5 Ways to Handle Conflict in the Workplace
Conflict is something that is often unavailable in the workplace. The key is to have the right practices in place so that neither you nor your workers experience too much heartache or stress. The following are some ways that you can handle conflict in your establishment when it occurs:
1. Train Your Managers in Conflict Resolution
You can resolve workplace conflict is by getting your management staff prepared for it early. You can bring in some third-party companies to train the managers in conflict resolution and problem-solving. You can choose to hire coaches as well. Another way you can enhance your managers’ knowledge and skills is by employing some online courses and adding them to the curriculum. It’s up to you how you want to handle it, but any of those solutions will be very helpful.
You should also ensure that you have your rules, guidelines and codes of conduct written down and available to all workers who need to view them. That way, all of your employees will have a firm grasp of how you want your company to work as a whole.
2. Offer Open-Door Options
An open-door policy is common in the majority of workplaces. This policy invites employees to talk to a management staff member about conflicts, concerns, gripes, and the like. What’s unique about open-door policies is that they allow workers to unload problems without having to face judgment or reproach. Therefore, a worker can come to someone on the supervisory team and discuss a current conflict. That manager can offer ways to resolve the problem. The manager could also arrange a three-person meeting so that the two employees can hash out the issues in the office.
3. Validate Everyone’s Feelings
One thing you must do to ensure that every conflict gets resolved is to validate everyone’s feelings. All people are entitled to their feelings about a particular incident. They are entitled to have their feelings whether the other party agrees with them or not. Ensuring that you get that message across to your workers is important.
Workers will be more likely to seek support and guidance when problems arise if they understand the importance of their feelings and the value of their feedback. Therefore, you should look into ways to express that to your workers. Take equal amounts of time to listen to each person’s complaints and then evaluate the situation accordingly. Listen to the entire story before you make any quick decisions about the issues at hand. That will help to ensure that you are fair to each person involved in the matter.
4. Involve HR When Necessary
Your HR team is there to help you resolve issues and conflicts that arise between workers and their peers or your management staff. Some cases may be serious enough to involve the Human Resources Department. HR is there to protect the best interests of your business. Thus, it would be wise to consult with these persons to ensure you resolve any conflict that arises in an applicable manner. That way, they can be there to assist you if any problem comes up between members of your staff or some of the higher-ranked members of your team.
5. Hire an L&I Attorney
You can also hire an L&I attorney to handle any affairs of a more serious nature. That attorney can get you back in a situation where an employee feels that he or she did not receive the appropriate amount of pay for work performed. It’s good to have such an attorney on staff now so that he or she can resolve issues in-house before they become a major issue. Find your attorney using a reputable resource such as the Bar Association in the state. Consult with the attorney if any related problems arise to receive immediate advice on the matter. You’ll be glad you took the time to do so.
Start Staying on Top of Conflict Today
Those are a few good suggestions on how you can handle conflict in your workplace starting today. Use those tips to help you manage affairs between employees and each other or employees and your company. Your business will run much smoother that way.