7 Tips for Managing Conflict in the Workplace

What is workplace conflict?

Workplace conflict or organizational conflict, occurs when two or more people who work together have a disagreement due to differing interests or ideas. Workplace conflict can be actual or perceived. Common reasons for conflict in the workplace include:

• Unclear expectations
• Lack of teamwork
• Poor communication
• Workplace stress or burnout
• Rude behavior
• Bullying or harassment
• Lack of transparency or honesty
• Inadequate performance
• Poor leadership
• Opposing values or personality types

Types of workplace conflict

Workplace conflict can arise from a variety of sources, but some of the most common types can be grouped into three main categories:

• Task-based conflict: This type of conflict arises from disagreements about the content or execution of work. This could include things like deadlines, resource allocation, project management styles or differing opinions on how to approach a task.
• Relationship-based conflict: This stems from interpersonal clashes between colleagues. It might be caused by personality differences, communication problems or simply a dislike for someone.
• Value-based conflict: This arises from fundamental differences in beliefs or ethics. This could be related to work styles, priorities or even personal values, such as political, religious and social beliefs, that spill over into the professional sphere.

In addition to these three main categories, other types of workplace conflict can include:

• Leadership-based conflict: This arises when there are disputes about leadership styles, decisions or management approaches. It can occur between leaders and subordinates or among members of the leadership team.
• Work style-based conflict: This occurs when there are differences in how people prefer to work, such as needing quiet vs. having background noise, being a morning person vs. a night owl or preferring individual work vs. collaboration.
• Discrimination-based conflict: This type of conflict arises when there is unequal treatment of employees based on race, gender, age, religion or other protected characteristics. This is a serious issue that requires immediate intervention by human resources (HR).

Understanding the different types of conflict can help you identify the root cause of a disagreement and develop a more effective strategy for resolving it.

How do you manage conflict in the workplace?

The following seven tips can help employees and business leaders effectively deal with conflict in their workplaces.

1. Be proactive.

One of the best ways to resolve workplace conflicts is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Attempt to identify areas of potential conflict proactively and intervene before any conflict ever occurs. If a conflict does arise, being proactive will most likely lessen its severity and length. You should seek to understand the natural tensions in your workplace and learn how they can best be minimized or eliminated.

For example, if you know the marketing department does not interact well with the accounting department, that could potentially lead to conflict. A good leader will recognize this and take steps to build a positive relationship between the departments. This can set up a collaborative environment instead of an adversarial climate. Being proactive with conflict is always time and effort well spent.

2. Set expectations for acceptable behavior.

Don’t assume employees will understand what constitutes acceptable workplace behavior and what doesn’t. This can cause confusion and misunderstanding down the line. Instead, establish clear policies for what is and isn’t acceptable behavior in the workplace with all new hires and regularly remind existing employees of the behavioral standards you expect.

Since many employees may work in a remote or hybrid setting as opposed to a traditional office, defining what is the “workplace” can be tricky. To avoid confusion, create a remote-work plan that establishes expectations for remote workplace behavior and ensures it is enforced regularly. Once you establish clear expectations for workplace behavior, include them in your employee handbook and review them with your workforce. Have each worker sign an annual acknowledgment of acceptance and understanding.

The last piece of setting expectations is ensuring your standards are reinforced across the board constantly. Be fair in how you react to each situation as conflicts arise. For example, if you have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, that means no employee should ever be allowed to bully others ─ no exceptions.

3. Use clear communication.

Communication is key in all aspects of business and conflict management is no exception. A lack of clear communication can cause a multitude of problems. For example, if communication is unclear, an employee might not understand what type of behavior is expected or they might misinterpret another’s intentions as malicious. Train your employees and managers on how to best communicate with each other when they’re at work.

As many employees work from home, it’s important to note that poor communication may play a larger role in workplace conflict among remote workers. There have been many advancements in digital communication in recent years, but virtual communication can still be strained or awkward. It’s easier to misinterpret people over digital platforms like email and instant messaging because you lose out on tone, inflection and nonverbal cues. Online communication can also cause problems when workers fail to respond to messages (intentionally or not).

4. Choose your timing wisely.

Timing is everything. While it’s important not to let conflict linger, you also don’t want to try to resolve conflict when tempers are still elevated. Sometimes, it’s better to speak with people individually while you let things cool down among a group of affected employees. People who are upset do not always make rational decisions or have the emotional distance to see the conflict clearly.

By engaging two (or more) employees in a mediation session before they’re ready, you might unintentionally escalate the conflict. The goal is to resolve the issue and to achieve this successfully, all parties need to be on the same page and must be ready to address the core issues in a calm manner. If this can’t happen, consider whether there is a better time or way to attempt to resolve the conflict.

5. Train your leaders on conflict management.

There is little doubt that workplace conflict is a major business issue that needs to be addressed effectively by company leaders. Unfortunately, often leaders aren’t equipped with the experience and skills necessary to facilitate conflict resolution. Many even suffer from apprehension and/or avoidance when conflicts arise.

Train your leadership, especially those leaders working remotely, on how to manage employees effectively, particularly as it relates to conflict. Instead of assuming they know everything, offer your managers formal training on how to handle disagreements and opposition in the workplace properly. You might also consider training on related topics like workplace discrimination and harassment, even if they’re not required legally. Equipping your supervisors with tools to de-escalate and resolve situations can make a big difference in how successful their responses are and how much conflict affects your business. [Learn more about employment and anti-discrimination laws in the workplace.] 

6. Remember the WIIFM factor.

WIIFM stands for “what’s in it for me?” This is a critical factor whenever a leader is dealing with employee conflict. WIIFM is really what employees tend to care about the most. They want to know how things affect them personally and what they have to lose or gain in a given situation. This is also a key factor in their motivation.

When you communicate company benefits to employees clearly, there is less possibility of workplace conflict. You will also be in a better position to resolve conflict when it occurs. When you know what motivates your employees and what they can get out of a situation, you will understand the best tactics better to help resolve their conflicts.

7. Use conflict as an opportunity for growth.

Look at every workplace conflict as an opportunity for learning and growth. Sometimes, disagreement and conflict, when handled correctly, can even be healthy. You should look to leverage conflict to help with team building and learning. This can be done at the organizational or individual level.

Ask yourself and your team, “Which larger lessons can we learn from this conflict? How can we use those lessons to prevent future workplace conflicts?” By asking the right questions, you can create internal innovation and improve the workplace. Smart leaders are always looking for ways to ensure that every situation, even a conflict, has a positive outcome and effect on the company.

How does workplace conflict impact businesses negatively?

Conflict can cause workers to feel stressed, anxious, depressed and unconfident. It can also impact your business negatively in numerous ways:

• Decreased productivity: Conflict can serve as a distraction or cause employees to lose motivation, resulting in a reduction in employee performance and productivity. 
• Customer service issues: Employees who are stressed and distracted by conflict are less likely to provide excellent customer service. This can lead to unhappy customers and lost business.
• Low company morale: When left unmanaged, workplace conflict is bad for company culture and morale. Employees affected by negative workplace conflict may start showing up late to work or even not at all, placing the burden on co-workers who must cover for them. 
• Reputational damage: Unhappy employees might bad-mouth the company to colleagues, friends or even on social media. This can damage the company’s reputation and make it harder to attract top talent.
• Increased employee turnover: If workplace conflict is bad enough, it can ultimately result in higher turnover rates as employees choose to leave the company or need to be let go. [Related article: 12 Reasons Employees Quit (and How to Prevent It)]
• Legal issues: In severe cases, unresolved conflict can escalate to harassment, discrimination or even lawsuits. These can be costly for businesses, both financially and in terms of reputation.

Addressing workplace conflict promptly and effectively is essential to minimizing these negative impacts and maintaining a healthy, productive work environment.

Zak Mustapha contributed to this article.