Wouldn’t it be great if we could work in complete harmony with all our colleagues?

Unfortunately, we cannot always expect to get along with everyone we work with. When we are part of a team, we can often find ourselves working closely to people with very different opinions and values to our own. In normal circumstances this can cause tension amongst individuals, but when you add in the stress and anxiety that comes with a global pandemic, you may encounter greater conflict/s within your team.

Employees may find themselves fraught with health or financial concerns and may find the lack of freedom difficult to cope with. With heightened anxiety amongst individuals, you can easily see how this will cause a greater volume of conflict amongst employees.

Now, perhaps more than ever, we must be aware and proactive with managing conflict. The change in our working culture has brought new stresses and challenges and we must seek to mitigate further issues.

Conflict management

Conflict management is a crucial skill that involves handling confrontations tactfully and constructively. It is not easy; many people dislike conflict will often shy away from dealing with it proactively. However, issues rarely go away, so as employers, we should be aiming not only to tackle such issues but to generate a positive outcome from it.

A culture of constructive conflict should not be discouraged, as it is important for people to start a discussion, negotiation, and seek compromise, and this will usually happen when there is trust between colleagues. However, this must not be confused with destructive conflict, where discussions can become nasty, personal, and unresolved.

All workplace conflicts should be resolved in a respectful and professional manner.

Causes of work conflict during the pandemic.

As aforementioned, these unprecedented times have brought additional stress and anxiety into our everyday lives. When our emotions are already heightened, we can often find it difficult to react to others in a positive or constructive way, which can in turn increase the volume of workplace disputes. Given that we are all being stretched in one way or another, this creates the perfect breeding ground for new conflicts and can often exacerbate existing ones.

Of course, added within all of that, are the usual causes of workplace conflict:

Differences in personality – we are all unique, with different backgrounds and experiences.  As such, we will all bring our own individual sets of values and beliefs to the team. A lack of understanding and awareness of such values, or the inability to value our differences can easily cause conflict.  

Differences in styles of working – we all have different working preferences. Some like detail, some are ‘big picture’; some are extravert, some are introvert. It is easy to interpret a different way of working to someone simply being awkward, or not doing things in the best way.

Miscommunication – We have all received an email and read it in a way that was not intended. This is one of many miscommunication examples and proves how easy it is for conflicts to arise when we do not fully understand communications between peers. When such misunderstandings are left unresolved, they can escalate and cause disruptive avoidant behaviour. This only prolongs the dispute and fuels further misunderstanding. 

Tips for managing workplace conflict.

It is crucial that conflict in the workplace is resolved as early as possible to negate negative behaviours and prevent unnecessary escalation. 

There are procedures that employers can put in place to ensure their team are working well together whilst working flexibly or at home.

Define acceptable behaviour – It is important for all businesses to adopt a set of company values that have been carefully crafted, learnt, and executed. From the offset, every member of your team should know what constitutes as acceptable behaviour towards others in the workplace. By creating a framework, you have encouraged practices in collaboration, team building, leadership development, and talent management which will aid in conflict avoidance. Clearly and publicly make it known what will and will not be tolerated.

Conduct a conflict risk assessment – As more of us are working from home, it may be harder to physically witness signs of conflict or tension.  Observe your team’s behaviour during virtual meetings and check for tone of voice and messaging through all communication channels. Note down any changes and signs of conflict or disagreement on a regular basis.

Ensure staff feel able to raise concerns around conflict – Employees may be fearful of raising issues around conflict if their employer is deemed unapproachable.  Encourage open dialogue and create a culture that values open and honest discussions. Make sure your staff know when and how to contact you whilst working from home should they have any concerns.

Promote and value differences – Encourage a culture of positivity, inclusivity, diversity and create an environment where discriminatory behaviour is not acceptable.

Learn to listen actively – As an employer and a leader, good listening skills are vital to resolving conflicts in the workplace. If, or when a dispute rears its head, encourage a video call with those involved. Listen and ask questions carefully, and ensure you have a thorough and clear understanding of the issues raised in the call by summarising key points of the conversation. Encourage all members of your team to listen to others, as this in turn will minimise miscommunication and conflict.  

Throughout this difficult time of change and uncertainty, we should all be encouraged to support one another. Not only will this create a better working environment but will solidify relationships within the team and ensure that the business and its people are in a secure position for when normal working life resumes. 

At Sitrus we offer conflict mediation as well as tools such as Insights Discovery that help individuals and teams understand different working styles and potential areas for conflict.

If you need support during this time, please do not hesitate to contact our team on 01625 428926 or enquiries@sitrusconsulting.com

Wouldn’t it be great if we could work in complete harmony with all our colleagues?

Unfortunately, we cannot always expect to get along with everyone we work with. When we are part of a team, we can often find ourselves working closely to people with very different opinions and values to our own. In normal circumstances this can cause tension amongst individuals, but when you add in the stress and anxiety that comes with a global pandemic, you may encounter greater conflict/s within your team.

Employees may find themselves fraught with health or financial concerns and may find the lack of freedom difficult to cope with. With heightened anxiety amongst individuals, you can easily see how this will cause a greater volume of conflict amongst employees.

Now, perhaps more than ever, we must be aware and proactive with managing conflict. The change in our working culture has brought new stresses and challenges and we must seek to mitigate further issues.

Conflict management

Conflict management is a crucial skill that involves handling confrontations tactfully and constructively. It is not easy; many people dislike conflict will often shy away from dealing with it proactively. However, issues rarely go away, so as employers, we should be aiming not only to tackle such issues but to generate a positive outcome from it.

A culture of constructive conflict should not be discouraged, as it is important for people to start a discussion, negotiation, and seek compromise, and this will usually happen when there is trust between colleagues. However, this must not be confused with destructive conflict, where discussions can become nasty, personal, and unresolved.

All workplace conflicts should be resolved in a respectful and professional manner.

Causes of work conflict during the pandemic.

As aforementioned, these unprecedented times have brought additional stress and anxiety into our everyday lives. When our emotions are already heightened, we can often find it difficult to react to others in a positive or constructive way, which can in turn increase the volume of workplace disputes. Given that we are all being stretched in one way or another, this creates the perfect breeding ground for new conflicts and can often exacerbate existing ones.

Of course, added within all of that, are the usual causes of workplace conflict:

Differences in personality – we are all unique, with different backgrounds and experiences.  As such, we will all bring our own individual sets of values and beliefs to the team. A lack of understanding and awareness of such values, or the inability to value our differences can easily cause conflict.  

Differences in styles of working – we all have different working preferences. Some like detail, some are ‘big picture’; some are extravert, some are introvert. It is easy to interpret a different way of working to someone simply being awkward, or not doing things in the best way.

Miscommunication – We have all received an email and read it in a way that was not intended. This is one of many miscommunication examples and proves how easy it is for conflicts to arise when we do not fully understand communications between peers. When such misunderstandings are left unresolved, they can escalate and cause disruptive avoidant behaviour. This only prolongs the dispute and fuels further misunderstanding. 

Tips for managing workplace conflict.

It is crucial that conflict in the workplace is resolved as early as possible to negate negative behaviours and prevent unnecessary escalation. 

There are procedures that employers can put in place to ensure their team are working well together whilst working flexibly or at home.

Define acceptable behaviour – It is important for all businesses to adopt a set of company values that have been carefully crafted, learnt, and executed. From the offset, every member of your team should know what constitutes as acceptable behaviour towards others in the workplace. By creating a framework, you have encouraged practices in collaboration, team building, leadership development, and talent management which will aid in conflict avoidance. Clearly and publicly make it known what will and will not be tolerated.

Conduct a conflict risk assessment – As more of us are working from home, it may be harder to physically witness signs of conflict or tension.  Observe your team’s behaviour during virtual meetings and check for tone of voice and messaging through all communication channels. Note down any changes and signs of conflict or disagreement on a regular basis.

Ensure staff feel able to raise concerns around conflict – Employees may be fearful of raising issues around conflict if their employer is deemed unapproachable.  Encourage open dialogue and create a culture that values open and honest discussions. Make sure your staff know when and how to contact you whilst working from home should they have any concerns.

Promote and value differences – Encourage a culture of positivity, inclusivity, diversity and create an environment where discriminatory behaviour is not acceptable.

Learn to listen actively – As an employer and a leader, good listening skills are vital to resolving conflicts in the workplace. If, or when a dispute rears its head, encourage a video call with those involved. Listen and ask questions carefully, and ensure you have a thorough and clear understanding of the issues raised in the call by summarising key points of the conversation. Encourage all members of your team to listen to others, as this in turn will minimise miscommunication and conflict.  

Throughout this difficult time of change and uncertainty, we should all be encouraged to support one another. Not only will this create a better working environment but will solidify relationships within the team and ensure that the business and its people are in a secure position for when normal working life resumes. 

At Sitrus we offer conflict mediation as well as tools such as Insights Discovery that help individuals and teams understand different working styles and potential areas for conflict.

If you need support during this time, please do not hesitate to contact our team on 01625 428926 or enquiries@sitrusconsulting.com