Most people prefer to go to the office, get their work done, and go home at the end of the day without any problems. Unfortunately, conflict is an unavoidable part of life, which means it’s inevitable that it will happen in the workplace at some point.
If you’re in a company leadership role, the responsibility of conflict resolution falls to you. When you gather the parties involved, it’s important that you have a mediation plan to lead your employees to a solution that works for everyone. Here are some tips to help you develop a conflict resolution strategy that keeps your workplace running smoothly!
Address conflict right away and head on.
If you avoid or put off finding a resolution, you’re only giving the conflict time to fester and grow. Letting animosity build up between employees will impair office productivity, damage morale, and make coming up with a workable solution much more difficult. When an issue arises, give those involved a little time to calm down, but then don’t hesitate to tackle it swiftly and directly.
Offer a safe space for discussion.
A safe, neutral environment is crucial to facilitating constructive conversation after conflict has taken place. Take your employees to a private room or area, such as your office or a conference room, and allow them to air their grievances freely. Direct employees to listen to each other actively, so everybody can feel heard.
Focus on identifying solutions for reaching a common goal.
The ultimate shared goal in any conflict resolution process is to manage and resolve the root issue. As a leader, you should remain objective as employees share their emotions and side of the story. Then, you can help clarify the source of the conflict as an unbiased third-party, and prompt all parties to propose solutions. Once a solution is agreed upon, break it down into achievable steps that each person can take. This way, everyone knows what they’re responsible for moving forward, the problem will be solved, and future conflict can be prevented.
When a workplace is fraught with tension, sometimes you need to bring in outside help to get everybody back on track. At Abundant Life, we offer conflict resolution and business coaching services to help solve workplace issues and improve overall communication among employees of all levels.
Contact us today to learn more about our professional counseling services!
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