When you're running a business with a group of employees, conflicts can arise. Sometimes employees don't see eye to eye, and you have to get involved to keep tensions low and productivity high. Following are six considerations for when you might need to deal with such a conflict.
Make Sure Employees Know They Can Come to You
Make sure your team members know they can come to you if they have an issue with a coworker. Make it known company-wide that your door is open, and anyone who has problems can come directly to you to talk about the situation. Keep open communication channels, and check in with employees regularly in one-on-one meetings, just to see how everything is going. If there is a conflict, suggest that this is a good time for them to bring it up, and you can discuss how to improve the situation.
Address the Situation Quickly
It can be a good idea to address the situation as quickly as possible. You don't want to let conflicts fester and lead to heightened tensions in the workplace. A speedy resolution may be best from an operational standpoint. It can reduce the time that something is being done improperly.
Listen to Both Sides of the Story
Give the individuals involved the opportunity to share their side of the story and see if you can determine what the solution is. Some problems are simpler than others. It might be that you agree with one of them, and that can lead to the resolution. Be sure to approach the conversation in a way that doesn't make the other person feel as if their perspective doesn't matter. Talk about why you feel the resolution you've chosen is the best course of action and listen to their feedback.
Learn Everything You Can About the Situation
There might be more to know about the conflict other than what you may find directly from the two parties involved. You may have to make the effort to learn a little more before reaching a resolution.
"After listening to the concerns of both parties, take time, and investigate the
case," says Allen Cranston at HR Cloud.* "Do not prejudge or come up with a final verdict on the basis of what you have. Dig deeper and find out more about the happenings, involved parties, the issues, and how people are feeling. Have an individual and confident conversation with those involved and listen in a keen manner to ensure you comprehend their viewpoints. You can do so by summarizing their statements and replicating them back to them. Also, try finding any underlying conflict sources which may not be evident or noticeable at fast."
Encourage Employees to Work the Problem Out on Their Own
You can find a resolution once you get the complete story, but another approach is to let the employees work out the issues together, even if it takes a nudge from management.
"Encouraging self-resolution is an employee conflict resolution strategy that emphasizes employee autonomy and allows for a more equitable and peaceful approach to solving disputes," says Shelby Bennett at Money.com.** "Employees take ownership of the situation and use their own interpersonal skills to resolve disagreements."
This approach may lead to the employees involved gaining empathy for one another and ultimately lead to a better working relationship.
Find a Compromise if it Makes Sense
If you need to be involved in the resolution, find a compromise that makes both parties happy, if it is in line with your own business objectives. Find common goals between the two, and brainstorm solutions as a group. Establish clear agreements before the discussion is over, so everyone is on the same page.
Unresolved employee conflicts are bad for productivity and for your workplace culture. They can impact morale, breed resentment, and cause damage to your business's operations. Make sure employees are comfortable coming to you when they have problems, and work quickly to get them resolved to help maintain a positive work environment.
* https://www.hrcloud.com/blog/7-tips-on-how-to-manage-and-resolve-conflict-in-the-workplace
** https://money.com/how-to-resolve-employee-conflict/
