Leaders as Referee in Managing Conflict
The management magazines and business journals are abuzz about getting employees back to work and back to the workplace. With the big move towards togetherness comes the familiar tasks of managing conflict.
Less (with the emphasis on less but likely not ‘gone forever’) virtual time with each other and more in-person time.
We may be craving human interaction, but the more contact we have with one another, online or in the office, the higher the chance for misunderstandings. Leaders are often responsible for helping involved parties resolve issues and move forward.
The Results of Conflict Unattended
When you have various people working together in the same workplace, all with different views, opinions, and ideas, expect disagreements and various issues to arise.
Although sometimes these disputes can be healthy for an organization and lead to innovation, they can also become significant sources of tension and conflict.
Fortunately, managers can not only influence but also determine the outcome of these situations. How you handle and guide people through healthy conflict resolution will have a lasting impact on the attitude of employees and workplace culture. Learning how to be successful at managing conflict is critical to your growth as a leader.
Conflict Hurts Productivity
You may be tempted to leave the “hot potatoes” in the workplace alone, knowing that whoever forays into the midst may come out maimed! But the price for unresolved conflict is too high. Productivity and morale of the entire team can be affected, and the consequences direr than a few scrapes and bruises from intervention.
Conflict Resolution Policy or Outlined Procedures
It is in every organization’s best interest to have a solid conflict resolution approach or policy in place.
What follows are 4 ways for managers to positively influence how conflicts in the workplace are handled and resolved.
1. Contain the Conflict Early
A first step should be to contain the conflict whenever possible and not allow it to get out of hand.
Because workplace disputes take valuable time and resources to resolve, it’s safe to say that it is in everyone’s best interest—those involved and those not involved—to isolate the issue(s). Don’t let it affect other aspects of the workplace and employees.
By containing the conflict, managers are isolating it from other day-to-day events and aspects of the job. The conflict is treated as an independent issue.
2. Maintain Your Objectivity
Maintaining an objective view is an essential aspect of the process.
You might have better relationships with some employees than others. Let’s be straight; as a leader, you cannot manage conflict with a bias towards those you like more or have a long history working with. This approach is unfair and can potentially make the situation worse.
A manager’s main focus should be to maintain an objective analysis, especially during the early stages.
3. Look for the Facts
Before making any decision or coming to any conclusions, ensure that you have collected all facts. Strive for clarity. What are the different perspectives? What is really driving the conflict? Often there are hidden grievances from past disputes which influence how co-workers interact in the present.
You must ensure that you understand what each party actually perceives as the problem. This step allows different perspectives on the same problem to be identified and may cause the parties to consider different solutions.
4. Listen to Both Sides
Allowing both sides to present their ideas isn’t about establishing whose argument is better. Rather, it’s about attentively listening to each perspective. It may be those seemingly opposite ideas have more in common than realized. Ideas can often be combined for a more effective outcome. However, the only way this is possible is if everyone involved is given a platform from which to present their views.
Emotions Running High
Remember, when conflicts do arise, everyone’s emotions and anxieties are likely to be heightened. It is critical to do your best to ensure everyone’s point of view is heard. Sometimes, the respect shown by others who truly listen to our complaints is enough for resolution and move ahead.
Stay Vigilant
We never want to be complacent with relationships, and the ones that appear to be working seamlessly have a good deal of proactive work going on inside them, which enables them to appear effortless.
In a leadership coaching practice, conflict resolution is a common issue for front-line supervisors and managers. I often find that the root of misunderstanding and distrust begins with the simple fact that they don’t spend any time with the team-building trust and mutual respect. More on this – next week.
