Conflict Resolution Skills Every Leader Must Possess
Conflict in the workplace is an occupational hazard that can manifest from a benign matter of contention into a toxic point of departure that can destabilize the entire work environment.
Disagreement is a common practice and, at times, a part of a healthy office discourse that can lead to bonding via problem-solving and strengthen communication skills within your team. It is a necessary balance to the homeostasis of organizational dynamics.
However, conflicts between coworkers or mid-level management and their direct reports rarely resolve themselves without intervention from leadership. A laissez-faire approach to quelling concerns isn’t a practical strategy; it may only aide in exacerbating the hostile conditions. Operations discord will harm productivity, may hinder creativity, and, as many studies suggest, prove costly to the business in a financial sense.
The tenets of an effective leader don’t only require a strong vision and execution of all things, a level of emotional intelligence, and the relentless to alleviate all concerning matters of their employees is also imperative. So instead of avoiding conflict, a leader should be proactive and embrace it. A team achieves success; it can only go so far if they’re members of the said team who feel alienated or disregarded.
The causes of workplace conflict are complex and are often more profound than what they appear on the surface. Discrepancies can range from hidden agendas of employees, a difference of opinions about non-work matters, performance errors, an inequality of output, egos, hyper-competitiveness, compensation disparity, or the everyday trappings of life. Whatever the circumstances, the underlying causation stems from an emotional dissonance or communication.
Emotions in the professional setting can drive a wedge in any workplace relationship. Taking things personally, inadvertently hurting one’s feelings or triggering a nerve, defensiveness, emotionally-based decision making, all can have an adverse effect between coworkers or teams. Miscommunication, a lack of all the information, misunderstood tone, inaccuracies in messaging, inappropriate language, unclear motives are the fuel of communication-sparked conflicts. Interpersonal relations are delicate, and a leader must be able to nurture them respectfully and responsibly.
With avoiding tension not being an option and with a disruption in accord in your department, here are some steps you can take as an active leader in conflict resolution.
Recognize workplace friction. Acknowledging that there’s disharmony will validate the concerns of the affected individuals slow down internal anger or resentment that can bubble to the surface in unhealthy ways.
Act swiftly. Timing is everything when conflict arises. A leader will never face scrutiny for possessing a sense of urgency when addressing disputes. However, failure to undertake the issues in a timely fashion can worsen the situation and can create consequences for figures not directly involved.
Maintain neutrality hearing both parties out. You are playing the role of the mediator; your obligation is to access all the information without indicating judgment. Asking questions with a supportive tone will keep your position impartial. Often, once discussing their issues with a concerned leader, the employee may find the solution to their problems themselves, similar to how a therapist asks their clients questions for their clients to understand and resolve the issue on their own.
After actively listening to their struggle, communicate back to the opposing camps, what factual and emotional information they divulged to you. Your decision-making process and the aftermath is dependent on you getting the facts straight. Also, please don’t lose sight that there may be some undisclosed personal strifes they aren’t sharing. Empathize with both positions when deciphering your course of action.
Reassure non-involved team members that they are valued, and their trust is paramount to you. When turbulent times arise, uncertainty and job insecurity can spread at the water cooler. You are the cohesive bond that unites the organization. Professionally consoling any anxious staffers will ease the overall tension as you navigate the conflict resolution.
Analyze the situation, confer with trusted, discreet members of the organization, and be decisive with the outcome if the issues haven’t resolved itself. You won’t always need to take action. More than likely, having the boss weigh in on the matter will reframe the discrepancy, and the ones in disagreement may look to end things amicably. If it comes to that, do your due diligence and make a conscious choice as it will now set a precedent.
Additionally, there are preventive measures in avoiding conflict at your place of business. Valuing, encouraging, and recognizing your employees are habits of exceptional leaders. Creating a transparent environment with an emphasis on team building, collaboration, clear paths of career-growth, and an open-door policy with management can prevent some conflicts from growing organically.
As one grows and matures in their career as a leader, so will their operations. Facing nuanced arguments with the broad stroke of fairness, compassion, understanding, and integrity, a leader will succeed on all fronts.
