Conflict is not a new thing. Conflict is something that goes hand in hand with any complex human relationship, whether this be personal or professional. Some of us deal with conflict by avoiding it, some of us deal with conflict through aggressive confrontation, some of us deal with conflict by always giving the other person what they want, and some of us deal with it by negotiating a compromise. Over the last ten years, ‘conflict management’ has become a term that has gained weight among managers and business leaders. This is because they recognise that not dealing with conflict can be a disadvantage for a company because it can lead to low productivity and ineffective teamwork. In this article we look at three key elements of positive conflict management.
Identification
Firstly, actually being able to identify conflict is vital. A conflict may not be immediately evident, there may be some people in a team who appear to be getting on very well on the surface, but underneath there is a disagreement about how to do things. If this conflict is not picked up on, the team’s productivity will suffer. A good manager will be able to identify these areas of conflict before things get out of control. How do they do this? They make an effort to talk to their staff as often as possible, perhaps informally through things like company breakfasts or social events, or through more formal arrangements such as regular meetings. Having a good communication flow — both top down and bottom up — is vital to help identify areas of potential conflict.
Clarification
Secondly, it is important to be clear about tasks and roles. Having clear job descriptions, for example, helps people to know what is expected of them. Of course, in some cases roles change, and this is something that is often not discussed with employees. Changes in work practices often creates potential conflict, so it is vital that there is a structured opportunity for people to voice their concerns. A manager who makes a change and has the attitude: ‘Well, this is how it has to be, so just do it that way’, is going to have a far less productive response from their subordinates than a manager who says: ‘We need to make some changes that some of you may not like – how about I tell you what they are and let’s establish how these are going to affect you?’. In the second example, it is true that maybe the situation does not change very much, but the fact that an employee has a chance to be heard is very important.
Opportunity
This brings us to the third element that is vital in conflict resolution: seeing conflict as an opportunity. Allowing people to voice their dislikes about a change in company practice for example, may give management some ideas about how to improve the work situation for employees. If we embrace conflict as an opportunity instead of a threat, this means we are more likely to generate a positive and open company culture. This is good for both productivity and well-being. A win-win situation for everyone.
Conflict is inevitable, and sometimes there is no one clear solution, however burying our heads in the sand and not even trying to solve a problem, is definitely not a good idea, whether this be at work or at home.