For today’s post, we’ve summarised the five key elements of addressing
workplace conflict in a handy visual (you can save, share and print the image
above).
Let’s look at each step in more detail:
Step 1:
Acknowledge that there is tension or conflict that needs addressing rather than
let it fester any longer. As people, it’s natural for us to avoid and downplay
conflict because dealing with it is hard, it takes effort and honesty, and it often
brings things out that can make the situation more uncomfortable before it
improves. So your first step is to take ownership of the problem.
Step 2: What
is it actually that you want to achieve from putting yours and others’ time and
energy (and organisational investment), into dealing with the conflict? That is,
are you looking to address the underlying issues at the very heart of the
conflict, or can you see other ways that the situation could be brought to some
sort of closure – like moving someone to another department, reaching a
compromise agreement, or conducting an investigation to tick a particular
policy box? Your answer to this question fundamentally affects what you do and
how the conflict may or may not be resolved. In our experience, if you can get
to the root of the issue, it always yields the most positive, and cost
effective, result for the business and individuals concerned.
Step 3:
Addressing conflict early is always
the best approach before it escalates to a point where it becomes increasingly
costly to resolve. For example, reaching Employment Tribunal is a situation
where nobody really wins. Your aim is to nip the
conflict in the bud as soon as it is picked up.
Step 4: Try
not to jump to solution mode before you’ve assessed some key factors. It’s
important to fully understand first why the conflict occurred, and its seriousness. With groups, it could be
helpful to roughly visualise the conflict on paper –representing the many lines
of interaction and what each relationship is like, what incidents have occurred
between people, so where the hot spots are, etc.
Step 5:
Finally, it’s important to accept that some kinds of conflict are easier to
resolve than others. A spat in a meeting can be diffused relatively quickly,
but resolving the issues bubbling underneath could be a lengthier road. But
it’s certainly possible, if there has
been a commitment (Step 1) to support individuals during what can be a tough
period of dealing with negative emotions, of self-reflection and changing their
own behaviour.
