Workplace conflict resolution becomes urgent when tension is so thick you could cut it with an electric saw. Two—or more—employees simply can’t get along, and their clashes are making you dread walking into the office each day.
You hired smart, but after the honeymoon period was over, little land mines of conflict began popping up, eventually threatening nuclear war. Hey- they’re great workers otherwise, but their obvious disregard or disrespect for one another has spiraled out of control and is spilling over into the entire office.
(Can you see it: that conflict shows up as huffing and puffing, eyes rolling, closing doors a bit too loudly or heaven-forbid engaging others in their gossipy complaints of one another.) Some management experts would tell you to simply demand they “knock it off”… but really, what’s the likelihood that will solve the problem to a point of restoring harmony?
You can “tell, tell, yell” all you want, you can threaten to terminate, but unless you’re actually committed to terminating, telling and yelling isn’t going to solve your problem, is it? (Nor, by the way, is avoidance.) Clashes between workers cause untold stress for the entire organization as well as decreased productivity.
Why Workplace Conflict Happens
These clashes may arise for any number of reasons, but assuming it’s nothing more than personality is misleading. Maybe your business used a “personality” indicator test to “hire right” , and as the Harvard Business Review once noted:
using the example of ‘an ENTP and an ISTJ having a hard time working together is as relevant as saying a Capricorn and a Sagittarius will, too.’ People not “getting along” is much more nuanced.
Which leads us to the reasons, and areas, you can identify to help fix the situation:
Why Workplace Conflict Happens
- Fast movers or slower on the uptake: people with different approaches to the speed at which they work often become frustrated with the one another;
- Highly organized or a bit more frenetic or laissez-faire: this could drive people with opposing approaches batty;
- Interdependent tasks where people aren’t pulling their weight: easy to see where frustration stems;
- Idea conflict- opposition towards one approach over another;
- Some may be more punctual than others, and so on.
How Unclear Roles Fuel Workplace Conflict
- Does one person feel superior due to experience level or length of employment?
- Are there overlapping areas where one assumes unreasonable ownership?
Workplace Conflict Stemming from Background Differences
People come to work with a myriad of cultural and socio-economic biases, and as much as we’d all like to pretend they either don’t exist, or they won’t play a role in “getting the job done”, they do. Whether religious, educational, political or gender-based, to name a few, it may not be overtly displayed but they are still entrenched in people’s minds and if unchecked, often color people’s opinions of one another.
How Poor Communication Triggers Workplace Conflict
Yes, you knew I was going to go there: miscommunication and mistaken communication are HIGH on the list of why people don’t or won’t get along. When people speak with one another, the natural tendency is to “fill in the blanks”… we may be saying one thing, but our coworker is conditionally inclined to add, in their own mind, to the “back story”. When you couple that with people who can’t communicate effectively in a way they each need, those trip wires begin to set off. Have that happen long enough? You, and your employees are going to have a serious problem.
When Unfair Competition Leads to Workplace Conflict
Time to look in the mirror: have you created an environment that pits employees against one another? Think about it: have you showed favoritism, created bonuses that exclude people, or maybe an unhealthy set of metrics that they must meet to “win” your approval? Are you prone to recognize some people with complete disregard for others, simply because you might not like them as much or they are quieter and don’t seem to need praise? Time to look in the mirror: have you created an environment that pits employees against one another? Think about it: have you showed favoritism, created bonuses that exclude people, or maybe an unhealthy set of metrics that they must meet to “win” your approval? Are you prone to recognize some people with complete disregard for others, simply because you might not like them as much or they are quieter and don’t seem to need praise?
Conflict Resolution: Fixing Workplace Tension
So, you’re living in this very messy, palpable conflict an it’s affecting everyone. What do you do about it?
Hopefully, you get a grip and try to remedy the situation before that mushroom cloud hits if, for no other reason, than to save not only your sanity, but the overall culture of your business. That said, let’s take a look at your options:
Talk to your employees Don’t stop reading here. Talking, in this case, means asking questions and listening. Seriously: Ask and then close your mouth. If you’re not finding the answers you’re seeking, ask more. Just by saying “and what else?” you are inviting them to continue sharing, and if you’ve learned the concept of ” leader as coach” you’ll be able to effectively get the most from your employees- and on a regular basis. During conflict, it’s even more critical, because like any treasure hunt, asking and then listening will allow you to find the clues to the underlying cause.
Find a communication course Not just for yourself, but for the entire team. Like I mentioned above, when people can’t really understand each other, they’re going to create their own version of what’s being said. Let’s remove uncertainty, ambiguity and negative reactions by replacing them with ways to listen, to hear and to comprehend. Added bonus: communication training also helps you connect to your clients.
Consider adding conflict management skills Managing large groups of people? Even more important. Do some deep-dive research into conflict management, but be certain that what you choose to take away is focused on achieving positive outcomes.
Think about it: if you could eliminate that conflict, they’re really solid employees. You needn’t achieve a conflict-negotiation level mastery, but a basic understanding of managing conflict will go a long way. In areas where work-style is an issue, helping define solutions is crucial.
Help people understand-and accept- their differences There is little we can do to remove the biases people carry around with them, but we can expect them to be respectful of one another’s differing view points.
This one is a non-negotiable.
There is no room for people to cast their assumptions upon one another. Differences in work style, if you’re okay with it, is something people need to understand and appreciate.
Perhaps the “slower” employee is more detail-oriented. Find a way to help the speedy one find value in her coworker’s attention to detail and how they actually complement one another. Encourage them to take on sub-tasks that capitalize on these strengths to better serve all.
A side note about strengths: you want your people to understand the areas where they each shine and allow them the space to do it in.
Deploy a respect clause No matter people’s differences, everyone deserves respect. You, therefore, should have a no-tolerance policy regarding blatant disrespect.
Employees should be offered ample opportunity to come to you and their co-worker with areas of concern, but it is conditioned upon respect. The overall values your business should include this and be communicated regularly.
If you’re having one on one’s in a coaching setting, use that time to drive the point home with someone who is lacking: asking them how they would feel if someone was disrespecting of them, how showing disrespect causes others to be less productive thereby impacting the mission and vision of the business. And don’t simply TELL them– phrase it as questions they have to think about it before responding.
Final Thoughts on Workplace Conflict Resolution
Conflict is inevitable, a fallout of simply possessing our own opinions, our way of functioning and interacting. How we choose to respond to differences is often conditioned into us early on, and then sometimes, people just ” rub each other” the wrong way. The other inevitable is that people need to work together and you need employees to help run your business. A good portion of leading and managing people is helping them navigate through their differences in a respectful way that doesn’t detract from job satisfaction, morale or your bottom line.
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(Article originally posted in March, 2018 under Ascendant Dental Development LLC and migrated here to our newly branded company and website.)
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