It’s okay to disagree

“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it” Mahatma Gandhi

This week is World Wellbeing at Work Week. 

With many of us spending much of our week working, the environment and relationships within the workplace can have a huge impact on our wellbeing. If we’re lucky, this is mostly positive, however, conflicts can arise due to personality differences, failures in communication, or simple misunderstandings. These can lead to people feeling stressed or even bullied.  

When left unchecked, these conflicts have the potential to escalate and negatively impact the productivity and wellbeing of those involved. In this post, we’ll share some tips, techniques, and strategies for addressing conflicts in the workplace helping to create a sound and peaceful work environment. 

1. Develop and Communicate Clear Policies and Procedures: 

Having a clear Dignity at Work policy in place which is communicated regularly to employees will raise awareness of the behaviours that are expected, and those which will not be tolerated. This sets the clear expectation of an environment that embraces respect for one another.

2. Know Your team and Encourage Open Communication: 

By understanding your team, you’ll better appreciate any personal challenges that may be impacting them and identify potential disagreements. Promote open communication and be approachable as a line manager to ensure that your teams feel comfortable sharing their concerns without fear of reprisal. 

3. Intervene Early and Quickly: 

Be alert to any signs of potential tensions and challenge any unfair treatment. Take prompt action to facilitate the resolution of conflicts in a positive and proactive way. Create a safe space for discussion, listening objectively to all parties, and showing empathy, which will encourage employees to be open about any problems and help identify the root of the issue.  

Bringing the people involved together in a facilitated meeting can help them find common ground and encourage them to find a way forward. Prevention is better than cure, so tackling low-level tension at the first sign of conflict can avoid something bigger needing to be dealt with later. 

4. Follow-up: 

It’s important to check-in regularly afterwards to gauge how the parties are, and to ensure the issue has been resolved.

5. Be a Role Model 

One of the most effective ways to manage conflict in the workplace is to lead by example. Be aware of how you interact with your employees and model the kind of behaviours you would like to see. Ensure that you are respectful, approachable, and consistent in your interactions with others and are demonstrating the values of the business. By doing so, you can set a positive example for others to follow.

Whilst the aim is always to resolve any kind of conflict early and informally, occasionally, a more formal approach will be necessary, and it’s important to recognise at what point this is, and to seek help to navigate the process when needed.   

“The number one goal in resolving conflict is to make sure both sides maintain their self-esteem. Resolving conflict is rarely about who is right. It is about acknowledging and appreciating differences” Thomas Crum

At Kestrel HR, we can provide you with the guidance, tools and support on this and all your other people issues, so contact us today for a complimentary, no obligation conversation. 

Thanks for reading!