Dealing with Workplace Conflict

Kirsty Smith - HR Professional

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​Let’s face it, workplace conflict is never good for business. At the very least it is uncomfortable, but at worst may lead to stress, particularly if left unresolved for extended periods, and can also cause downturns in productivity and increases in absenteeism.  

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​It is important to work out where the conflict stems from.  Generally there are two types of workplace conflict:

• when people have a difference of opinion relating to ideas, decisions or actions; or
• when the conflict is caused by a personality clash.
  
  

There is value in incorporating respectful workplace behaviour coaching into regular or systematic training as a reminder to team members about how to navigate the workplace appropriately to ensure only productive conflict occurs. Best practice is to continually confirm and reaffirm behavioural expectations relating to the company’s Core Values or company behaviour expectation. If everyone is aware of the business’s expectations surrounding respectful workplace behaviour than it is often easier to identify and reconcile conflict before it manifests into something ugly and potentially damaging.

REMOTE CONFLICT
We’ve all seen or experienced workplace conflict when working face to face, side by side with our teams.  However, with the increase in remote working, workplace conflict can and will still occur.  In fact, working remotely can further increase the chance of issues arising through misunderstanding as we don’t have the advantage of being able to read body language cues that help guide our interpretation of the spoken word.  Zoom, Teams, Meets – all powerful video conferencing tools but the lack of in person interaction and connection can result in the disintegration of positive and respectful working relationships and the slightest discord can escalate into a major issue as remote workers feel isolated or the matter goes unnoticed if we don’t take care. 

Further, the reliance on the written word through online platforms such as email, Slack, Messenger and so on, can too easily be misinterpreted.  Imagine a situation in which you are flat out trying to keep up with your work and you quickly respond to an employee’s well thought out email or polite request.  On any other day, your reply will be taken as intended – an answer to the question.  But consider the remote worker who is feeling disconnected, isolated, frustrated and suddenly a quick and helpful reply is interpreted as a curt, rude or dismissive brush off.  And the nature of remote working means that popping round to some else’s work station to ensure there is no heat in the response is not an option.  The danger in this kind of example is that the remote worker may allow their annoyance to fester into something that causes a working relationship to disintegrate and a major conflict is in play.

HOW TO MANAGE WORKPLACE CONFLICT
Some simple steps to help resolve workplace disputes:
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• Do not ignore conflict: encourage team leaders and managers to act upon conflict or disputes as soon as it becomes apparent. No matter how small the issue or which employees are involved, a conflict should be acted upon promptly. If conflict is ignored it could manifest into a bigger event which could lead to a more complex scenario down the track and take infinitely more time and effort to correct or resolve.

• Touchbase regularly with remote workers – when onsite, you would ideally stop by an office, head out to grab a coffee or chat in the tea room with employees and colleagues.  These casual contact points allow you to gauge the temperature of relationships and potential issues.  Remote teams need the same attention so make sure you make time to connect in a meaningful way with your team be it through phone calls, video conferencing or whatever methods you find work for the individuals.  One on one conversations will allow for more honesty so if a conflict is bubbling along unnoticed, an employee may be more likely to share their concerns with you in a more private setting.

 

• Investigate and clarify, try and understand what is at the heart of the conflict. Depending on the nature of the conflict and the level of ‘heat’ involved, you may first wish to conduct discussions with each party independently before bringing the parties together to jointly explore their issues in a facilitated discussion.
  
  As a mediator, you need to provide both parties with an opportunity to share their side of the story, to get a clear understanding of the issue from their perspective before you attempt mediation. Ask questions like “What do you think happened here?” or “When do you think the problem between you first arose?
  
  Getting to know each side of story and perceptions of both the parties will help you make an informed and fair decision and find possible common ground for the parties that might lead to a positive resolution.
  
  Attempt to get both sides to agree on what the disagreement is, continue to ask questions until you are certain that all parties involved understand the issue. The more information you have about the cause of the problem, the more easily you can help to resolve it.
  
  Discussions may result in either or both parties exhibiting disruptive behaviour so, as you listen, be sure your tone and body language is neutral and be sure to read theirs also. Facts are important, but how a person feels is the heart of the matter, watch and listen carefully for the person’s real message.

• Identify solutions, encourage both parties to solicit their ideas: “How can we move forward?” You want both parties to stop fighting and start cooperating, and that means toward ways of resolving the conflict. Try to identify the most acceptable course of action, point out the merits of various ideas for both parties, but also in terms of the benefits to the business. For example, you might suggest a need for higher levels of communication and transparency so each party has greater clarity or insight in to each’s others contribution to a task. You might encourage the parties to set some agreed ways of working, so that each parties’ needs are met moving forward.

 

• Summarise the key facts, confirm key points from your inquiry with those involved. It is important to acknowledge each individual or party's needs and concerns so as to avoid making any unsubstantiated conclusions; the goal is to reach a negotiated agreement. Then seek to ensure that all parties are satisfied and the outcome of the mediation has met their needs and expectations.

 

• Check in and follow up, lastly schedule time to meet with the individuals in the coming days or weeks and follow up with some probing questions to see if everyone has been working towards the agreed resolution.

 
If the issue appears to be a situation requiring an investigation or external facilitation to get things back on track, then speak with each party individually, but explore the incident or issue further by interviewing other people as needed to get a full understanding of what has occurred. In some instances, it may that one person is causing the issue and rather than a facilitated meeting, disciplinary action may be required.

In any case of conflict or concern, seek help and advice if needed, so you can get back to business as usual as quickly as possible, for the benefit of you, your clients, your team and your business. Reach out to us at HR Staff n’ Stuff for help at any time…

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