Are you in an environment right now where everyone seems to be constantly on edge? Workplace conflict can arise for a number of reasons and can make working together more challenging. However, conflict does not need to be a negative thing all the time. In fact, it can actually bring teams closer and make them stronger so long as the team is able to resolve the conflict appropriately. Workplace conflict is something that is good to have because it means people are thinking critically about their position and coming up with new solutions. However, when there’s too much friction between team members, productivity suffers. The trick is knowing how best to handle this kind of dynamic in order to get back on track quickly! We’ll explore some causes of workplace conflict, along with some strategies for resolving it constructively so that your team continues moving forward productively and happily.
When conflict arises, know why
Conflict can arise for a number of reasons, but knowing why it happened can help you better understand what triggered it and also help you resolve it more quickly. When conflict arises between team members, you’ll want to first consider if it’s a situation where the communication between the parties was lacking. Did one party feel that their concerns weren’t being addressed in a timely manner? A team member feel that something was not going as planned and that no one was taking responsibility for it? Did someone feel that a comment was made that was insensitive? These types of situations can be resolved simply by being explicit about what the problem is, who the impacted parties are, and what might be done to address it.
Confrontation doesn’t need to be negative
When we think of confrontation, we might immediately think of it as a negative thing. However, confrontation, when done correctly, can actually be a very positive thing. When you are confronting a team member, you are giving them an opportunity to correct a mistake they made or to address a concern they may have been holding back from sharing. You’re allowing them an opportunity to come forward with new information or insights that might be useful for the team. When you confront someone, you are not trying to make them feel bad about what they did or to embarrass them in any way. Confrontation is merely a way to get the discussion started and to help the team move forward from there with greater clarity and understanding.
Having a plan for dispute resolution is key
In addition to knowing why conflict arises, another important step when working through conflict on your team is to have a plan for dispute resolution. There are many different models out there for resolving disputes that you can use as a reference. Additionally, you can create your own model or use aspects of different models to customize one that works well for your team. The key is that everyone on the team knows what the process is and how they can contribute to resolving conflict within their team.
Focus on the problem, not the person
When a dispute arises, it is important to remember to focus on the problem at hand rather than the person who caused it. This is especially important if the person who caused the problem is someone who is under your supervision. When you are working through a dispute, one person might try to shift the focus of the conversation toward the other person. While it may be tempting to do this, you want to shift the focus back to the issue at hand and how it can best be resolved.
Establish clear expectations and boundaries
When expectations are not clear and boundaries are not defined, team members might begin to question how they can best contribute to the team. If someone feels they are not being given an opportunity to make a positive impact, they might feel resentful toward the team and toward the person who manages them. When expectations are not clear or if team members are unsure of where their boundaries lie, the team starts to feel uneasy about the situation and about the work they are doing. By clearly establishing expectations and boundaries with your team members, you allow them to best contribute to the team and to feel like their contributions are valued and appreciated by the team.
Don’t forget to appreciate your team
Finally, when working through conflict on your team, don’t forget to appreciate your team members for the work that they are doing. Even when there is friction and tension between team members, it is important to remember to appreciate the work that everyone is doing. When a dispute arises, it is easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment and forget to appreciate the contributions of the team members involved. However, it is important to remember to appreciate everyone on the team, even when they are experiencing conflict with each other. By following these steps, you can better prepare yourself and your team for the challenges of conflict and be better prepared to resolve it quickly and constructively so that you can get back to the business of doing great work together!