Conflict is a part of any work environment. It cannot be avoided. When you have a group of people working under stress with different personalities, there will have some issues. That conflict exists isn’t the problem, but having an efficient conflict resolution plan to resolve that conflict if it starts to affect the business is critical for any manager.
While conflict may be a creative fuel that aids teams compete and work more productively, it may simply blow up and bring everything to a dead stop. But how do you defuse a situation that’s lit by anger and other emotions that aren’t responsive to rational engagement? It is not actually so easy, but there are some ways to solve it. Here are conflict resolution tips that will help you recommended by the business coaches at YMA Financial.
Define Acceptable Behavior
Before there will be any conflict, you can reduce potential issues by setting a behavior standard in the workplace. If you give the team the room to define what is proper and what is not, then they will. However, as a manager, it is your responsibility to set the tone. You can do this by writing certain job descriptions, making a framework for how discussions are run, noting the hierarchy and who’s responsible for what, defining appropriate business practices, selecting which project management tools to utilize, helping with team building and leadership development, etc.
Constructive Criticism
In any conflict there are a lot of approaches, few are more crucial than others. But sometimes things are plainly wrong, and criticism is the valid way to deal with it. Be that as it can, the people you are criticizing are the similar people you will be working with tomorrow and next week and so forth. So, how do you criticize without embittering, so you can efficiently lead? That is where constructive criticism comes in. It is an approach that lets you address the issue and lay blame, but support the great work that was done. You offer guidance, so that the issue may be fixed.
Select a Neutral Location
One of the 1st steps to diffuse any conflict is to change the environment. People are heated and that anger is frequently tied to a place. It can sound strange, but removing the people from the room where they fought will put the conflict in perspective. Then, for resolving the conflict, you will need to bring the upset individuals to a neutral location. A neutral space will first bring things down to a level in which a constructive conversation can happen. Secondly, by suggesting a meeting in a coffee home, or anywhere outside the office where there is not intrinsically a power dynamic, you’re more likely to make a comfortable atmosphere where you can productively deal with whatever caused the problem.
Start with a Compliment
After you have broken away from the place where the conflict arose, you can address the issue. But you do not want to jump right into a conversation with an accusatory tone. You should hear all sides and make a decision based on the facts and the requirements of the work being done. Therefore, to get a person comfortable to talk, begin by complimenting them. You should show that there’s no bad guy or great guy here. You are attacking the problem, not the person.
Don’t Jump to Conclusions
The reasons for any conflict are frequently more complicated than they first appear. To be in your treatment of all parties included, it’s advised not to conclude anything at the offset. Even if you think the conflict is clear, give everybody an opportunity to share their perspective. Get a sense of the history. You do not need to assume anything about anyone. collect the facts like a detective, and then weigh with the wisdom of a judge.
Emotional Agility
Conflict in the workplace can trigger strong emotions, particularly when the conflict causes a worker to feel their position and employment is threatened. Therefore, emotional agility is an important conflict resolution skill as it lets one understand the emotions of all individuals engaged in a conflict, including their own. Being emotionally familiar involves the capability to put oneself in another’s shoes and practice empathy and compassion. Leadership development may help cultivate emotional agility and offer useful plans to resolve conflict successfully. For instance, it can teach individuals to master influencing techniques and learn how to leverage relationships for successful outcomes.
Evangelize your philosophy
People really like to hear themselves, talk about other people, and want to know about coworkers’ complaints about conflict. It is a natural response and emotion, but it is a colossal waste of time. Be sure your message and methodology to deal with conflict. If you have an issue with someone, talk, stop, think, resolve cascades to all levels of the organization. This way, you can solve issues in a better way.
