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In many workplaces, conflict is something to be avoided at all costs. Disagreements, ambiguity about roles and responsibilities and a lack of clear communication can cause serious problems for even the most successful companies.
Sara Lowell, a consultant who specializes in team building and founder of the online leadership education hub You Are Rembert, said unresolved or mismanaged work-related conflicts are the reason 68% to 75% of people decide to leave their jobs.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
“Managers often have a negative view of conflict because it typically results in unwanted consequences,” Lowell said. “But embracing constructive conflict creates an environment in which team members feel comfortable expressing their opinions, thoughts and concerns. This fosters a positive work environment that leads to success.”
Lowell urges you to follow these steps to view inevitable workplace conflicts as opportunities for growth, learning and professional development.
1. Set the Tone. Accepting that workplace conflicts are expected and deciding how to manage them ahead of time is the first step. Lowell believes that managing conflict involves spelling out ways in which managers and employees can prevent disagreements from escalating to major issues that are beyond repair.
“You have to be prepared, not necessarily for the worst-case scenario, but to avoid blowouts that turn into serious situations,” Lowell said. “Your team should be able to have constructive conversations before things get out of hand.”
Many companies have generic employee handbooks that outline workplace policies, pay period information, employee rights and other useful information. Why shouldn’t expectations about conflict management be included?
“Those types of policies should be available to reference when you’re onboarding new employees or training your team,” Lowell said.
2. Communicate and Listen. Conflicts in the workplace happen regularly in every company. Lowell’s blog features specific insights on how managers can create conflict management plans, which should be based on building trust within teams and fostering open and honest communication.
Maintaining an open door policy is one of her tenets to preventing conflicts by empowering staff to seek help or advice to deal with workplace issues.
“Anyone who has a problem with something going on at work should feel comfortable telling you about their concerns,” Lowell said. “Not having an open door policy is a big problem for managers who want to approach conflict in a healthy way.”
Maintaining an open door policy goes beyond encouraging team members to seek out your assistance when conflict arises. It also involves keeping regular communication channels open, according to Lowell. She said regularly scheduled team huddles and one-on-one meetings with individual employees generate valuable feedback, suggestions and concerns that can prevent conflict from occurring.
Active listening during interactions with your staff shows that you’re empathetic to varying viewpoints and fosters an environment in which individual team members feel heard. They also feel comfortable voicing their opinions without fear of being criticized.
“Teams need to feel supported and heard,” she added. “Active listening is necessary to resolve conflicts, but it can’t happen if managers aren’t engaged.”
That support must be ongoing. Constant communication is essential for resolving conflicts and leveraging them in positive ways, Lowell noted. She said managers and new hires typically talk often during the onboarding process, but the open lines of communication tend to fade as roles are established and job responsibilities increase.
According to Lowell, managers are setting themselves and their teams up for failure when they expect their employees to develop and maintain communication skills and conflict management strategies without outside motivation and direction.
She believes it’s important to help employees develop their people skills through continuous education and training. “It’s a good idea to have a team mentor or an outside expert hold regular workshops to teach and reinforce constructive communication skills,” she said.
3. Establish Expectations. Ensuring that everyone on your team understands their roles in the organization and how their efforts contribute to the overall success of the group keeps everyone on the same page and working in unison.
“Similar to how an employee’s soft skills often fade over time after they’ve been hired,” Lowell said, “so too can the clear boundaries of someone’s job duties.”
Roles are often modified with tenure, so an employee’s responsibilities will change and grow. It’s ultimately up to you to ensure that every team member is fulfilling their duties and focused on the right things.
“When your team knows their specific roles and understands how they can contribute to the overall goals of the business, it enhances clarity and collaboration,” Lowell said.
4. Have a Plan. Educating teams about effective communication is one way to prevent conflicts from escalating. Intervening when communication breaks down is another.
“For everybody to work together cohesively, you need to step in when needed and ask, ‘Hey, what’s going on? Why are you not communicating about this?’” Lowell said.
Lowell highlighted the importance of developing a conflict management plan that outlines the steps to take when conflicts arise. She suggested establishing clear guidelines to define the reporting process, noting who is responsible for managing the resolution and determining the expected timeline for conflicts to be resolved. These guidelines set clear expectations for your team and let them know you take conflict resolution seriously.
Facilitate the necessary meetings between the parties involved in a conflict to ensure communication is carried out in a timely manner. The meetings should be confidential and run by someone from the leadership team.
“By developing a conflict management plan, you are showing that you care about those you work with and want to address conflicts in a fair manner,” Lowell said. “This will limit the risk of serious incidents and preserve relationships within your company.”
Lowell added that it’s important to strike the right balance to show that you’re invested in the well-being of your employees to create a positive work culture. “You don’t want to get too personal with your team, but you still need to make them feel like they’re part of something — not just people who are helping your business make money,” she said.
