Managing Workplace ConflictLet's talk about facts. Do you know that one of the major causes of workplace stress is conflict among employees? Do you know that based on studies conducted in this area, a total of 60 percent of working time is usually spent on resolving such kinds of issues and settling anger. Thus, by now you have a clear idea that if you don't know the right ways of managing workplace conflict, it may spell doom for your business. It means very low morale and productivity among employees and high stress level and turnover rate. What the Managers Can Do to Handle the Problem It may seem like a huge test, but the manager has one of the biggest responsibilities when it comes to workplace conflicts, and he has to pass it with flying colors. Not only does he have to know how to deal with it head-on, but he should be the one to settle the grievances and emotional turmoil among his subordinates. Nevertheless, if one just learns to follow these simple steps, a manager could be on his way to achieving peace in his office: 1. Stop treating them like a teen. If you're a manager, it's high time that you treat your employees like adults, not like teenage boys and girls. Grounding them (perhaps in the form of suspension) will not actually solve the problem but may even make it worse. The first step for finding the resolution is to open the lines of communication. Invite warring employees to tell their side of the story, but never learn to take sides. You are there to evaluate the situation, so you can come up with a win-win solution for both camps. Now there will always be times when both will persuade you to take their respective sides, but always make it clear that you're not doing this to add more fuel into the fire. 2. Actively listen. There's a huge difference between active and passive listening. You have to do the former. If it's going to help you, make sure that you can take notes of important points. Along the way, you will actually discover the pressing problems in your organization, which you may have overlooked because you are too concerned of other things. For example, does your office practice discrimination without you knowing it? This can lead to occupational stress and thus workplace conflict. 3. Set up boundaries. One of the common reasons too why employees tend to be in one another's throats is because of the lack of boundaries. It could be possible that two or more employees are doing the same kind of work, and when it comes to accountabilities, no one is willing to take responsibility. A good way to develop boundaries is to develop a job description for every employee and encourage them to read it every morning. Your office should also have clear-cut policies when it comes to seniority, evaluating work performance, promotion, demotion, assignment, and other aspects of the job that may have direct impact to the employee. Managing workplace conflict requires more than just proper skills in conducting employee therapy to settle issues. One needs to be more human and humane to reach out to conflicting parties. |