Conflict Among Coworkers Is Easier To Stop Before It Starts

I often like checking the weather forecast to see what is waiting for me that day and the week ahead. I like the feeling that I have prepared for foreseeable outcomes and won’t get caught by surprise.

I admire those in the field who, using extensive historical data, can fairly accurately predict weather behavior. They study the facts, watch the trends, and offer the general public information we can use to plan our work – and our fun. Oftentimes they save lives by warning of possible life-threatening storms.  It’s not a roll of the dice guessing game or watching the head of a prairie dog in March; they spend most of their time with data and learning to interpret it.

Leaders Can Watch For Signs Of Conflict

Not unlike those that study weather, smart leaders are people who study people and the trends that affect their behavior.

It is a fact that conflict will occur in workplaces though usually the conflict never appears out of nowhere. 

Although early warning signs of conflict can be easy to spot between coworkers, indicators may not be public. Therefore, supervisors and managers must know how to spot signs warning of a potential conflict between colleagues. Once known, you can find ways to resolve the problem (s) before it evolves into something far less manageable. 

Conflict Has A Source

Luckily, conflict always has a source. The leader’s job is to find the source and do all you can to resolve the situation by targeting the instigating factors.

It would be best if you solved the tensions early on by understanding the contributing factors.

When a workplace suffers from negative interactions among employees, it can quickly spiral out of control and become a major problem for any business. 

Here is a checklist for you to keep handy and reference. It should help you spot the early signs of the easiest ones to identify. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but a great place to start.

Warning Signs of Conflict a Brewing

Motivation seems low

Often, one of the first things to suffer is workplace morale. Employees seem less motivated by their work and its environment. You’ll note less staff initiative or team members volunteering to take on projects. Even more basic, the routine tasks stop getting done. 

Lack of participation in meetings

Monitoring participation levels in meetings is a good way to gauge whether there is underlying conflict. Too much silence, lack of interest, or even an unconvincing harmony among staff should be a warning of possible deeper tension.

Dysfunctional interactions

Too much negative participation during meetings! The unproductive disagreements among colleagues seem to come from impatience and annoyance with one another, rather than a well-intentioned difference of opinion for a particular project.

Poor behavior

You may overhear staff saying derogatory things about one another or speaking impolitely. Friendly socializing is minimal, and you notice there is reduced interaction between staff than normal.

Gossip

Although gossip is inevitable in any workplace, gossip grows like a wildfire when there is a conflict between people on the team. People feel the need to take sides. Excessive gossip harms the work culture, and it is important that the conflict feeding the gossip be swiftly resolved.

Angry reactions

Usually, anger during any interaction has a root cause not immediately evident. However, anger during staff interactions is a sure sign that something is amiss and needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Rude communication

Terse, unfriendly emails or inappropriate language during a conversation demonstrates little regard for another person’s feelings and opinions. This type of impatience and lack of consideration toward colleagues is a telltale sign of conflict.

Decrease in productivity

Conflict is distracting and will affect motivation among employees. A lack of interpersonal cooperation often causes productivity slowdowns. An unhappy work environment will inevitably cause people to lose focus and procrastinate. Worse, many employees don’t want to do their jobs.

Increased sick leave

We all like to avoid stressful situations. However, conflict is stressful and is likely to increase the number of times people call in sick to work or even leave. In addition, unhappy work environments experience increased depression and anxiety. 

High turn-over

Have you noticed that several employees have found greener pastures? Likely there is a reason for that. An internal issue needs fixing if the door swings too often. 

Noticeable anxiety

If you see some staff seeming more on edge than normal or showing a tendency to worry over minor things, it bears investigating. Low confidence about their work and a tendency to seek reassurance may also be signs of internal conflict.

Regular disagreements

Constant, repetitive disagreements that serve no purpose and don’t benefit a project are a warning sign. Of course, some disagreement is healthy for any organization and can result in positive outcomes. But, when the disagreement serves no purpose and is often occurring, it is a sign of something larger.

Loss of trust among employees

A loss of trust speaks for itself. Coworkers incapable of trusting management or each other show that conflict is rooted within needs to be addressed as soon as possible. When confidence and trust erodes, it is not easy to win back.

Divisions form

Is your team made up of cliques?  If so, the organization is losing an essential aspect of optimal function. Teamwork is an integral aspect of any successful organization, and without that attitude, success is far less achievable. 

Be Proactive With The Warning Signs

The key to preventing conflict in any workplace is proactive leadership. Warning signs can be very subtle or quite obvious. In either case, they are there, and it takes an observant, cautious leader to work with employees. Don’t stop there. Be sure to not only resolve the conflict but to make sure you cover the loopholes that invite it to occur again.

 

Remember, the weather forecasters base their projections on the data and historical evidence. They don’t stick their head of the window, look to the sky and then tell you, “It’s raining! Who knew?”