6 Tips for Dealing with Conflict at Work

Workplace conflict is inevitable, as we all have different personalities and work ethics. Even if your employees get along most the time, it’s essential to understand how to minimize workplace conflicts before they get out of control. Here are six tips for dealing with workplace conflict that can help your employees focus on their work without getting distracted by unnecessary disputes or personality differences.

#1 Always Remain Calm

The first step in dealing with any work-related conflict is to remain calm and not lose your composure. Working with disgruntled employees can be highly stressful but staying in control of your emotions will help all parties calm down and work on finding a solution. Typically, it’s a good idea to give each employee a break and some space to cool off before you attempt to resolve any issues.

#2 Set Ground Rules

The next step is to set firm ground rules before you begin dealing with employees who are at odds with one another. These ground rules can vary based on the incident and can include insisting that the employees treat each other with respect and listen to the other side of the story. Whatever rules you put in place, it’s essential that you remain firm and enforce them or a workplace conflict can grow into an even bigger argument. Clearly communicating your rules can help each employee appreciate your point of view and understand what’s in the best interests of the company.

#3 Attack the Issue, Not the Person

One of the keys to being a mediator in a workplace conflict is to focus on attacking the issue and not the person or people. Concentrating on the problem will help you find a long-term solution that’s in the best interest of everyone involved without alienating anyone.

#4 Focus on the Positive

Another effective way to end workplace conflicts is by focusing on the positive and treating the situation as an opportunity to strengthen the company. More often than not, a workplace conflict sheds light on an important issue that needs to be addressed. Resolving this conflict isn’t only beneficial to the employees, it’s also good for the long-term interests of your business. Finding something positive in bad circumstance is a great mindset that can help your company overcome many difficult challenges.

#5 Brainstorm Solutions

Once you’ve heard both sides of the story, it’s important to find a solution that’s fair to both employees. Discussing various solutions with each employee can help you identify the most optimal solution to end the conflict and enable the employee to focus on their jobs without any added drama.

#6 Make Sure Everyone is in Agreement

Finally, it’s always a good idea to close the meeting on good terms and ensure that everyone understands the importance of reaching and maintaining a solution.

Resolving workplace conflicts is essential for every organization, as negative chemistry in the office can cause a myriad of problems and make it difficult to remain productive. Additional employee training related to conflict resolutions may also help your employees as will encouraging them to work together as a team, even if they don’t always agree with each other. Disagreements are bound to happen, but you can learn to handle them by following these simple, yet effective steps.