Conflict resolution requires time and commitment, but in the long run, resolving conflict is beneficial as it:
– Builds relationships
– Leads to goal achievement
– Enhances employee commitment
– Generates new insight
Management of relationships in the workplace is crucial for any business to be able to function. Workplace conflict gets in the way of this. You could choose to ignore conflicts at your place of work. However, doing so will absolutely impact on you and your business.
When conflict isn’t managed, the situation can easily get out of hand resulting in accusations, disciplinaries and even legal proceedings.
When things get this far, they are time-consuming and often costly to resolve. Not to mention the strain they can put on the parties involved.
As a manager, staff will expect you to take action to resolve conflicts that arise. If you don’t, they will feel let down and may even decide to move on.
The benefits of early intervention, to solve a disagreement between colleagues, stem from the fact that the unpleasantness can be avoided.
By being proactive and dealing with conflict swiftly and fairly, your team will see that you’re concerned for their well-being and team harmony in general.
Staff who feel valued and looked after work harder and have better morale.
The Negative Impact of Conflict
Conflict is very detrimental to productivity. Allowing it to fester will have a negative impact on workplace efficiency. After all, people are unlikely to be working to their best ability if they’re distracted by disagreements or issues.
In the interests of keeping your business running smoothly, it pays to have a handle on any arising problems. This allows you to nip them in the bud and maintain the healthy, productive environment.
Conflict Management Skills
Managing conflict does not come naturally to most people and doing it well requires some skill. This is where PJW can help you. We offer a number of conflict resolution training courses that we can tailor to suit your requirements.
If you’re not quite sure what you need, you can call us to discuss your concerns, and we will guide you in the right direction. We are an open and friendly team, here to help increase your understanding of the benefits of conflict resolution.
PJW can also help you to set your team up for success with the implementation of progression plans, an outside view of your strategy can boost internal engagement.
Conflict Resolution Strategies
Resolution of conflict is similar to mediation in many ways, and there are key behaviours which are recommended, such as:
Active listening – this is really listening and hearing what people have to say, rather than listening to respond concentrating on what you want to say in response.
Remain neutral – you’re not looking to take sides, rather to facilitate agreement and resolution between the parties. Be aware of bias.
Respect confidentiality and privacy – maintain the confidentiality of each party and only share what has been agreed.
Acknowledge people’s emotions – this can be enough to help settle a situation if there is difficulty in communication.
Be empathetic – demonstrating empathy with someone’s situation is essential when gaining their trust.
Reframing the situation – this involves helping parties to see the perspectives of others, in the hope of finding common ground and, hopefully, compromise and agreement on a way forward.
For further information about how we can help support your business or to sign up for our conflict resolution training courses, please get in touch with our team.