Managing Conflict in the Workplace

Whenever you put a group of people into a work situation, there's potential for conflict. People bring to the job differing work habits, ethics, and modes of expression, and differences of opinion are bound to arise. Add to that issues of work allocation, opportunities for promotion, and other factors where employees are in a competitive situation with each other, and the likelihood of trouble is great.

It's not possible to eliminate conflict from a workplace, but establishing clear guidelines for work responsibilities, promotion practices, and scheduling issues can go a long way toward creating a harmonious environment. Periodically reviewing employee responsibilities is necessary to make sure that one or a few employees don't end up doing a disproportionate share of the work.

If it turns out that some employees do less than their share on a consistent basis, you can bet the other employees recognize this and have some pretty intense feelings about the situation. Intervention is necessary; if the problem is lack of skills, make sure the poorly performing employee gets the training needed. If it's an issue of poor time management or lack of organization, there are plenty of classes available in those skills; offer to pay for them and strongly urge the employee to attend.

When personal conflicts do arise, have a policy for resolving them. Provide mediation and counseling opportunities for employees, and make sure they feel comfortable using them. If a conflict becomes serious enough to threaten the harmony and efficiency of the workplace, you may need to require mediation for the parties involved.

Finally, keep an eye on the dynamics of different departments. Some may run very smoothly most of the time, while others seem to be in constant conflict. If that happens, you may need to take a good look at the management of the poorly functioning department; your department head may have a management style that invites conflict rather than serving to resolve it.