7 Effective Tips to Handle Conflicts In The Workplace

Conflicts are bound to happen in the workplace. Technically, conflicts are defined as actions of one person that obstruct, interfere, or somehow get in the way of the actions of another person. If not timely resolved, conflicts may lead to a massive level of discomfort, frustration, pain, sadness, and anger. In addition, unresolved conflicts eventually bring workers' morale down and affect productivity. 

So, workplace conflicts not only sour the work environment but also cost you monetarily. According to the CPP report, workplace conflicts cost $359 billion in paid hours in the USA. Similarly, Acas's report "Estimating the Cost of Workplace Conflict '' suggests that the total annual cost of workplace conflicts is £28.5 billion in the UK every year.  

Conflict can occur between coworkers or with customers or vendors. No matter who is involved, effective and early resolution ensure the organization's success. The key to resolving the conflict and maintaining a positive working relationship is using the right technique. Here are seven of the most effective methods for resolving workplace conflict.

1. Talk About the Problem

One of the most basic ways to resolve conflict is to simply talk about it. Talking about the problem will help you identify the type of conflict, guide you to determine its cause, and enable you to choose the appropriate technique for resolution. 

If you are not sure what the problem is, state your perception of it and ask for clarification on how others see it. As an employer, listen carefully without interrupting or becoming judgemental. 

If you are involved in a conflict, listen to the other person patiently without being defensive. This gives both sides an opportunity to speak openly and freely about what has happened or is happening. 

2. Be Specific and Don't Generalize

For an effective resolution, both sides should have a clear understanding of what happened or is happening. Describe the behavior or event you are experiencing in specific, concrete terms. Avoid using language that is ambiguous or too general. 

Suppose you are operating an online business and your virtual assistant did not follow your instructions for a particular task. Apparently, this affected your sales negatively, and you are not happy about it. 

So, instead of saying, "You work absent-mindedly," focus on the specific actions of the person that brought such a situation. Be precise and to the point. If needed, write your thoughts down to clearly see what you are feeling and thinking. Then, pick the relevant thoughts and discard the relevant ones.

3. Stay Focused on the Issue, not on the Individual

According to a multi-country survey, 49% of all workplace conflict accounts are due to personality clashes. Moreover, it is not uncommon to have our own pre-conceived attitudes about individuals in the workplace. Many of us have known or labeled at least one "problematic individual" in our minds during our work experience. 

Instead of focusing on "person X always creates trouble" or "what's wrong with person X," try to concentrate on the problem that gave rise to conflict. Try not to associate an event with the previous situation of person X and evaluate the situation without pre-conceived biases.

Using the present scenario as an opportunity, try to teach such people how they made a mistake in that specific situation and how to act differently when faced with the same scenario in the future. 

For example, you noticed that your coworker or employee occasionally leaves stuff behind in the break room. When talking about the problem, avoid using words like:

"You always leave your mess on the break room table," or  "You're so messy." 

Instead, you should say, 

"Leaving your stuff out on the break room table causes problems for others who need to use it." 

4. Choose Your Words Carefully, Avoid Jokes and Disrespectful Language

When communicating about a conflict, it's important to choose your words carefully so that they build people up, not tear them down. For example, in the scenario mentioned above, don't say:

 "It is better you clean up after using the break room; no one is your servant to take care of your mess."

Rather, try saying that,

"Kindly keep the breakroom clean so that it will not be bothersome for anyone using the break room after you."

It can be tempting to use humor when trying to ease tension, but ultimately this doesn't help solve the problem. It may make you feel better temporarily, but it does little to resolve the conflict and eventually makes things worse. 

The same goes for name-calling, coercion, or disrespectful language. It may feel like you're "getting it out" but can leave a lasting negative impression on others and perpetuate the problem. Odds are the problem will resurface. If this happens, not only do you have to deal with the current situation but also the frustration that has festered below the surface during the interim.

5. Avoid Emotional Outbursts and Seek a Better Way to Communicate

Throwing your emotions outrightly may seem like opening a safety valve. However, the steam coming out during that outburst may burn you and the people around you. Taking time to yourself after a conflict can help you gain perspective on what happened and how the outcome affected you. 

Make sure you process your emotions in a healthy way by using strategies such as meditation, taking a walk, or talking with someone else about what happened. It is helpful to identify the source of conflict. Once you are clear about the origin, try to communicate it to the concerned person effectively. 

Discussing the conflict with the concerned person often does more harm than good. More likely, the opposite person will get defensive, and the conflict may escalate into a heated argument.

Try reading the emotions of the person with whom you are experiencing the conflict. If you believe that communicating directly will cause more problems, try to involve a common friend, management, or any third party to help you communicate and resolve the conflict.  

6. Take Action Using Win-Win Approach

Resolving a conflict requires both sides to take action. So, when a conflict arises in the workplace, one of the following reactions occur:

Lose/Lose Approach

• Everyone involved in the conflict sticks to their intractable position.
• No one is ready to leave the "I'm right, and you're wrong" stance. 
• Both parties get no satisfactory outcome.

Win/Lose Approach

• One person feels positive about the outcome while the other feels he/she is being wronged or imposed upon.
• Those who feel being imposed on may develop resentment, which compromises ongoing relations between the parties and the management or the third party involved in the conflict resolution.

Win/Win Approach

• Both people feel they have won.
• Both people feel satisfied with the outcome and solution.
• Both people embrace the reality that the other person has won also.

Neither the lose/lose nor the win/lose approach results in an optimal solution. So, resolve the conflict using the win/win approach. As an employer, manager, or friend, ask both parties about their expectations regarding the resolution and what they can specifically do to solve the problem. 

If you are involved in a conflict with someone, put your opinion and the conjecture from the other person in front of you and reach a solution with a win-win approach.  

7. Make sure Your Final Action is Decisive

When managing conflict processes, you need to have a common objective. This is achieved by determining ways to meet each other's needs and expectations so that both sides are satisfied with the outcome of the discussion.

If both parties are not reaching any solution, still don't leave the issue in limbo. Taking too long to reach a solution leaves room for more misunderstandings. Furthermore, as an employer or manager, if you do not take decisive action, it may damage your credibility and perception. 

You may be viewed as too weak or uncaring to handle the problem. You have to take timely action even if everyone does not agree with your decision. But at least timely action will put a full stop to the conflict.

Take Away

Conflict resolution is an important skill to have in the workplace. It can help prevent heated arguments from turning into full-blown disputes and keep productivity high by resolving disagreements quickly. The techniques mentioned above will help you successfully resolve conflicts in any workplace. After a successful conflict resolution, make sure you establish a plan of action in case a similar situation arises in the future. We hope you find this blog helpful in resolving conflicts at your workplace.