levels.
Conclusion
As long as people work together in any setting, there will be conflict. Unfortunately, many of us have been trained to avoid rather than address the issue head-on when it comes to resolving conflict in the workplace. We have seen that failure to practice effective conflict management can have serious negative consequences, while building strong conflict management competencies reduces risk and brings tangible benefits.
Being a leader in the workplace means taking ownership of both the end result and the people working to achieve it. A manager who delivers great results but neglects the well-being of their team is on an unsustainable path.
We have come a long way in how we look at organizational behavior, from outdated authoritarian models to models that can best leverage dynamic, diverse, and highly interactive networks. The most forward-thinking organizations recognize the importance of having effective conflict management practices in place.
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There are many methods of conflict management. They can be divided into several groups:
1. Intrapersonal - methods of influencing an individual, effectively used by specialists in helping professions: coaches, psychologists, psychotherapists. This is learning how to convey to another person your attitude to an event, to an object, not as to an enemy, without accusations and demands, but so that the other person changes his attitude. In essence, first you change your attitude and then you begin to influence the attitude and behavior of another person.
2. Methods for resolving conflicts in the organization; how the company itself participates in resolving work conflicts;
3. Interpersonal methods or styles of behavior in conflict - used between different people;
4. Negotiations;
5 Effective Methods for Resolving Conflict in the Workplace
What are the ways to resolve conflict situations in the workplace:
1. Discussion and communication
The first step to resolving any conflict is open communication. Give the parties to the conflict the opportunity to express their feelings, concerns, and suggestions. Try to create an atmosphere in which people feel safe and can share their thoughts.
2. Analyze the causes of the conflict
To find the best solution, you need to understand what is at the root of the conflict. It may be communication problems, differences in values, interests, or work styles. By assessing the causes of the conflict, you can find more effective ways to resolve it.
3. Conflict management skills training
Often, conflicts arise due to a lack of conflict management skills. The employer should train employees in active listening techniques, emotion management, and effective communication.
4. Accepting and Resolving Conflict
Sometimes conflict is inevitable and cannot be fully resolved. In such cases, it is important to accept the existence of the conflict and work to minimize its negative consequences.
5. Mediation and mediation
If the proposed measures do not lead to a solution, you can always involve a third party. The "Mediation" procedure for business in a conflict with employees or business games for the team will help you cope with conflicts in an environmentally friendly way and with a long-term effect.
There are several effective ways to manage a conflict situation. They can be divided into two categories: structural and interpersonal. The manager should start with an analysis of the actual causes and then use the appropriate technique. The possibility of conflict can be reduced by using conflict resolution techniques.
There are four structural methods of conflict resolution: clarifying work requirements, using coordination and integration mechanisms, setting overall organizational goals, and using a reward system.
Clarifying work requirements. One of the best management techniques that prevents dysfunctional conflict is clarifying what results are expected from each employee and department. This should include such parameters as the level of results that must be achieved, who provides and who receives various information, the system of authority and responsibility, and clearly defined policies, procedures, and rules. Moreover, the manager clarifies all these issues not for himself, but so that his subordinates understand well what is expected of them in each given situation.
Coordination and integration mechanisms. Another method of managing a conflict situation is the use of a coordination mechanism. One of the most common mechanisms is the chain of command. Establishing a hierarchy of authority regulates the interaction of people, decision-making and information flows within the organization. If two or more subordinates have disagreements on some issue, the conflict can be avoided by turning to their common superior, offering him to make a decision. The principle of one-man management facilitates the use of hierarchy to manage a conflict situation, since the subordinate knows perfectly well whose decisions he must obey.
Organization-wide comprehensive goals. Establishing organization-wide comprehensive goals is another structural method of managing a conflict situation. Effective implementation of these goals requires the joint efforts of two or more employees, groups or departments. The idea behind these higher goals is to direct the efforts of all participants to achieve a common goal.
For example, if three shifts in a production department are in conflict, departmental goals should be set rather than shift-by-shift goals.
Reward System Design Rewards can be used as a method of managing conflict by influencing people's behavior to avoid dysfunctional outcomes. People who contribute to the organization's overall goals, help other groups in the organization, and take a holistic approach to problem solving should be rewarded with praise, bonuses, recognition, or promotions. It is equally important that the reward system not reward unhelpful behavior by individuals or groups.
In summary, the systematic, coordinated use of rewards to reward those who contribute to the organization's overall goals helps people understand how to handle conflict in a way that is consistent with management's desires.
Interpersonal Conflict Resolution Styles
Below are four typical approaches to conflict resolution. The project team leader and team members must understand what these behavior patterns are and why they are ineffective in practice. Once this is understood, they must learn to recognize these approaches and neutralize them.
- Conflict avoidance. Avoiding conflict situations and people associated with conflict. This strategy is based on the belief that conflict is easier to prevent than to resolve. If the problem to be solved is serious enough, this approach only delays the inevitable and contributes to the escalation of tensions by the time the situation is exacerbated by time pressure.
- Smoothing out the “sharp edges”. Excessive concern with maintaining positive relationships in the team and the desire to distract people from possible sources of conflict at any cost. By smoothing out the “sharp edges”, we emphasize that the most important thing for us is positive relationships in the team, for the sake of which we are ready to sacrifice disagreements that contribute to the adoption of effective decisions. In this case, problems are not solved, but driven inward and accumulate. General anxiety becomes obvious, the likelihood that an explosion will eventually occur increases.
- Imposing conflict resolution. Trying to force others to an opinion or decision without regard for team relationships. This coercive style can be effective in situations where the manager has significant power over subordinates. The disadvantage of this style is that it suppresses the initiative of subordinates, creates a high probability that not all important factors will be taken into account, since only one point of view is presented. It can harm the positive team relationships without which a highly effective project team is impossible in principle.
- The desire to achieve mutual compromise or cooperation, to reach a solution in which there are no winners or losers. The desire to find a solution in which neither party gets what it wants. Although this strategy is aimed at satisfying all interested parties, mutual compromise is usually perceived as a situation in which everyone loses, since the solution reached does not fully satisfy any of the interested parties.
Global Coaching University
How you handle conflict in the workplace affects how employees perceive the company and its corporate culture. Therefore, the goal of an HR professional is to find creative and strategic ways to resolve confrontations in the workplace that will benefit both the individual employee and the entire organization.
Allow both sides to be heard, remain open-minded in decisions, and look for a solution that will make both parties happy - these are just some of the general recommendations from members of the Forbes People Council. Now about the specifics:
1. Empathy and openness
- Sit down with stakeholders and listen with an open heart to all versions of what happened. Empathize with everyone. Ask both parties to the conflict how they see a way out of the situation and try to understand why they behave this way. Offer solutions. It is important to show colleagues that you care about their situation and remind them that they have one common mission in the company - Evan Lassiter, Cloudreach.
2. Use a coaching conversation
- Employees come to us, HR managers, to magically solve any problem. However, this does not change the situation radically in the long term. HR should encourage employees to find independent solutions. We should prevent problems by engaging employees in coaching conversations, rather than trying to solve problems in the "conflict" mode, - Lisa Wheelon, GL group, Inc.
Master the dialogue in a coaching style to be able to prevent conflicts at work; apply coaching tools to solve business problems; gain knowledge about coaching in accordance with international professional standards - come study on the "Coaching in Business" program ACSTH ICF.
3. Ask questions
- It is dangerous to enter into conflict with assumptions or judgments. Being open to any outcome and asking questions we don’t yet know the answers to will help HR stay neutral and on track, - Jeff Buenrostro, Metric Theory
4. Unite the Parties Behind a Common Goal
- HR can feel pressure from above just like everyone else. Start by understanding that you are the solution, not the problem. Then get the parties to agree on a common goal. If they are willing to agree on a common goal and be open to new solutions, then the conversation can begin to focus on how best to achieve that goal, rather than how the parties defend their positions. - Pamela Potts, neosystemscorp.com
5. Initial Mediation
- I would encourage HR managers to become familiar with employees’ personal communication filters, actively listen to all parties, and identify each person’s conflict position. After the initial mediation, follow-up support helps resolve the conflict, - Mark Lascola, ON THE MARK.
6. Listen to Everyone
- It’s important to understand all sides of the story. Ask each participant questions about their experiences and listen to how they perceive the issue. Talk to each person individually, and then meet with all stakeholders to come to a resolution or shared understanding. This helps employees feel heard and makes them more open to resolving the conflict. - Sarah O’Neill, Humano LLC.
7. Encourage Open Communication
- Allowing open communication will allow both parties to fully express their point of view and get to the bottom of it. Once all the information is gathered, HR must act decisively to avoid losing employee trust in handling future conflicts, - John Feldmann, Insperity.
8. Genuinely care
- Genuinely care about people and outcomes. Listen to understand all perspectives and needs. Look for underlying issues and true needs. Then, based on a genuine desire for a positive outcome, communicate options that lead to a solution. - Ben Peterson, BambooHR.
9. Help Parties Come Up with Their Own Solutions
- HR's role is to help parties in conflict focus on the problem, not the people. HR should meet with each employee individually to understand the conflict, what the employees need/want, and what each person is willing to do to find a solution. Successful resolution comes when the employees in conflict come up with their own solutions. - Sherry Martin, Denver Public Schools.
10. Don't Overdo It
- Be respectful, be professional, and be genuine. When we're stressed (as we often are), the last thing we want to listen to is a lecture. So don't overdo it with the moralizing. Put yourself in the employee’s shoes and try to talk to them from a place of understanding. This won’t change your message, but it will positively reinforce the outcome, - Adam Mellor, ONE Gas, Inc.
11. Reframing the Situation
- Try reframing the situation to get people to change their position and make it possible to resolve the conflict. Help them see the problems from a different perspective. Then solve the small problems, because the big issues are usually the most contentious. Reaching agreement on small issues will lay the foundation for compromise on larger disputes. Build your work on small wins, - Toai Ha, Lynx Innovation
12. Stay Focused
- When frustration and emotions run high, people can easily get caught up in a cycle of aggression and defensiveness, and they may tend to combine multiple topics into one conversation: process issues, behavior, tone of voice, boundary crossing, etc. Keep the conversation focused on one topic. Once one topic is resolved, move on to the next, and so on - Katherine Decker, Outsell.
13. Post-Conflict Support
- It can take a while to resolve a situation, so it's a good idea to talk to those involved in the conflict after a unified resolution has been reached. You'll see if progress has been made and if additional support and follow-up are needed - Brooke Peterson, Skyfii.
14. Practice Healthy Conflict
- Healthy conflict is a good place to start: it starts with respecting each other as people and accepting that we each have a unique worldview. From there, working toward shared goals flows. Of course, you can facilitate conflict resolution by seeking compromise, but the best approach is to practice healthy conflict, - Dr. Dale Albrecht, Alonos, Inc.
ICF Russia Chapter
At an event, I once heard a speaker ask for a show of hands if anyone had recently experienced conflict at work. Almost everyone raised their hands. Next, she asked if they were confident in the conflict resolution tools they had. Only a few hands remained in the air.
Workplace conflicts are often dealt with like pests: as quickly and quietly as possible. This often results in problems being hushed up, poorly resolved, or incompletely resolved. Unfortunately, many managers and leaders still prefer this approach to the alternative of directly resolving workplace conflicts.
In fact, most people choose to avoid conflict in the workplace rather than resolve it. Instead, we strive to create a culture of cooperation by evaluating our ability to get along well. Disagreements are minimized, and only brought up in interviews as a case study when the question arises: “tell me about a time when you successfully dealt with a conflict.”
But how many of us are proud of our answers?
There are natural and understandable barriers to effective conflict resolution. Below, we will look at some common questions and issues related to this topic and offer a plan for resolving conflict in the workplace.
What prevents us from practicing effective conflict resolution?
One of the most serious obstacles to successful conflict management occurs when we choose whether to address a conflict directly, actively suppress it, or simply let it resolve itself. Unfortunately, the first option is often seen as the riskiest, given the likelihood that the problem will escalate and cause unnecessary irritation.
The threat of a rift that will disrupt normal workflow and impact productivity and efficiency looms: Managers do not want to be responsible for unleashing the drama caused by personal conflict in the workplace. This means that indirect methods are usually preferred.
The disadvantage of the indirect method is the assumption that temporary emotional outbursts have a greater impact on morale than unresolved issues that simmer within the team.
We consider it laudable when someone puts aside their grievances to focus on the task at hand, and an organization made up of such people should be resilient. The costs associated with this approach are difficult to quantify, but they exist: higher turnover, lower productivity, and poorer communication are all potential side effects.
Why focus on managing conflict in the workplace?
When you address conflict directly, you have a much better chance of nipping the problem in the bud and ensuring that it does not linger and reoccur. The situation may seem more painful in the short term, but more often than not, this strategy results in greater engagement in the workplace and less overall stress.
It’s worth noting that poorly managed conflict is likely to make the problem worse. When managing conflict in the workplace, it’s important to follow the same guidelines and common sense you would use to manage conflict in other settings – but there are specific guidelines for dealing with conflict at work.
Where’s the best place to start?
The reality is that most office conflicts stem from miscommunication. The easiest conflicts to resolve are the ones that simply require sharing more information to bring everyone to a common level of understanding.
Sometimes – and this is not often the case – all a good manager needs is to reach out and acknowledge the problem. Empathy is a powerful tool – taking the time to understand the problem can help ease the burden on the people involved. Understanding is often the first step to solving the problem.
It’s also important not to demonize the opposing parties or assign blame. An open approach, where you put aside your emotions and listen carefully to understand where each side is coming from, helps you focus on the issue rather than the person.
But sometimes you only have a general idea of a situation where different parties are expressing different points of view. Getting to the bottom of it isn’t always easy or possible – if you’re stumped, rely on facts that can be proven or documented rather than trying to understand a vague position. In other words, look at the facts of the situation and try to call a spade a spade without judgment.
Who should be involved in resolving workplace conflict?
In addition to the parties involved, HR and the immediate manager should always play a role in the process. Not all conflicts are the same, and the response should be proportionate to the severity of the issue.
The workplace hierarchy is your friend in this regard. Don’t be afraid to seek the opinion of more senior people if the issue seems too serious. This is where having experience in conflict resolution can come in handy in helping to calibrate your response. Managers and leaders with high emotional intelligence will be better equipped to resolve conflict.
What are the best practices for conflict resolution?
Every organization’s HR department likely has guidelines for resolving conflict in the workplace. These are useful and should be considered, but not relied upon exclusively.
Trying to resolve a conflict formally will likely result in eye rolling at best and hurt feelings at worst. Instead, the best way to reach a resolution is to facilitate as organic and constructive a conversation as possible. The role of the mediator should be to facilitate these conversations and intervene when or if they begin to become contentious to the point of being counterproductive.
When all else fails, try to find the human side of the issue, putting aside the financial side and the accusations; what are the dynamics of the relationship that are leading to the conflict? If you can figure this out, you are on the right track to a solution.
How should a conflict be resolved when mediating a conversation?
Here are some tips to get you started in the right direction:
- Identify points of agreement and disagreement and make a plan of action that can lead to improvement. Keep in mind that the plan must be implemented
- When discussing an issue that has caused a conflict, communicate calmly, listening carefully not only to the words, but also to the meaning of what is being communicated.
- Seek to understand and rephrase what you hear to ensure that you truly understand what the other party is saying.
- Use neutral terms and demonstrate open postures and gestures.
- Show that you respect the other person's point of view. You don't have to agree, but showing that you understand where they're coming from helps strengthen and improve the relationship.
What are the long-term benefits of conflict management for an organization?
You’ve successfully resolved a conflict – now what? Get back to your daily routine, never to return to the scene of the crime again?
Institutional memory is a funny thing. In a sense, it is the sum of all the interactions, good and bad, that shape an organization’s identity and culture over time. Think about the times when you grew as an individual, and you’ll find that many of those experiences occurred during times of conflict or adversity.
Likewise, an organization grows through conflict and adversity. When managed correctly, conflict can be used as a driver of change and innovation. It can break down walls you didn’t know you had. It can be a source of strength and competitive advantage.
What tools can you use to improve your conflict management skills?
From a developmental perspective, managers and leaders should think about how they apply their emotional intelligence skills to situations where they manage conflict. By becoming aware of their emotional intelligence strengths, they will be better able to handle conflict.
It is also important to learn about the cultural differences that exist within your own team and understand how best to approach interactions. By cultural differences, I do not mean cultural or ethnic differences, but rather an effort to understand why someone might think and behave the way they do.
Understanding this helps manage conflict in a positive way. To learn about differences in thinking and behavior, a manager/leader and their team can take the Global DISC assessment.
Coaching for executives, leaders, and managers is another tool to help manage conflict in the office. Executive coaching helps leaders take action to achieve goals and become more self-sufficient. Managers and leaders who have a coach work more easily and productively with their peers, bosses, and direct reports, and communicate more effectively at all levels.
Conclusion
As long as people work together in any setting, there will be conflict. Unfortunately, many of us have been trained to avoid rather than address the issue head-on when it comes to resolving conflict in the workplace. We have seen that failure to practice effective conflict management can have serious negative consequences, while building strong conflict management competencies reduces risk and brings tangible benefits.
Being a leader in the workplace means taking ownership of both the end result and the people working to achieve it. A manager who delivers great results but neglects the well-being of their team is on an unsustainable path.
We have come a long way in how we look at organizational behavior, from outdated authoritarian models to models that can best leverage dynamic, diverse, and highly interactive networks. The most forward-thinking organizations recognize the importance of having effective conflict management practices in place.
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