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As a mediator for a conflict between manager and employee, the first thing you
need to think about would be the source of the conflict. Try and calm everyone
down first so you can finally clarify what the source of conflict truly is.
Depending on the matter, there might be multiple issues ending up happening over
time. However, there might be the start of all conflicts at the heart of every issue.
Once you know the primary source of the conflict, it’s much easier to figure out how
to solve it.
If you get too focused on the superficial issues happening, conflicts can happen
again and again. Therefore, you want to get to the source of disputes not being
obvious as soon as possible.
Of course, finding the source of the conflict is easier said than done, especially
when both parties have strayed too far away from the real matter at hand.
Therefore, you need to keep an eye out for what could potentially be the source of
conflict. Talking to the people closest to the conflicting parties can help you get
more information regarding what may have started a series of conflicts.
Your biases will colour your judgments of a situation, so you must learn to detach
from them in some way, and the first step to do is by being aware of them. If you
don’t feel you can adequately resolve the issues in an unbiased way, don’t hesitate
to get another person with you to help you be better at looking at each other’s
perspectives.
Talk together
You can certainly talk to the individuals one by one when resolving a conflict to get
their uninterrupted sides on things. However, people will have a preference for
their side of the story. Therefore, it’s still a good idea to talk things together to have
a solution and resolution of the overall conflict finally.
You shouldn’t assume everything is okay if you haven’t taken the time to talk
together without any interruptions. You should make sure you go through every
critical point in the conflict during your talk. If you break it up into di!erent
sessions, everyone might not have the mental, physical, and emotional energy to
work through it anymore.
Schedule a meeting with those involved, both one-on-one and as a group. So even if
they’re working remotely, you can still properly face the issue despite not being
able to meet in person. Give yourselves a mental break afterward before following
up on how each party is doing
Being an active listener allows you to get more information before proceeding with
a decision. At the same time, it encourages everyone else to take a moment before
cutting someone o! while the person is telling their side of the story.
Taking the time to listen attentively and pausing before making a decision can make
employees feel everything is being taken into consideration. So don’t feel pressure
to make a decision on the spot.
Remind everyone before you start conflict resolution about how they should keep a
level head at all times once conflict resolution starts. Remind them about not
getting anywhere if they react rashly. They will only harm themselves even if they
are right. Ask them to keep it cool, and they are free to go to a separate room when
they feel unable to relax.
Nonetheless, you should keep in mind, they might be emotional at the moment. It
would be best to give every person involved some headspace.
Respect di!erences
One of the most significant issues and sources of conflict in the workplace can be
innate di!erences.
Di!erences are especially palpable when you are managing multigenerational
workforce (https://development-academy.co.uk/news-tips/how-to-manage-a-
multigenerational-workforce/). It’s much harder to jump over temporal di!erences,
but you can certainly try to understand them instead. You don’t need to overcome
the di!erences you can adapt to for both younger and older generations.
There are also such things as gender and racial di!erences at work which you need
to acknowledge if you want conflict under control. Ignoring them will not cut it.
Once you know the di!erences, you should learn and teach everyone else to
respect these di!erences. Sweeping them under the rug will only make people feel
su!ocated and suppressed.
People are less likely to get into conflicts with a more open environment of which
doesn’t shy away from getting to know and respecting these di!erences.
What’s extra beneficial about respecting di!erences in the workplace is it helps you
build and improve your company culture (https://inside.6q.io/improve-your-
company-culture/). If you create an immediately accommodating environment on
personal di!erences, it becomes easier for everyone to adapt to it as well.
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Don’t intimidate
You should make sure you don’t get swept up by the mood and get emotional
yourself. Intimidating your employees into submission is no way to answer arisen
conflicts. Instead, you’re only sweeping them under the rug, and they might crop up
later. As a workplace leader, you need to have conflict resolution skills not
threatening anyone directly or indirectly.
If you lead your employees by fear and resolve conflicts simply by intimidating
employees into submission, no conflicts get solved. They might work fine now, but
people will want to leave their workplace in the future due to a lack of a positive
working environment. You’re not solving problems. You’re creating new ones.
Once you know what everyone needs, it becomes simpler to collaborate to find and
work on a solution.
Remember, these conflicts can be deep-rooted sometimes. The solution might not
be as easy to find. We suggest you be patient. Being able to talk this issue out
doesn’t mean they will mend their relationship.
Sometimes, the best solution is to give the conflicting parties space. So talk to
everyone involved first before forcing camaraderie between them.
In some cases, the conflict can arise from a lack of training or performance issues.
With these types of cases, it’s best to get the person under a coaching session,
constant appraisals, or disciplinary actions when needed.
Once everyone has talked about the conflict and found a solution, you should
create actionable steps for one another, including yourself so it isn’t everyone
talking alone without backing their words up. Everyone would have no choice but to
walk the talk as well.
In Summary
Following these strategies will better equip you to face conflicts in the workplace
without getting flustered yourself. You’ll be a better leader, coworker, and more for
everyone in the workplace. Thus, work on these strategies and keep them in mind
so you can swiftly take action before a conflict turns into a more significant issue
than it should be.
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