How to deal with conflict in the workplace. Max Ibeawuchi English teacher in Barcelona
How to deal with conflict in the workplace
Are you a manager? Have you been struggling with how best to resolve conflicts among your employees? Do not be startled, you are not alone in this. Conflict resolution in workplaces still remains a major area most managers are yet to find the appropriate way to deal with. Among the many tasks managers are required to carry out, resolving problems that emanate from the workplace remains a grey area.
However, it is important we highlight that conflicts do not only happen in workplaces rather any place we have a gathering of different people for any reason, conflict is bound to erupt. This helps us to understand the inevitability of conflicts and our role in not only understanding why they happen but also what we need to do about them. This article is designed to help us understand the root causes of conflicts in the workplace and how best we can resolve them.
The root causes of conflicts at the workplaces cannot be narrowed down to a few factors rather it is important to note that they can be caused by a variety of things. This article will be focused on quiet a few of them.
All workplaces are made up of different personalities and consequently different working styles. Clash of personality is a major cause of conflict in the workplace.
Another known reason for workplace conflict is resource. This could be physical resources such as office space, supplies or conference and meeting rooms. It also could be shared resources among two teams.
Workplace romance is considered a common cause of conflicts. Many businesses today discourage any form of amorous relationship because of its tendency to stir up conflict..
Communication is a vital component in every workplace. If communication does not function the way it should, then conflict is unavoidable. Poor communication breeds qualities that does not match with workplace goals such as gossips, rumours, workplace stress and other performance issues.
The question remains: how do we deal with workplace conflict?
There are various steps we can take regardless of your position in the office to tackle workplace conflicts to ensure it is managed properly with the desired outcome.
First, report the conflict to the right people. In most cases the HR department are responsible for settling these issues. They offer support and guidance on how best to deal with conflicts.
Another approach to resolve workplace conflict is to act as the mediator. This may involve holding meetings where the parties involved are brought together to talk about the key issues that led to the problem.
In addition, a proactive approach can be taken to avoid future occurance of conflicts. Improving communication at the workplace helps to convey the goals of the company and the conduct expected of the employees and penalties for flouting them.
More so, being aware of the inevitability of workplace conflicts, prepares our minds to the best steps to take to resolve them.
In retrospection, this article has dealt with possible causes of workplace conflicts and steps to take to resolve them.