What Does Employee Conflict Resolution Look Like?

What Does Employee Conflict Resolution Look Like?

Sometimes in a company culture or any office environment, there’s conflict. So what does employee conflict resolution look like within a healthy company culture? How do you manage conflict resolution within a team of people?

According to a recently published Forbes article about this very topic, and they listed four ways to deal with employee conflict. You need to make sure you have the right timing, you know your boundaries, respect differences, and confront tensions.

While those little steps are helpful, they don’t really deal with the primary issues when it comes to conflict in the workplace— especially with employees.

Don’t Fear Conflict

Above all when it comes to the possibility of employee conflict, you can’t fear it. Too often as managers and owners we are scared to dive into conflict. And when there’s some pressure and grinding between team members we want to just step away and duck out.

“Fear of conflict will stifle productivity, and keep you playing small” —Patrick Lencioni

In order for your team to perform well and your business to grow, you need to learn that conflict isn’t always bad. There are relationships within my office that are extremely beneficial. Certain people on the team have special relationships that have heightened productivity, sparked creativity, and brought us ideas that have really made us grow.

Those relationships are only special in part because of conflict. Those individuals might have started out with some conflict, but ultimately turned it around because they confronted it. Even myself as a leader would step in, acknowledge that we have some conflict, and it’s okay.

Resolution Fosters Trust

To work through it is important. Resolving conflict is only an opportunity to galvanize a relationship, make it stronger, durable, and increases mutual trust. Maybe the conflict is about an idea— during a meeting someone has an idea or opinion on how to accomplish a goal or move forward, and someone else disagrees. Lean into that conflict.

As a leader you need to seize that opportunity to address conflict head-on, and teach your team that it can be a good thing. Guide your employees into understanding they can learn from each other, try to listen more, maybe adjust some things, and trust one another. If you

make sacrifices to do some things you don’t always initially agree with, your team has the chance to grow as individuals and evolve as a team.

When this sort of conflict arises, as owners, managers, and leaders leaning into it rather than fearing conflict itself can help build those special relationships, galvanize that collective trust, and eliminate the chance of those conflicting issues rising up again in the future.

This Week’s Take Away

How are you going to create a thriving company culture?

Schedule a once-a-week time to look for conflict. Trust me, it happens. If there’s a week in your company that’s without any conflict, then you’re probably not growing. Just like Patrick Lencioni says, when you’re ducking away from conflict you’re playing small. Growing and thriving businesses have conflict all the time.

Don’t avoid it, or fear it. Look for it, and lean into it. Become a leader that is aware of those conflicts and works through them.