The Necessity of Conflict Management Strategies in the Workplace

One of the most common reasons for confrontation is when two people have clashing personalities, tastes, or styles. 

It’s not unheard of for a colleague to find specific workplace behavior irritable, create tension, or snap because of conflicting opinions.  

HR manager at Joloda Hydraroll, Wendy Makinson, agrees with this sentiment, saying: “The workplace is filled with a diverse assortment of people from different backgrounds, with different skills, and with different agendas at any one time. It’s not surprising conflict happens. The key is how to deal with it effectively.”  

Usually, colleagues can and should work things out between themselves. But when that approach isn’t working, managers and HR should step in to prevent things from escalating.   

Although the occasional relationship conflict is not unusual, working in a hostile environment can eventually cause long-term consequences for both the company and its employees.

Conflict exposure and resolution are part of any manager’s job. All managing levels at an organization play a key role in recognizing and addressing conflict before it escalates. 

It’s also their responsibility to support employees‘ well-being and implement strategies to resolve conflict in the workplace.  

Zach Smith, Chief Activation Officer at Activate 180, shares a few strategies that work best for them, including the importance of leading by example: 

“This seems like a given, but there are additional ways to continue to lead by example, even with decreased transparency in your day-to-day. Practice daily habits and talk about them with your employees, encouraging them to find what works for them. You can do this by encouraging taking breaks to recalibrate, reflecting on your day, time blocking, exercising, and having a consistent morning routine.” 

Smith also points out the need for emotional intelligence, saying that it’s more important than ever. 

“It has become significantly easier to miss the signs of disheartened employees, overworked teams, or increased burnout rates. It is important to improve and hone your ability to observe areas of decreased morale, common struggles your team experiences, and overall culture.  

Maintain close communication with your team through frequent check-ins to keep a pulse on everything. Ensure your team feels safe and comfortable bringing struggles or concerns up with you. If you feel that you’ll receive a more authentic, honest response anonymously, then hold monthly feedback surveys to ensure you remain up to date on areas of improvement for the team and culture.” 

Finally, as a good conflict management strategy in the workplace, Zach Smith addresses open communication and giving effective feedback. 

“In order to create a positive, constructive workplace, leaders must remain aware of every factor that plays into an effective feedback conversation.  

Before giving feedback, you must consider whether it is the right time, if it is the right environment and if it is really going to be useful for this individual. If all of the aforementioned is a “yes,” follow the next steps to ensure the feedback is received well.  

First, ask if the individual is open to receiving feedback at that time.  

Next, bring up the situation at hand as well as examples of when they’ve seen this occur.  

Then, ask for the employee’s perspective on the situation.  

Finally, come to an agreement where they will set the next steps to improve the situation in the future.”