Conflicts are part of every work environment and cannot be completely prevented. When a group of people with different personalities work under stress, there are sure to be a few problems sooner or later. Having an effective team conflict resolution strategy should be a key task for any manager. How can you defuse a situation when anger and regret are in the air? When the parties to the conflict do not behave fully rationally? It is not easy, but there are ways.
Conflicts are not always bad. Sometimes they can be what helps teams compete and work more efficiently. However, they can just as easily explode to huge proportions and lead to serious problems for the business. That's why it's best to keep your finger on the pulse at all times and be prepared to step in.
How do people deal with conflict?
For those with the right knowledge and skills, conflict resolution within the company will be easier - they understand how to defuse the situation and reach an agreement that satisfies all parties. Team conflict resolution It is important to start by understanding the different styles of conflict. This is because people usually deal with them in five ways.
- Avoiding or withdrawing from a conflict does not require courage or respect for the other party. When avoiding conflict, it is essentially as if nothing happened.
- Surrendering or accepting the other party's arguments requires a lot of cooperation and a little courage. Someone who does this adapts - by accepting and accepting the other person's point of view or suggestions. Theoretically, a submissive person agrees, for example, to act in a way suggested by someone else. While he may thereby lead to peace and the work will advance, he may still harbor a grudge against the "dominant" side.
- Staying right is a course of action that can be viewed from two perspectives. On the one hand, it may take courage if someone is convinced of the rightness of their beliefs and does not intend to yield. On the other hand, it can also be mindless. In standing in your position, you are essentially competing with the other side. The competitive approach offers short-term benefits, but in the long run, the effects can be detrimental to the business.
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- The compromise is a big step towards conflict resolution. Courage and prudence enter the scene when both sides are looking for common ground. What does this look like in practice? You agree to negotiate the bigger points and let go of the smaller ones - this style speeds up the process which is team conflict resolution. However, some people do not play clean and may use passive-aggressive tactics to mislead the other side. In doing so, they are unpredictable. One minute they appear calm and conciliatory, the next they will explode with anger. It is therefore worth being on guard.
- Cooperation plays an important role in conflict resolution. In doing so, it requires great courage and prudent behaviour. Cooperation with the other party involves listening to their reasons, discussing areas of agreement and the goals we want to achieve. It is also important to make sure that all parties understand each other. Collaboration requires creative thinking to solve a problem without concessions. Collaborators who exhibit this style of dealing with conflict are usually admired and respected.
Team conflict resolution - basic rules
The first task for a manager is to get him to accept the conflict. It is a sign of the need for change and an opportunity for development, new understanding and better internal communication. The manager's reaction to the conflict may escalate or reduce the intensity of the problem. To calm all sides in a conflict, take an objective or neutral point of view. Help plan what needs to be done step by step to get out of the deadlock. Listen actively. Consider how the parties to the conflict feel, what the specific problem is and how it affects individuals.
Try to use neutral language. When people are agitated, they use provocative language such as vulgarities, triggers and simplifications that escalate the conflict. As a good manager, separate the person from the problem. See the problem as a specific behaviour or set of circumstances, rather than attributing negative feelings to an entire person. This approach makes the problem more manageable. Try to conflict resolution in the team it was about focusing on the future. On the principle: we have a problem, now let's think together how to solve it and avoid it in the future.
Why are team conflicts inevitable?
Conflicts in teams arise from the diversity of characters, experiences and perspectives. Group work often leads to disagreements, especially in stressful situations. Conflict at work may arise as a result of different priorities, expectations or a lack of adequate communication. It is important to approach such situations with openness and a willingness to understand, as disagreements are part of working life.
How to recognise conflict in a group and its sources?
Key in conflict management is to understand its causes. Team conflicts often arise from unclear roles, differences in ways of working or competition for resources. It is worth looking out for symptoms such as reduced motivation, a tense atmosphere or open bickering. In such cases, tried and tested conflict resolution strategiesto react quickly and prevent escalation.
Effective ways of resolving conflicts
The basis of conflict resolution at work is to create a space for an open conversation. It is important that both parties are able to present their positions. When emotions get in the way of dialogue, it is useful to remain neutral and focus on finding a common solution. How to resolve conflict within a teamWhen a problem seems too difficult to solve? Sometimes the help of an external mediator can be crucial.
How to resolve conflict between employees?
When dealing with individual disputes, avoiding judgement is key. Problem and conflict resolution requires listening carefully to both sides and trying to find a solution that satisfies everyone. Often, introducing clear rules for cooperation or organising communication workshops can prevent similar situations in the future.
Impact of employer branding on conflict management
The right approach to employer branding, based on mutual respect, can help avoid many conflicts. Employer branding supports the creation of a working environment that encourages open communication and fosters collaboration. As a result, teams function more effectively and conflicts become less frequent.
Professional support in conflict management
Cooperation with experts such as employer branding agency, allows companies to introduce tools to help resolve difficult situations. This includes training for employees, mediation programmes or team-building activities.
Focus on mediation, do not persuade with authority
Ideally, if you are a boss or supervisor, you should be able to teach your colleagues to talk to each other a conflict resolution in the team took place without involving you. How do you achieve this? By explaining to them that their disagreement is detrimental to them and the company as a whole. But this is not always possible. In such situations, it is important to intervene not as a boss but as a mediator. Of course, it is impossible to become a neutral, independent mediator because, being part of the company, you have your own opinion on the best outcome. Nevertheless, you will probably be more effective in satisfying everyone's interests - yours, theirs and the organisation's - if you use your mediation skills instead of your authority.
Why is it better to rely on mediation and not on your authority? Your coworkers are more likely to make and execute decisions if they are involved in making them. If you tell them what to do, they won't learn anything about resolving conflicts on their own. Rather, they will become more dependent on you as someone to always explain their disagreements for them.
Of course, there will be times when you will have to defer your role as mediator and decide how the conflict will be resolved - for example, if there are company policy issues at stake, there is an imminent threat to the business at hand or all the other ways to conflict resolution in the team have failed. However, such conflicts do occur occasionally.
When you need to be a conciliator
What if employees expect you, as a supervisor, to take a stand and thereby end the conflict resolution in a team? For a start, you can tell your colleagues that although you have the authority to impose a course of action on them, for example, you hope that together you will find a solution that suits everyone. You can also point out that conflicting parties or individuals should devote their energy to reaching an agreement, rather than trying to convince you which of their views should prevail.
An important point is also accepted communication strategy. Is it better to meet each colleague separately at the beginning or to talk on the forum from the outset? Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. The aim is to understand both the individual positions (what one claims and the other rejects) and their interests (why they make and reject certain claims). Conflict often carries a heavy dose of emotion. One or both colleagues may be seriously angry. A meeting with each individual will give the upset employee an opportunity to vent. Someone else may feel intimidated by the other person, and in a face-to-face meeting will open up and reveal information useful in the conflict resolution
Team conflict resolution and disagreement
If, despite the efforts of everyone involved, the team cannot reach an agreement, you may need to talk to each collaborator individually about the consequences of not reaching a solution. You could ask each of them: what do you think will happen if you don't reach agreement? The answer will probably be: I don't know. The only way to retain control over the outcome of a conflict is to resolve it yourself. However, if employees are unable to do this, there is nothing else left to do - as the boss, you must impose your opinion, i.e. implement a solution that is in the best interests of the company. Remember to explain why you have made the decision you have made and explain that this is not your desired path conflict resolution within the team. Perhaps next time the employees will gain the confidence to reach an agreement themselves, without the need for your intervention.
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Summary
Team conflicts are a challenge, but also an opportunity to learn and make positive changes. Effective managing conflict within the team allows for the improvement of relations between employees, and properly implemented solutions can bring benefits to the entire organisation. It is worth investing in the development of the team's competences and nurturing a collaborative atmosphere.