There is no way of avoiding conflict on the job. Nor should you want to since conflict sometimes produces positive outcomes; conflict can produce changes that may be beneficial to the organization’s operations. The team leader’s job is to resolve conflict.
Sources of Team Member Conflict
There are two major sources of conflict on the job. One is the work itself: what should be done, how should it be done, who should do it, when, and even where. The other is people: their competitive and conflicting personalities, values, perceptions, goals, needs, and interests.
Work related conflicts usually arise from differences between groups or individuals over things like workflow between separate functions, uneven distribution of tasks, allocation of resources, and conflicting priorities.
People-related conflicts develop from personal differences: individual career goals, differences in perception of the job, and differences in background and training.
Conflicts can grow out of the natural evolution of an organization. As job activities change, individuals interfere with existing work structures, and some conflicts are bound to rise. These conflicts are often necessary to the group as a whole. As a team leader, you need to recognize and control the negative byproducts of conflict while letting its positive aspects improve your organization.
On-the-Job Conflicts Cannot Be Ignored
No one is born knowing how to resolve conflicts, and many of us have never had to learn. We ignore or avoid conflicts, assuming that they will go away eventually. When left unresolved, conflict can lead to serious problems on the job.
Conflict is a major barrier to effective cooperation, which is what most organizations need to function properly. Conflict is a major source of stress for team members and managers, and stress can seriously interfere with the effectiveness and efficiency of operations.
So conflicts must be resolved, and team leaders must resolve team member conflicts. It’s also true that the sooner most conflicts are resolved, the better.
Skills for Dealing With Conflicts
Some team leaders deal with conflicts by imposing a solution from above. Although the solution may work initially, this approach does not resolve the underlying problem and, in the long run, is ineffective. The skills that each team leader should learn should be based on a cooperative approach to long-term resolution of conflicts. They are effective in minimizing the negative aspects of conflict on the job.
As a team leader, you need to distinguish between two major sources of conflict on the job: personality (conflicting values, needs, and interests) and work structure (who should do what, how, and when).
What is the Best Way to Resolve Conflicts?
First, take an impartial position and treat each party to the conflict in an equal manner.
Second, try for a resolution that will not be at the expense of either party.
Third, determine whether the conflict is basically the result of the way the work is structured or is due to the personalities of the two team members.
Fourth, try to get a resolution from the team members themselves. Imposing a resolution by knocking heads may mask a conflict but will not resolve it; this may simply create new and even more serious problems.
Conclusion
Conflict is a symptom of a problem, and problems need to be solved. Team leaders need to confront conflicts as soon as they arise. Managers and team leaders should be educated on new techniques for dealing with conflicts effectively. Being able to do so will make a big difference in how well you manage your team members and the operation of your organization.
For more information on this subject and many others management related subject, please contact us. Let the Hall Training Group provide you with the training that will improve performance.
We hope you've enjoyed reading about the tips for dealing with conflicts. As always, if you have any suggestions as how we might improve this tip memo or if there is a particular area of interest that you have, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Walter F. Hall
President
The Hall HR Consulting & Training Group