Conflict in the Workplace

Workplace Conflict

Workplace conflict occurs when there’s a disagreement amongst employees due to opposing interests, personalities, beliefs, or ideas. Conflict in the workplace is natural and bound to occur when you have people of different backgrounds and perspectives working side-by-side.

Conflict can be expressed in various ways, including lack of cooperation, verbal insults, bullying, anger, poor quality or delayed work, project failure, and more.

You don’t have to fear workplace conflict in your organization. It’s natural and can even be healthy when dealt with appropriately. Let’s explore the types of conflict in the workplace, signs of conflict, and tips for conflict resolution to help you tackle disputes in your organization.

Different Types of Conflict in the Workplace

Yes, not all conflicts are the same — there are different types of conflict in the workplace. Let’s take a look at some of the most common types to watch out for:

Personality Conflicts

Clashes due to different personality types are some of the most common types of workplace conflicts. These conflicts are impossible to avoid because we all have our personalities and won’t get along with every person we meet. Personality-based conflicts can be challenging and frustrating, but it’s beneficial to learn how to work with individuals whose approaches and perspectives are different from your own.

Interdependent Task-based Conflicts

Think about the processes that help your organization stay afloat. Often, there are a lot of cross-functional processes that take place within interdependent workstreams. For example, your IT department may be responsible for setting up accounts and technology for new hires once HR informs them of the new hire’s start date. But what if HR forgets to tell IT about a new hire and the new employee arrives on their first day and isn’t set up and ready to work? These types of interdependencies can be frustrating and cause conflict, particularly amongst departments.

Style-based Conflicts

Sometimes conflict occurs because people have different styles for getting work done. Maybe one of your employees moves at a rapid pace, but another is more methodical and takes time to think tasks through before performing. These two employees with very different working styles may find it challenging to work together. It’s essential to recognize that everyone’s work styles are different, and various strategies may need to be used for successful team collaboration.

Leadership Style Conflicts

Similar to style-based conflicts, differences in leadership styles can lead to conflict. Some leaders are direct and short, while others may come across as more open and collaborative. No matter your approach to leadership, it’s essential to understand your style so you can communicate to your team how best to work with you.

Spotting Signs of Conflict at Work

Recognizing and identifying early signs of conflict at work is the best way to get ahead of tension and disagreements before they become detrimental to your organization. The good news is there are warning signs to watch out for to help you be more proactive with your conflict resolution techniques. Here’s how you can spot signs of conflict at work:

Pay attention to decreased productivity. When conflict arises, workplace productivity takes a hit. If employees are struggling to get along and work together successfully, it should be no surprise that productivity goes down. If your employees are unhappy in their environment, they may feel less motivated and focused on their work, which can slow delivery and project completion timelines.

Be mindful of turnover and absenteeism rates.  If you suddenly experience a high staff turnover or start to notice employees calling in sick or not showing up for work, you should do some investigating. Avoiding the work environment may be employees’ way of coping with the conflict, especially if they aren’t receiving any additional help resolving it. Talk to your employees who leave to understand their reasoning. Be sure to check in with frequently absent employees to understand if they are experiencing any conflicts that prevent them from showing up for work.

Listen for direct complaints from your staff.  Pay attention to what your employees are saying directly. Some dissatisfied employees may not be afraid to make their feelings known. Hear them out and try not to write off complaints as petty grievances — listen to them to see if you can pick out more significant conflicts that you can help address.

Identify changes in interactions amongst employees. The way employees express themselves, primarily if a dramatic shift in behaviour occurs, can indicate whether a conflict has or is occurring. Notice if an employee refuses to talk to another one suddenly or repeatedly talks about the same individual in a negative light. Be particularly cautious of rude or inappropriate behaviour as this might indicate that the conflict is severe.

Remember that when it comes to managing conflict in the workplace, no two conflicts are the same. The warning signs may differ depending on the employees involved and how severe the conflict is.

Tips for Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

As a manager or team leader, you want to ensure you’re well-equipped to manage conflict when it arises (because you know it will) So, what can you do to help resolve a conflict and prevent it from spiralling? Try these tips.

Get to the Root Cause of the Conflict

If you’re managing employee conflict that you aren’t directly involved in, the first thing you need to do is get to the root cause.

Allow each party to share their side of the story with you separately to understand better how each person feels and what the disagreement is. Ensure you obtain as much information from both parties as possible and ask questions to gain clarity. Avoid taking sides and hear each person out without any biased perspectives.

As a neutral mediator, you can help both parties discuss their issues in a meaningful and healthy way.

Schedule a Time to Meet and Discuss the Conflict in a Neutral Location

Conflicts can’t be resolved unless they’re discussed and worked through. Attempting to talk through disagreements using online methods of communication can lead to misinterpretations and further conflict, so try to schedule a time to meet and discuss either virtually or in person.

Find a time to meet far enough in advance that all parties have an opportunity to prepare for the meeting and think through what they want to say. Try to set up the meeting in a neutral location so that the environment isn’t more comfortable for one party or the other. Allow everyone to share their side of the story, and try not to let one person dominate the conversation.

Identify and Work Toward Solutions Both Parties can Support

Once you’ve heard both parties out and allowed them to meet and discuss the conflict themselves, you should help the people involved identify solutions and the next steps everyone can agree on.

You must determine a mutually agreed-upon solution to keep everyone on the same page and working toward a shared goal. Each person should understand what is expected of them and what actionable steps they need to take to move the situation forward toward a resolution. If you can’t reach a solution, it might be time to loop in your HR team to develop and direct the next steps.