The Importance of Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies in the Workplace

Working conditions, personality clashes, and pressure to perform can all lead to discord at work, necessitating effective conflict resolution strategies. People tend to differ significantly in terms of their personalities, priorities and perspectives, so some degree of conflict between employees is inevitable. However, the manner in which we attempt to resolve workplace conflict can have a profound impact on employee satisfaction and, by extension, productivity. The art is to ensure that the outcome of any intervention is positive.

Too often, managers will attribute a problem to a particular individual who they believe to be uncooperative or a troublemaker and proceed to solve it with the required verbal and written warnings and eventual dismissal. However, rather than fixing things, this heavy-handed authoritarian leadership style will often stir fear and resentment among other employees and is more likely to make things worse.

That doesn’t mean problem employees don’t exist, but that does not make them automatically responsible for these issues. Frequently, such individuals are merely a symptom of more deep-rooted problems within the system. Identifying those is crucial for conflict resolution, as are open and honest communication, empathy, objectivity and problem-solving skills.

Requirements for Successful Workplace Conflict Resolution Strategies

Trust is crucial for success, and the following are essential to establish it:

• Open communications: Those at the coalface know best where the problems lie, but staff must be sure there will be no repercussions if they divulge them. Frank, two-way feedback is essential, so criticism must be accepted as well as given.

• Active listening: Giving full attention to a speaker, maintaining eye contact and resisting the urge to interrupt requires practice, but it demonstrates respect and genuine interest and encourages openness.

• Clarification: Conflict is often rooted in misunderstanding. Clarity promotes unity but is only possible when establishing well-defined guidelines, policies and procedures to avoid ambiguity and confusion.

• Collaboration: Establishing common ground is an essential step in defusing tensions. Encouraging cooperation and compromise helps managers and employees develop mutually beneficial solutions, thus ensuring a win-win outcome.

• Acceptance: For conflict resolution strategies to work, all stakeholders must be willing to embrace constructive feedback. At the same time, all such feedback should be delivered with tact and respect. Employees are encouraged to provide and actively seek constructive feedback when delivered in this manner.

• Self Control: Emotions are often the biggest obstacle to developing successful conflict resolution strategies, clouding judgment and escalating tensions. Building a culture of self-awareness, empathy, and social skills will help maintain calm and rationality.

• Enablement: Setting individual and company goals provides purpose and direction. However, all stakeholders must receive the support, training and tools needed to achieve them. A psychometric skills audit can reveal where attention is required.

Mediation in Conflict Resolution Strategies

A thorough understanding of the requirements for resolving workplace conflict is essential. However, so is objectivity. It is, therefore, advisable for a company to appoint a neutral, external body to manage the mediation process in collaboration with its management and staff.

With over 40 years of experience, few are better qualified to assist than the industrial psychologists and business experts at Orgro. If your company is facing challenges due to workplace conflict, contact us, and let’s join forces to overcome them.