“A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.” – Proverbs 15:18
Anywhere there is human connection, conflict must inevitably exist. However, some confrontations cannot be avoided, which is why every employee needs to be familiar with conflict resolution techniques. Teams must cooperate, and disagreements must be kept to a minimum if an organization is to grow and advance. People are special, so we frequently tend to respond to situations differently. Small disagreements can, however, balloon into larger ones if they go unresolved. Therefore, all parties concerned in any problem topic must present on an open platform to address difficulties and find a solution to avoid such workplace confrontations.
Conflict at work is characterized as a significant disagreement of opinion that exists at the workplace. It could begin with a straightforward grievance or simply a difference of opinion. Many times, these problems either get better over time or go away on their own.
When discussing the root causes of problems at work, backbiting, gossip, and choosing sides, which frequently results in partiality, are some of the worst offenders. It is a recipe for disaster in the job to support someone solely because they are your friend rather than based on their deeds or character. Influencing and pushing views on employees rather than being flexible can be problematic for employers and team leaders alike. Team members may retain grudges against their boss. Additionally, if team members’ duties and skills are not compatible, it may cause friction and hinder the attainment of the company objectives.
Photo source: Yan Krukov
There are many ways to prevent conflict in the workplace as well as methods for effective conflict resolution. Below are a few guidelines to follow.
● Define acceptable conduct.
This is the first action to take if we want to decrease the frequency of disagreements at work. Standard operating procedures, operating policies, and even dress rules should all be stated in detail in a document that is kept in the office. Additionally, it must define what constitutes inappropriate conduct in simple, comprehensive terms. We cannot hold people accountable for wrongdoing if they do not know what is appropriate or inappropriate.
● Communicate.
When expressing our ideas at work, we must be careful to utilize exact and plain language. We must avoid taking the chance of being misinterpreted. Also, we must make sure the setting is appropriate before giving a speech or a presentation.
● Encourage employees with kindness.
We must make sure that our input is constructive when giving it to coworkers or team members. People around us, especially if we are team leaders, should know that we appreciate their efforts and want to see them succeed. Positive feedback would motivate the rest of the team to follow suit.
● Humor never does anyone any harm.
Let us make an effort to be humorous at work. This is yet another excellent means of preventing problems at work. Let us encourage some lightheartedness at work for team leaders and managers. We do not want our staff to get overworked just because they cannot take a break. In the end, we would have underproductive employees and a failing company. Starting our meetings with entertaining ice breakers or a hilarious joke is one way we can make this work. We could occasionally even send an email to the entire department simply for laughs.
