Article: Workplace Conflict Resolution- Actions to Avoid
By Deepika Pillai, Director- HR,
Xavient
Workplace conflict is very common and
it happens in all corners of the organization. There are very few offices where
all the employees get along. Hence, conflict resolution is a necessary
component of the workplace, and those in a leadership position must be skilled
in conflict resolution techniques. When
conflicts go unaddressed, they can have a negative impact on productivity and
teamwork. It is important to address such issues in order to maintain a cordial
environment at work. Clashes can be avoided if steps are taken early in a
discussion to diffuse anger and facilitate communication, and it can be
resolved by applying a series of thoughtfully applied steps.
 |
| Deepika Pillai, Director- HR, Xavient Information Systems |
Some necessary actions for speedier
resolutions:
• Do not Delay - Do not avoid
confrontation. Never delay the required action or discussion, hoping the
conflict to end on its own. If not addressed timely, it will get worse and
might become even more difficult to handle.
• Don’t be swayed by office politics -
When politics get in the way, it’s time to step in cautiously. Do not offend or
alienate any group. You must understand the viewpoints of all the parties
involved and know the right time to step-in. Find out if the conflict is
work-related and has a structural root, or whether it’s interpersonal and has
no relationship to the job, Byrnes advises. An interpersonal conflict can happen
on or off the job, whereas structural ones are inevitable in many
organizations.
• Listen to understand – Always let
everyone complete whatever they have to say, listen carefully and analyse
accordingly. You might be aware of the situation but it is important to know
everything from the horse’s mouth in order to frame the right picture.
• Gather the group - Avoid meeting
separately with the parties involved. Everyone has a different story and
everyone believes that their side of the story is correct. It is important to
understand the whole picture in common meetings with all people involved, to
address it effectively.
• Be impartial - Do not express or
make any parties involved that you might be in favor or agree with one parties
viewpoints until a common discussion has been held. Else your involvement will
not be valued and might be considered biased.
• Avoid using coercion and
intimidation - Emotional outbursts or coercing people may stop the problem
temporarily but it is not a long-term solution. The next time when the problem
re-occurs, it will become even tougher to fight.
• Communicate clearly - Do not leave
the decision of taking corrective action upon people involved. It must be
clearly communicated that everyone should commit to change and treat each other
better.
• Promote Teamwork – This is the most
effective remedy for a conflict. Always promote the importance and benefits of
working within a team. When people are surrounded with positive effects of
something, they will be motivated to leave their personal struggles behind and
be motivated to work in a team.
• State Your Case - Help people
understand your perspective on things without making them defensive. Be tactful
enough to present your side of the story. To the extent you can disarm the audience,
they will be calmer towards you and try and listen to what you actually say.
• Focus on the problem, not the person
- Focus on identifying and resolving the conflict. If, after careful and
thorough analysis, you determine that the individual is the problem, then focus
on the individual at that point. Find the essence of the problem and act
accordingly. Managers mostly turn away from their least favorite employees.
Rather than interacting with them, they avoid them. This definitely increases
the problem way more.
• Be impartial - Do not meet the
parties with any pre-conceived opinions based on any other feedback you may
have. The incident must be taken in its fresh form and any opinions must be
made only after analyzing all aspects. Don’t take sides, be fair and unbiased.
• Announce Acclaim – Always praise in
public. The motivation doubles when a team member is praised within the team
and it encourages others to follow the lead. This in turn, increases the will
for team work, builds a positive work environment and reduces the chance for
conflicts.
• Identify the true impediment - In
every conflict, the roots might go back to where it all started between the
parties involved and it is important to go back there and pull it from the
start. Things on the surface might look easier to resolve but if not everything
is resolved in depth, chances are that they might crop up again, and very soon.
Everyone at work and every employee,
with whom the conflicting employees interact, is affected by the stress. People
feel as if they are walking on egg shells in the presence of the antagonists.
This contributes to the creation of a hostile work environment for other
employees. Therefore, the focus should be on resolving the issues right where
they crop up and not allow them to shape into big blown conflicts. Conflicts
are inevitable in any organization but the sooner the management acts on it,
the better. Having said that, effort should be made on educating the staff on
being open to the possibility of a co-worker's perception being different than
one’s own.
Post a Comment