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We have all had a conflict with someone at work at one time or another. The problem may have been caused by a disagreement over how something should be done or the result of a personality conflict. In any case, a conflict between coworkers is very counterproductive and should be taken seriously and addressed right away.
Fortunately, there are companies that offer training in conflict resolution. They can provide classes for your business management team or your entire company.
Why Conflicts Arise At Work
When people from different backgrounds are forced to work together, many different kinds of problems can arise. Conflict resolution training can help you look at things from a more objective standpoint. There are several common causes of problems between coworkers.
Overconfident Thinking
A person in business may be overconfident about their plans or opinions. For example, one person in a business may think it is a good idea to invest in a new computer system for the team, and another person may be quite certain that the company would save more money if they simply continued to rely on the system they have been using.
Exaggeration Of Conflict
When an employee has been passed over for a promotion, assigned to a supervisor that they do not like, or made to do a task that they believe is beneath them, they may make an official complaint, or they may simply vent about it to their coworkers. In fact, this is one of the top reasons why companies offer frequent semi training courses.
If employees gossip about it excessively, the problem may seem worse than it is. Before you know it, factions may develop as a result of the gossip, and people will be more interested in whose side they are on than in getting work done.
Hidden Resentment
Sometimes letting things roll off your back is not such a good idea. When employees do not feel comfortable expressing minor frustrations and disappointments at work, it often builds into something bigger.
How Conflict Resolution Can Help
According to this website, there are five basic techniques that are taught in most conflict resolution classes.
Look At Each Person’s Strengths
This method will rely on the strengths of each individual involved in the conflict to find a solution to the problem. You need to encourage each person to use their skills, training, and abilities to solve the problem.
Listen
One of the most important things you can do is make the people involved in the conflict feel heard. If you are mediating a dispute and you listen to what both parties have to say, you will be able to make more informed decisions. Listening will help in a situation where a person does not care for their business manager. Find out what caused the problem in the first place and what each person can do to resolve the issue.
Prioritize
When you are mediating a conflict between two people, there may be more than one thing on which they disagree. Find out what the biggest point of contention is and try to work from there. Knowing what is at the root of the problem can help you figure out what happened and how to pave the way to a cooperative solution.
Encourage Collaboration
Of course, you’ll want to get your team to work together. You may have to hold people’s hands to get them to work together. For example, if two employees cannot agree on whether or not to get a new computer system, you would guide them to work together to research which option would benefit the company.
Focus On Problems Instead Of People
It is good to get to know a little bit about the personality of your coworkers. However, when dealing with a disagreement between two people, it is best to focus only on the problem at hand and how it can be solved. You will want to focus strictly on the facts of the issue holding the business back and nothing else.
When you have a protocol in place for dealing with conflict, your employees will know where they should go and what they should do when they have a problem. Resolving conflict when it begins will lead to a pleasant and efficient workplace.
