Mitigating Conflict in the Workplace

It’s a simple fact of life: everyone has their own distinct style of working, their own personal values, and their own personality. This can potentially be one of the biggest strengths of a professional team, as it allows for a variety of unique perspectives and approaches to be applied to a single task. Unfortunately, it can also lead to conflict — and a team consumed by conflict will never amount to as much as a team that knows how to achieve compromise and consensus.

In simpler terms, your workplace will be more efficient (not to mention more pleasant) if your employees can all get along. As an employer, one of the most challenging aspects of your job may be mitigating conflict from time to time. The goal is usually to restore peace and help employees learn to work together. Of course, this is oftentimes easier said than done. Here are a few tips that you may find helpful.

• Act promptly and professionally. Don’t give conflict time to fester: once it becomes clear that there is a problem, you should already be addressing it.
• Offer privacy and a safe space. There is no reason for a conflict between two employees to be dealt with publicly in front of your entire workforce (nine times out of ten, this just leads to gossip and to people taking sides.) Instead, work privately with the people directly involved and give them the space they need to work through their issues, allowing for grievances to be aired constructively and without fear of retribution.
• Brainstorm and discuss possible solutions. Once everyone has spoken their piece, you should help the two parties brainstorm possible solutions to their problems. Many times, the solution is surprisingly simple, but you should be prepared to arbitrate if not everyone can agree on clear expectations for the future.

Managing employee relations can be challenging — visit Precise Payroll to learn more about the benefits of working with an HR firm!