Conflict Management & Resolution at Workplace

Every workplace has brought many individuals under one roof. With so many people in one place, conflicts are bound to arise. Each person in your office comes from a different background, state, culture, and mentality. When all of them have to work together as a team, they all might not incline as efficiently as you expect them to. 

A conflict arises when two persons have different opinions, attitudes. Thought process, and conclusions to a problem. In such cases, it becomes difficult to adjust for these employees to adjust to each other. There are two cases, either the individuals find a middle ground and resolve their conflict, or it might end up in long-term rivalry.

Now, think of a workplace where all the employees are busy fighting and disagreeing with each other. No organization can survive if its employees are always engaged in fights and conflicts.  

For an organization to generate revenue and profit, the employees need to work cooperatively and helpfully. Being an entrepreneur, I know how messy things can get when some of your employees don’t do well with each other. 

We had hired two young employees in our team. They were both very smart and hardworking. They had equally excellent academic records and were highly creative. They would never fall short of ideas. Even though it could have been a big pro to our company, it turned out very negatively for us. They were both very stubborn to stick to their ideas that they would never cooperate or adjust to the other person’s idea.

Our meetings would turn into debates, both giving their best to convince that their idea is better. Since these two could never get along very well, the whole team started to suffer. The team could never achieve anything great and would always fail to live up to the expectations of their superiors. 

Soon, their team members started complaining about the unhealthy work environment. I called both of them and had a hearty talk with them. I listened to both their views and tried to understand their mindset. I told them how the success of any team is directly proportional to the relation among its team members. They never thought above themselves and now they started realizing how they’ve been wasting the hard work of their fellow workers. 

I gave them simple conflict management and resolution technique that worked wonders for them and their team. I asked them to divide duties and not to interfere in each other’s matters. This simple micromanagement and division of one team into two worked really well. They would both head their respective duties and would give their 100%. Soon the team performance started to improve. Today, they both have secured senior positions in the firm with their hard work and consistency.

What is Conflict Management & Resolution Counselling?

When conflicts and fights arise among employees, a lot of energy and time is wasted. In fact, it makes it very difficult for people to concentrate on their work. We all know how office gossip stimulates. 

A simple matter between two employees can take a big turn if not managed at the right time. The time that people waste on spreading a conflict can be utilized in making things even better. 

Conflict management prevents the eruptions of fights or quarrels among employees and allows them to be more serious about their work.

Conflict management in the workplace by efficient coaching can help you reduce tensions and problems among employees. It further ensures more productivity and better results in any office.

Our Approach Towards Conflict Management & Resolution

All companies face conflicts at some point in time. Professional conflicts can turn serious if not addressed on time. It is quite natural for conflicts to arise at a workplace where so many different people and so many different ideas. Differences lead to conflicts, and it is always better to have a strategy to manage these conflicts.

• Listen to Understand

We understand how every conflict constitutes two bodies. If one wishes to resolve conflict, it is very important to listen to both sides. Now, since a person from the office can have a biased approach, a counselor can be of utmost help. A coach will listen to both sides carefully and handle conflict in a more mature way. It also gives the people the satisfaction that they were heard. When both sides present their ideas, there shouldn’t be any interruptions or crossover. 

• Evaluate the Situation

Once you’ve heard what both the parties have to say, one now needs to look at the situation carefully. It is very important to think and consider both sides for an unbiased outcome. We also allow both sides to sit and form agreements and disagreements with each other to find a middle ground. Everyone needs to keep their mind open to others’ ideas and opinions.

• Detailed Discussion

Most of the time our responses during a conflict further ignite the situation. It is quite common to have heated arguments among parties in workplaces. Sometimes if a person gets emotional, people tend to form a soft corner towards that person. However, it might not turn out to be a fair decision. It is why I ensure a calm mindset during conflicts. A calm mind can produce clear ideas and conclusions. As a life coach, I ensure I stay calm and keep everyone around me calm. Both sides need to talk in a relaxed manner. I never show complete agreement or disagreement towards one side during discussions. Also, do not let emotions overwhelm the situation. A relaxed discussion where everyone is open to talk and listen to resolve even long-term conflicts.

• Cooperation is The Key

One skill that I make sure I teach every workplace is cooperation. See, your office is like a second home to you. At home, when your sibling or child makes a mistake, you easily forgive them. It is because you consider them your family. However, when it comes to the workplace people bring in their ego. I have hardly seen managers or employees who easily forgive someone who did something wrong. In fact, people plan their revenge to give a taste of defeat to the other person. This lack of cooperation has led to age-old conflicts in many companies. With our workplace counselling, we ensure your employees understand their team members and treat them as their families. When we all work as one, there’s no chance of conflicts arising. 

What causes conflicts at the workplace?

Although there are many reasons for conflicts at different workplaces, some common causes of conflicts are:

• Lack of Communication: One of the most common causes of conflicts is poor communication. Big companies where communication is levelled are more prone to conflicts. Good communication is very important in any organization. When free communication does not take place, people misinterpret or misjudge situations leading to misunderstandings.

Read Our Latest Blog Why we need to improve our communication to improve work and life >> https://ritusingal.com/improve-communication-to-improve-work-and-life/

• Gossip Mongers: The basic reason for the conflict is the wrong spreading of words. In all organizations, some people love listening from one side and telling the spicy gossip to the other side. Many colleagues talk behind the back and cause conflicts among people that might turn big with time.
• Differences: As already discussed, the differences in personalities create clashing of ideas. Disagreements in the office is a common problem as long as it does not harm the work environment.
• Competitive Work Culture: Friendly competitions work great for organizations. However, when the competitions turn unfriendly, and people get against each other, you should take it as a red flag. When people always compete, they start taking their fellow workers as competitors and not teams. It creates a lot of conflicts.
•  Resistance to change: As people grow old in a company, they form a rigid personality. They do not want to change their working style or attitude. In fact, most young people find it very hard to adjust to companies with older employees. Change can be stressful, but denial is not a solution. The resistance to change in some employees has become a hot topic of conflict.

These are some of the most common reasons for conflicts among employees. 

How Can Our Conflict Management & Resolution Help?

Conflicts lead to unwanted tensions and disagreements among employees. Each day employees come to the office with a fresh mind and the aim to give their best. However, when the office is filled with tension, no one works with their heart. No employee can survive if their mind is clouded with unnecessary tensions and stress.

Our workplace counselling is designed to remove all kinds of tensions, resolve conflicts, and manage all work-related problems. I am an entrepreneur and a life coach that makes me understand both scenarios better. 

• Today, all workplaces have fierce competition among employees. Every employee has to prove himself each day. In this urge to prove themselves better, a competitive environment is created. It leads to conflicts and fights among employees.
• Our counselling ensures all employees stay tension-free and productive throughout their working hours. Stress diverts your mind and snatches your mental peace.
• We believe that no one gains anything from conflicts, and one should always avoid fighting over petty issues. A little adjustment is all that is needed, and it is what we help you with.
• Workplace bullying or criticizing fellow employees is another major form of conflict seen at workplaces. I ensure no employee feels left out or easy targets for others to prevent future conflicts.
• Our conflict management helps in strengthening bonds among the employees to ensure harmony in the workplace.
• We help you create an environment where everyone is ready to help the other person do better. 
• I have great experience in improving relations among employees and helping make people feel motivated to work together.