Conflict is not a strange thing for people. We experience it in their day-to-day lives – with our friends, families, and more so at the workplace. Conflicts should not be viewed in the negative because working with people from diverse cultural, intellectual and social backgrounds will surely cause some friction.
You are not a good manager because you prevent conflicts at your organization; you are a good manager because you manage conflicts that arise in your organization.
Conflict Management can be defined as the use of processes, tools, and skills to find creative and respectful ways to manage disagreements and disputes.
Here are 5 ways to manage conflicts at your job.
- Practise active listening
A good manager is a good listener. Listen to the parties involved in the conflict. Let them voice out their views, opinions or frustration. It is not the best time to hit out at them or immediately start giving them counsel. That can come later, but first, listen. Again, listen very well. It is said that most people only listen to respond, not to understand. Listen and understand where each party is coming from. Let them feel special by giving them your rapt attention. That could set the tone for the conflict resolution.
2. Manage your emotions
How many people are effective managers of everything but themselves? Many! Tempers may be flaring but you have to try and be the only cool-headed person in the situation. Choose your timing when you talk to someone about the conflict. If you’re angry, you may say something you’ll regret and inflame the situation. Be careful to avoid playing the blame game. It may be clear who is at fault, but that may be the wrong time to point fingers at someone. So, stay calm, collect yourself, and ask, “What is it I want to achieve here?”
3. Investigate the situation
You may trust your employees or colleagues, but in managing conflicts, make sure you dig into the matter for yourself. Try and find out what is causing the conflict in the first place – this may be clearly evident or sometimes not noticeable. But find out the root cause of the conflict.
4. Accept Criticism
In conflict management, you might get to hear some criticisms. Sometimes through active listening, you will get to know something that needs to be taken into deeper thoughts in the organization. If you are also involved in the conflict, accept criticisms, especially constructive ones and see how best you can work on them. Managing conflicts well will help expose some petit hidden issues in your organization that your management might have no idea about.
5. Agree on the best solution and determine the responsibilities each party has in the resolution
Finally, after hearing all involved parties out and doing your ground checks, come up with a solution and give each party a responsibility in eliminating the conflict. Don’t leave it there. Ensure that you constantly check up on the progress of your solution and evaluate the situation. If it is not getting better, find other suitable solutions to roll out.
