A business place is somewhere people from different ages, places, and beliefs exist and work together. Although, it can become a stressful environment with deadlines, money, and reputation at stake along with office politics and hierarchies. Therefore, it’s almost inevitable that conflicts will occur. They can happen in many ways, and can be between anyone in the company, including employees, managers, and even clients. In order to maintain a positive work environment, it’s essential to effectively maintain healthy relationships and be prepared to resolve conflicts among people in the workplace if, and when they occur. We will cover some key tactics and best practices for resolving conflicts in this blog.
✓ A lack of understanding is at the heart of conflict
✓ Conflict should never end with a ‘winner’ and ‘loser’
✓ Stopping conflict before it happens in the best strategy
✓ Seek professional help if the conflict escalates
Before resolving a conflict, it’s important to be able to identify them and grasp the nature of conflict itself. Conflict can arise from a number of sources, including differences in personality, communication style, or competing priorities. Furthermore, unresolved conflicts can escalate quickly, impacting morale, productivity, and ultimately the performance of the company.
In a company of a smaller size, it’s essential to recognise the signs of conflict early on, so that you can address them proactively.
As we discuss some various strategies, we will use the following scenario to demonstrate them:
Jane, the Marketing Manager, and John, the Sales Manager, are at odds. Jane is convinced that the marketing department’s creative campaigns are being undermined by the sales team’s aggressive sales tactics. John, on the other hand, feels like the marketing efforts are not aligned with the sales goals, resulting in missed opportunities and poor quality leads. Their conflict has led to arguments over what the other department should do to improve their strategy, and neither believe that they are wrong.
This scenario is a clear case of managerial conflict, and without its resolution, both departments will suffer as the overall customer acquisition strategy is not aligned. Let’s look at some ways of resolving this:
Many conflicts stem from a lack of understanding of the other person's perspective. Encouraging Jane and John to express their perspectives, concerns, and emotions openly and respectfully can help in promoting an understanding between the two. This can be done with a third-party present to ensure that the discussion does not evolve into another conflict.
In our mock scenario, a meeting is scheduled and run by their direct managers. Jane explains how the marketing campaign is designed for long-term brand value. John shares his frustration about the disconnect between the two, and that he will miss out on commission as he is unable to reach sales targets without an aggressive sales strategy. Both come to understand the other’s issues and rationale behind their decisions.
Oftentimes during conflict, both parties share common goals or interests. This can sometimes be what causes the conflict in the first place. By encouraging each party to recognise their similarities and areas of agreement, it can foster a sense of unity and cooperation as it’s clear they’re both working towards a shared objective and goal.
We ask Jane and John to write out their primary objectives. It becomes clear that both are committed to the company’s success and want to increase revenue and customer count. This common ground creates a sense of collaboration between the two, and they start working together to find ways of attracting more customers.
In some cases, where conflicts are particularly complex or contentious, enlisting the help of a neutral third party can be extremely helpful. Having a professional mediator or facilitator to guide the resolution process without bias can work wonders in resolving the conflict. Having a professional means they have expertise in conflict management techniques and de-escalating tension, although it should only be done if the situation is not an easy fix.
In our example, Jane and John are still not seeing eye-to-eye despite our best efforts to help them find common-ground. John claims that Jane is stopping him from buying a house due to the impact to his sales results, whilst Jane claims John is leaving a lasting impact on her credibility due to the damage to the long-term brand image. Because of the complexity of this case, we hire a professional mediator. They conduct separate sessions with Jane and John to understand their positions, and then create joint sessions between the two to work towards a resolution. Their impartial perspective and professional outsider status helps to de-escalate the situation and focus on practical solutions. After this session, Jane and John both agree to find a way to create an entirely new strategy that can benefit both of them.
Preventing conflict before it happens is the most effective tactic possible. Establishing policies and procedures that address conflict, and outline steps that should be followed along with supporting resources can help to prevent a conflict before it happens. You should ensure that all employees are aware of these protocols and feel that they are able to call upon them when it’s necessary.
In our example with Jane and John, we create a policy that requires regular meetings between the marketing and sales departments to align their strategies and objectives. Additionally, a procedure for escalating unresolved issues to senior management is put in place to ensure a timely intervention and resolution.
The end to a conflict is never when one person wins and the other loses. This only leads to more conflict later on. Instead, finding a solution that meets the needs and interests of everyone involved will lead to the most effective end to a conflict. You should encourage collaboration and brainstorming in sessions where conflicting parties work together to create solutions that can address everyone’s concerns. By prioritising a win-win outcome, employee morale will not be as negatively impacted overall.
After all of our conflict resolution strategies, Jane and John finally agree to develop a joint strategy where marketing campaigns incorporate feedback from the sales team to better target high-potential leads. In turn, the sales team commits to supporting long-term brand-building efforts. This win-win outcome means that Jane and John both feel valued and are working towards a shared vision.
Overall, conflict resolution is an important skill for any business owner, or manager. If you want to create a productive and positive work environment, it’s important to not only help employees work, but to also remove anything stopping it, like conflict. By understanding the root causes, encouraging open communication, and win-win solutions you can effectively help turn conflicts into opportunities for growth and deeper collaboration among employees.
A business place is somewhere people from different ages, places, and beliefs exist and work together. Although, it can become a stressful environment with deadlines, money, and reputation at stake along with office politics and hierarchies. Therefore, it’s almost inevitable that conflicts will occur. They can happen in many ways, and can be between anyone in the company, including employees, managers, and even clients. In order to maintain a positive work environment, it’s essential to effectively maintain healthy relationships and be prepared to resolve conflicts among people in the workplace if, and when they occur. We will cover some key tactics and best practices for resolving conflicts in this blog.
✓ A lack of understanding is at the heart of conflict
✓ Conflict should never end with a ‘winner’ and ‘loser’
✓ Stopping conflict before it happens in the best strategy
✓ Seek professional help if the conflict escalates
Before resolving a conflict, it’s important to be able to identify them and grasp the nature of conflict itself. Conflict can arise from a number of sources, including differences in personality, communication style, or competing priorities. Furthermore, unresolved conflicts can escalate quickly, impacting morale, productivity, and ultimately the performance of the company.
In a company of a smaller size, it’s essential to recognise the signs of conflict early on, so that you can address them proactively.
As we discuss some various strategies, we will use the following scenario to demonstrate them:
Jane, the Marketing Manager, and John, the Sales Manager, are at odds. Jane is convinced that the marketing department’s creative campaigns are being undermined by the sales team’s aggressive sales tactics. John, on the other hand, feels like the marketing efforts are not aligned with the sales goals, resulting in missed opportunities and poor quality leads. Their conflict has led to arguments over what the other department should do to improve their strategy, and neither believe that they are wrong.
This scenario is a clear case of managerial conflict, and without its resolution, both departments will suffer as the overall customer acquisition strategy is not aligned. Let’s look at some ways of resolving this:
Many conflicts stem from a lack of understanding of the other person's perspective. Encouraging Jane and John to express their perspectives, concerns, and emotions openly and respectfully can help in promoting an understanding between the two. This can be done with a third-party present to ensure that the discussion does not evolve into another conflict.
In our mock scenario, a meeting is scheduled and run by their direct managers. Jane explains how the marketing campaign is designed for long-term brand value. John shares his frustration about the disconnect between the two, and that he will miss out on commission as he is unable to reach sales targets without an aggressive sales strategy. Both come to understand the other’s issues and rationale behind their decisions.
Oftentimes during conflict, both parties share common goals or interests. This can sometimes be what causes the conflict in the first place. By encouraging each party to recognise their similarities and areas of agreement, it can foster a sense of unity and cooperation as it’s clear they’re both working towards a shared objective and goal.
We ask Jane and John to write out their primary objectives. It becomes clear that both are committed to the company’s success and want to increase revenue and customer count. This common ground creates a sense of collaboration between the two, and they start working together to find ways of attracting more customers.
In some cases, where conflicts are particularly complex or contentious, enlisting the help of a neutral third party can be extremely helpful. Having a professional mediator or facilitator to guide the resolution process without bias can work wonders in resolving the conflict. Having a professional means they have expertise in conflict management techniques and de-escalating tension, although it should only be done if the situation is not an easy fix.
In our example, Jane and John are still not seeing eye-to-eye despite our best efforts to help them find common-ground. John claims that Jane is stopping him from buying a house due to the impact to his sales results, whilst Jane claims John is leaving a lasting impact on her credibility due to the damage to the long-term brand image. Because of the complexity of this case, we hire a professional mediator. They conduct separate sessions with Jane and John to understand their positions, and then create joint sessions between the two to work towards a resolution. Their impartial perspective and professional outsider status helps to de-escalate the situation and focus on practical solutions. After this session, Jane and John both agree to find a way to create an entirely new strategy that can benefit both of them.
Preventing conflict before it happens is the most effective tactic possible. Establishing policies and procedures that address conflict, and outline steps that should be followed along with supporting resources can help to prevent a conflict before it happens. You should ensure that all employees are aware of these protocols and feel that they are able to call upon them when it’s necessary.
In our example with Jane and John, we create a policy that requires regular meetings between the marketing and sales departments to align their strategies and objectives. Additionally, a procedure for escalating unresolved issues to senior management is put in place to ensure a timely intervention and resolution.
The end to a conflict is never when one person wins and the other loses. This only leads to more conflict later on. Instead, finding a solution that meets the needs and interests of everyone involved will lead to the most effective end to a conflict. You should encourage collaboration and brainstorming in sessions where conflicting parties work together to create solutions that can address everyone’s concerns. By prioritising a win-win outcome, employee morale will not be as negatively impacted overall.
After all of our conflict resolution strategies, Jane and John finally agree to develop a joint strategy where marketing campaigns incorporate feedback from the sales team to better target high-potential leads. In turn, the sales team commits to supporting long-term brand-building efforts. This win-win outcome means that Jane and John both feel valued and are working towards a shared vision.
Overall, conflict resolution is an important skill for any business owner, or manager. If you want to create a productive and positive work environment, it’s important to not only help employees work, but to also remove anything stopping it, like conflict. By understanding the root causes, encouraging open communication, and win-win solutions you can effectively help turn conflicts into opportunities for growth and deeper collaboration among employees.