The cause of conflict can arise everywhere and anywhere due to people having varied interests, personalities, thought processes, and reactions. It is wise to question the situation, analyze and resolve the problem rather than allow the conflict to continue.
The ability to intervene and find a solution to alleviate or eliminate such disagreement is known as one’s conflict resolution skills.
Effective conflict analysis and resolution are essential to a healthy work environment as they help in saving time, money, relationships, as well as minimize the employees’ distractions from their jobs.
A manager with weak conflict resolution skills can be a burden on the staff and a liability for the organization.
Why is conflict resolution important?
Conflicts are inevitable when employees with different opinions, attitudes, and backgrounds work together on a single project. Following are some of the benefits of conflict analysis and resolution for an organization.
Build strong relationships: With good conflict analysis and resolution skills, you can help to reduce the friction between the employees that disrupt their working relationships. By resolving conflicts more respectfully and professionally, you can collaborate better with co-workers and build stronger work relationships.
Minimized disruptions: Employees with poor conflict resolution skills cause tension to build in the face of any disagreement. This results in a dropped employee morale between the people involved as well as stalling of the workflow. By training employees for conflict analysis and resolution, you can minimize such disruptions and create a better working environment.
How to improve conflict analysis and resolution skills
Unaddressed conflicts can take a dig into the organization’s overall productivity. Following steps need to be taken to improve conflict resolution skills:
Provide a neutral environment to clarify the problem. While discussing the resolution of a conflict, ensure that it is being done in a neutral and safe environment. Establish guidelines and maintain protocols for a respectful and professional interaction as well as for determining the factors causing the discord.
Come up with a list of options for a win-win solution. Run a brainstorming session and come up with ideas for a win-win solution. Make sure all the parties are given an equal opportunity to share their opinions and concerns.
Agreement on a proposed solution. Determine a process for the agreement and acknowledgment that the proposed resolution of the problem is the ideal one possible.
Untie the person from the problem. It is mandatory to separate the people from the problem while attempting to resolve it. Focus on the issue or the process and avoid attaching a particular group or person to it.
It is important to assess, question, analyze the situation, resolve, and move forward with the conflict within the workplace to improve efficiency and morale within the team. The more effective the conflict management is, the less likely it is to reappear on that scale.
