10 Tips for Excellent Conflict Management in the Workplace

 

Good relationships between coworkers are the backbone of any organisation. 

 

Just as good relationships can help teams function better and deliver better-quality work, bad relationships can negatively impact work quality, operations, and more. 

 

This is where the skillME Conflict Management short course comes in. It’s ideal for managers who want to improve their ability to quickly resolve issues between coworkers and employees who wish to strengthen their work relationships. 

 

This article will discuss why conflict management skills are vital and give you 10 tips for managing relationships at work. 

 

Why conflict management skills are essential

 

There are many reasons why businesses and employees should invest in conflict resolution skills. These skills help with better relationships, increase productivity, and even strengthen company culture (creating a happier work environment).

 

• Maintaining a healthy workplace culture: We’ve all been in awkward situations where you can cut the tension with a knife. You don’t want your work environment to feel like this. Resolving conflict and managing relationships can help create a harmonious work environment. 

 

• Boosting team productivity and efficiency: Teams with good relationships and communication tend to do better work. It fosters a collaborative and positive work environment where team members feel comfortable asking each other for help and getting work done quickly. 

 

• Enhancing leadership: When conflicts are handled constructively and fairly, team members feel heard and valued, which increases their trust in their team leaders and managers. 

 

• Reducing legal and compliance risks: Handling conflict with transparent and fair processes can prevent escalations and minimise the likelihood of legal actions from mistreated workers.

 

• Encouraging innovation and constructive debate: Coworkers will feel comfortable sharing their ideas without judgment. This can promote innovation and help teams develop out-of-the-box solutions that set the company apart. 

 

10 Tips for good conflict management in the workplace

 

Managing conflict can be challenging. Whether you are an employee looking to build stronger relationships with coworkers or a manager looking to manage conflict between subordinates, here are a few tips to make it easier. 

 

1. Address conflicts early

You shouldn’t allow anger and conflict to simmer. If you do, this often leads to more significant issues and can even escalate to legal implications. That’s why it’s best to handle the conflict as soon as it happens. 

 

2. Practice active listening

We’re all different people with different backgrounds and experiences. And so, it may happen that one person unknowingly does something to upset another. 

 

That’s why both parties must listen to the other person’s perspective. Issues like these can be solved faster when both parties understand where the other person is coming from. 

 

3. Stay neutral and professional

If you’re a manager trying to resolve conflict, staying neutral and not picking a side based on feelings is essential. While you may have opinions, sticking to the facts and handling the situation professionally is best. 

 

4. Encourage open communication

People always say that the key to a successful marriage is open communication. The same can be said between team members. Team members need to communicate their feelings and ask for help when they need it. 

 

This way, when one team member feels overwhelmed, others can help. As a result, everyone will feel valued, creating a productive and collaborative work environment. Discover the critical role of professional communication.  

 

5. Focus on solutions, not blame

Instead of focusing on who the true culprit is and pointing out everything done wrong, it’s more important to focus on what can be done to fix it. Try finding mutually beneficial resolutions by encouraging open communication.  

 

Also, instead of addressing the surface-level issues, you can guide the conversation in a way that identifies the underlying causes of the conflict. This way, you and your team members can devise lasting solutions instead of trying to find a quick fix. 

 

6. Establish clear policies

Creating clear policies and rules regarding conflict within your organisation is essential. Employees need to know you have a system for handling disputes fairly and effectively. 

 

You’ll need to identify what types of conflicts you cover, such as workplace and customer-employee conflicts and who the policy applies to. From there, you must create a reporting procedure, specify consequences, and assign responsibilities. 

 

7. Manage emotions effectively

Emotions can run very high during arguments or misunderstandings. Managing people’s emotions during these times is vital if you’re looking to deal with conflicts peacefully. Having proper processes in place can help with this. 

 

You could also predetermine a specific room that can be used for situations like these, so that any arguments or outbursts don’t affect the entire company. 

 

8. Know when to involve a mediator

While it may not always be necessary to involve a mediator, it’s usually a good idea when neither of the conflicting parties has conflict resolution skills. In this case, you can involve a mediator early to solve the problem before it becomes a more significant issue.  

 

9. Follow up on resolutions

Resolving the conflict is only half the work. It’s just as important to follow up and ensure that employees and/or clients are happy with the situation. 

 

You need to ensure that there are no hard feelings that could cause the relationship to go sour again. Implementing team-building activities is a great way to build your team’s relationships and ensure everyone remains happy. 

 

10. Employers should provide conflict management training

Employers should provide workers and managers with conflict-resolution training to teach them to respectfully communicate their concerns and perspectives. 

 

This will prevent disputes and help employees build strong relationships that create a positive and fulfilling work environment over the long term.

 

Choose the right conflict management course for you

 

When choosing a conflict resolution programme, you must consider the time commitment. 

 

If you or your employees are busy and can’t commit to a year-long programme, you can consider skillME’s Conflict Management short course. This programme covers practical skills and the fundamentals of relationship building and conflict resolution. 

 

The best part is that you can study this programme online in just two days, making it time and cost-efficient. 

 

On the other hand, if you struggle with a specific area, such as communication, skillME also offers a Professional Communications Programme.

 

Register for short online courses in conflict management with skillME

 

Investing in short online courses is an excellent option to improve your or your team’s relationship-building, conflict management, and communication skills. 

 

These courses are quick, straight to the point, and affordable. You can browse skillME’s different short online business courses here.