Just like in your personal life, conflict is also very common in your professional life. Conflict can be created between you and your coworkers or you and your boss.
There are various reasons for workplace conflict, it might be due to your work-related stress and workload or simply because you have some issues with other staff or boss.
Disputes can often arise due to differences among the employees when it comes to dealing with a certain project or problem. Although you can’t get rid of tension altogether, here are some approaches to take when it comes to managing conflict in the workplace.
1. Have an Open Mind
Conflict is very common in the workplace, however, what is uncommon is your unwillingness to solve the conflict. It is very imperative to solve conflict with other employees and your boss, and it is you who should take the first step in solving these conflicts.
Whether the conflict is between you and other employees or the conflict is between two other employees, you should always take a proactive role in solving conflict. Not all disputes require you to step in, but once you are contacted, make sure to have an open mind.
Don’t go into mediation with presumptions and judgments. Talk to all sides separately and see everyone’s point of view. In order to solve a conflict, sometimes you might even have to talk to other people, who are not directly related to the conflict, so that you can see and analyze all possible reasons and the possible solution.
You should always hear the stories of the two conflicting parties as well as the third party. Talking to more people will give you a better idea of solving workplace conflict. You should always adopt a neutral role, your solution should be always convincing to the conflicting parties as well as the third party.
2. Encourage Them to Work on the Problem
You should listen to all sides and ask productive questions to encourage the employees to resolve the conflict on their own.
“Why do you think he did that?” “How do you think she feels?” “Did you think about their viewpoint?” “What do think is the possible solution?”
Your role should be of a court judge who hears the stories of both sides as well as the third party, looks into all available proofs and evidence. Helping them see the problem from another angle can be pivotal in solving the conflict.
3. Show Them What is at Stake
When you are solving the conflict in the workplace, you should always try to explain to your coworkers why the conflict should be solved for the betterment of the workplace and the company benefit.
You should try to make people understand that they should sacrifice their personal interest to make the company great so that they will benefit later. No projects can be successfully completed if the members are in disagreement.
The reason why people join a certain company might because they are trying to generate income but the main reason why a company hires someone is that the company wants to grow and make more profits so that everyone benefits.
You should clearly explain why people are hired and why they need to settle any disputes arising. If everyone expresses their objectives and says why certain things were done in a certain way, it might help them see that they all have a shared mission.
Agreeing on the small things can help build a great foundation in order to solve bigger issues. Remind them that they are in this together and that they have the same vision for your company. This might help them understand each other better and move towards a resolution.
4. Don’t be Confrontational and Give them Lectures
An important thing to remember is not to be hostile and confrontational with your employees. Do not give them lectures about how they are wrong about everything. Be professional and respectful.
Put yourself in their position and appropriately deliver the message, especially if you’ve come to the conclusion that they were in the wrong. Seeing as how they are already stressed, adding to that will not help anyone.
When people are guided by emotions, it might not only harm the person but also those who are dependent on him. Generally speaking, when strong emotions arise, conflict arises.
Be calm and handle workplace conflict step by step. Even when you are emotionally charged, never let the emotions rule you, and do not allow your emotions to take control of you. Moreover, positive reinforcements will have the best results.
5. Have Follow-up Meetings
Once the issue has been addressed, the topic is usually quickly forgotten. Do not let that happen. Make sure you follow through on the dispute. Check in with the people involved to see how the situation has changed.
See whether there was any progress made and if more mediation is necessary. If you are at the helm of the company, your role is of guardian. Or let’s say like a father figure who always tries to do best in the interest of his kids.
6. Get Proper Training
Not all of us are naturals at handling conflict. If this is the case with you, thankfully, there are professionals you can turn to. Workplace mediators offer coaching opportunities in order to help you deal with these situations more easily.
They can also conduct a workplace investigation and aid you in reaching an agreement between all sides involved. Don’t risk any potential lawsuits and turn to specialists in this field.
7. Prevent it by Creating a Good Company Culture
If you can prevent confrontation altogether, that would be for the best. Create a culture within your company that will show all the employees that they are valued, their efforts are appreciated. What you sow, so shall you reap is not just a cliched idea. You need to respect people to get respect, you need to help people to get help.
In order to not alienate your workers, you need to handle conflict properly. People often leave their workplace not because of low salaries but because of a toxic environment. On the other hand, if you realize that someone does not fit into your company culture, it might be time to let them go. Consider these ways of resolving issues in the office and think your decisions through.
