Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone on your team got along all of the time? Unfortunately, that’s not reality. When you bring people with diverse perspectives together (which is an overall positive thing), conflict is inevitable.
Differences of opinion and personality clashes can quickly escalate, disrupting productivity and eroding morale. That means you need to restore harmony fast to minimize the damage. To help you do that, we’ll share nine tips to manage conflict on your team.
When conflict arises, you need to address it immediately. Don’t let the problem fester because it will deepen and become harder to resolve if you do. So, call out problem behavior when you see it (in a private conversation, of course) and encourage your employees to remain calm even if they feel triggered.
If you manage each challenge informally in the moment, you may be able to avoid going through a longer, more complex resolution process later. But, if a simple redirection cue or coaching conversation doesn’t do the trick, you’ll need to take further action.
When you need to work through conflict in a formal manner, start by meeting with each person involved one-on-one. Let them share their side of the story and ask each party a similar set of questions. Remember, your job here is to remain neutral, gather the facts of the situation, and identify the root cause of the problem.
Once you’ve spoken with each team member, bring them together for a group discussion. Since tensions are high, you need to step in and moderate the conversation. At the start of the meeting, set a clear goal of resolving the conflict respectfully and professionally so that everyone can move forward.
Then, help your employees find common ground. Remind them that they’ve worked together successfully in the past and that they need each other to fulfill the company’s mission.
Give each team member the floor to speak, and encourage patience and open-mindedness from listeners. Once everyone has had the opportunity to share their perspective, kick off a brainstorming session, and solicit potential resolutions to the conflict. Write down everything your employees say, reserving judgment or commentary for later.
After compiling several potential solutions, help your team members achieve consensus on the best option. You can whittle down the list before any back-and-forth dialogue occurs by explaining which choices wouldn’t work and why. For example, your company may not have the budget to implement a particular solution.
Then, jot down the pros and cons of the remaining alternatives to illustrate their strengths and weaknesses. You could even develop a ranking system to highlight the best choice. If there are more than two people involved in the conflict, you could have each party vote for one of the two final options — naming the solution with the most votes the winner.
Ultimately, you have to make the final call on what’s best for your team — and the entire firm. But, your employees are more likely to buy into the solution if they choose it or have a say in the decision-making process.
Once the team comes to a decision, you need to document the plan. Capture key details in writing, such as:
After the document is complete, ask for each employee’s commitment and have them sign it.
As the leader, you must hold your team members (and yourself!) accountable to the agreed-upon responsibilities outlined in the plan. Reference the document you created frequently and check in with your employees at the established intervals. If they struggle to complete a task or experience lingering negative emotions post-meeting, offer your support during one-on-one coaching sessions.
Despite your best effort, things could get heated during your team meeting to address the conflict. These hostile exchanges will only worsen the problem and may cause an unclosable divide between your team members. So, if you feel the tension rising, adjourn the meeting temporarily to let your employees cool off and regain their composure. Just remember: regroup at the agreed-upon time. Don’t let the issue remain tabled because it won't resolve itself.
You can handle most of the conflict on your team without asking for outside help. However, if you run into a dangerous issue like harassment, bullying, discrimination, or workplace violence, you should immediately contact your human resources (HR) department. Chances are they will need to involve the legal department, too. Your HR team can also provide guidance if a less urgent employee disagreement persists after you’ve worked the conflict resolution steps.
While you can’t completely prevent conflict on your team, you can take steps to reduce how often (and how severely) it occurs. Encourage your employees to be mindful of their body language, keep their speech at a normal speaking volume, and watch their tone of voice. That way, they’ll be less likely to trigger a negative response from their coworkers. You could also offer regular training to boost emotional intelligence, improve communication skills, and increase acceptance of diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
Leading a team is no easy feat, and your role becomes even more difficult when you throw employee conflict into the mix. Fortunately, we’re here to help.
Managing conflict becomes much easier when you truly know the people involved. You can unlock that necessary insight by having each employee take our quick and painless behavioral assessment — before tensions rise. This assessment dives deep into their personality, communication style, and professional preferences.
Armed with this information, you can facilitate more productive (and calmer!) conversations. That way, your team members can put their hard feelings behind them and get back to business.
While conflict is an expected part of the human experience, you want to mitigate it as soon as possible. Left unchecked, it can destroy a team and set your company back. Hopefully, these tips help you address employee disagreements fast so your organization can continue to thrive.
P.S. Don’t forget —Try a complimentary behavioral assessment today, and see how the results can help you lead your team!
