Taming The Fires Of Employee Conflict

In a perfect world employees would always get along, there would be no such thing as a difficult person, and the office would remain a calm harmonious place to work. A lovely thought, isn't it? In reality, the office can be a hotbed for tempers to flare and disagreements to get out of control. If employee relations are a part of your job, you may at times find yourself caught in the middle of feuding employees.

Why can't we all just get along?

Unfortunately, not everyone is going to get along at all times. With a mix of personalities, backgrounds, ages, skills, values, expectations and work styles converging at the office - there are bound to be some misunderstandings between employees.

When there is conflict at the office, it creates a hostile environment for everyone. It can lead to low employee morale, decreased productivity and dissatisfaction on the job. It is essential to tame the fires of employee conflict before they rage out of control. Recent statistics from the Dana Mediation Institute claim that unmanaged employee conflict is responsible for 65 percent of work performance problems, and up to 42 percent of employees' time is spent engaging in or attempting to resolve conflict. And many managers spend almost a third of their time dealing with conflict among employees.

Resolve the conflict

By serving as a neutral party, you can help mediate conflicts between employees - resolving issues before they affect the entire office.

The first step is to identify the problem. Bring all involved employees together to discuss the issue. Ask each employee to tell you what they feel the problem is. Listen to what each person has to say. Stay neutral and do not agree or disagree with any of the employees involved.

You'll want to gain an understanding of how each employee perceives the problem so you can determine if miscommunication is the issue or if there is a more serious problem that needs to be addressed. The employees may not agree on what the problem is, but as long as each person is willing to admit that there is a problem, they are heading in the right direction.

Focus on the behavior that is causing the problem - not the person. To keep the involved parties from feeling attacked, ask each of them not to use accusatory phrases such as "you are always taking credit for my work." These types of phrases can put people on the defensive. Instead, have the employees phrase their concerns to be less accusing, by using "I" statements like "I feel as though you are always taking credit for my work."

Ask each employee to restate what they hear to make sure the person understands what the other person is saying. For example, the second employee would respond back to the first employee by saying, "from what you have said, it is my understanding that you feel I am taking credit for work that is not mine." Using this technique gives the person a chance to confirm that they heard the other person correctly. The other person can than better clarify what they mean if what they said was misinterpreted.

Once the problem has been identified, or there is at least an agreement that a problem exists, encourage the employees to discuss what they each feel the cause of the conflict is. As the mediator, you should remain positive, ask lots of direct questions, and be non-judgmental. Probe the employees to give specific examples that demonstrate the problem behavior by asking them why they feel the way they do about the situation.

After the involved parties have had a chance to express their frustrations openly, it is time to come up with a solution to the conflict. Ask each employee for their suggestions on improving and resolving the issue at hand. This sometimes involves compromise from both sides. Determine what changes need to be made and map out a plan of action. Be sure that all involved individuals agree upon the solution and understand what their own role is in resolving the issue.

Don't consider the matter finished once the meeting is over. Be sure to follow up with the employees after the initial meeting to ensure that the issue has been resolved to each person's satisfaction. If there is no improvement, it may be necessary to intervene again.

Seek outside help

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you are unable to resolve the conflict between employees. If this is the case, professional help may be necessary to end the problem. You may want to refer your employees to a specialist or your employee assistance program for further support.