Conflict Resolution in Management
Conflict is an inevitable element of the workplace as differing opinions, interests, and values often lead to clashes. While conflict might initially appear disruptive, it can be a catalyst for growth and positive change when managed effectively.
Conflict resolution is a process, whether informal or formal, used by parties engaged in a dispute to seek a resolution.
The approach that employees and managers within an organization take in resolving conflicts has far-reaching implications for productivity, team dynamics, and ultimately, their bottom line.
In this article we will discuss:
4 Common Pitfalls of Conflict Resolution
Here are the most common mistakes that employees and managers make when trying to resolve disputes:
Mistake #1: Conflict avoidance
Leadership is about doing things that most people don’t want to do. Sweeping the issue under the rug, hoping that it will disappear will only escalate the issue, making conflict resolution more critical.
Avoidance only exacerbates the costs of workplace conflict. It intensifies the issue, fosters resentment, and leads to poor performance, reduced productivity, disengagement, and other negative outcomes.
As a leader, you are responsible for creating a healthy work environment where individuals feel safe to engage in conflict resolution.
Mistake #2: Assigning blame
Pointing fingers creates barriers with the other party, causing them to shut down and preventing productive resolution efforts.
Mistake #3: Unwillingness to make sacrifices
Resolving conflicts is not just about being right. The situation may impact those beyond yourself and at times you have to compromise if that is the better solution for all parties.
Mistake #4: Finding a solution too quickly
Many rush to find a solution without understanding the full extent of the issue and the needs or goals of the parties. This may be due to time or resource constraints, but it will lead to a poor outcome where the conflict will persist.
Instead, managers should facilitate discussions, identify the true pain points, and explore multiple options to achieve a mutually beneficial agreement.
Well-Known Cases of Poor Conflict Resolution
The pitfalls of bad conflict resolution have been shown time and time throughout history. Here are cases of conflicts that have gone sourly and positions you don’t want to be in.
The Hand Hygiene Dilemma
A Hungarian doctor, Ignaz Semmelweis, worked at a hospital’s maternity clinic during the 19th century. Strangely, he noticed that in a ward where only male doctors and medical students worked, new mothers were dying from childbed fever.
Dr. Semmelweis discovered that this was due to the fact that after performing autopsies, these male doctors did not wash their hands before attending to the maternity ward. He strongly advocated for the implementation of handwashing with chlorine solutions to prevent these tragic deaths.
Dr. Semmelweis’ theory proved to be successful as the mortality rate in the ward decreased after staff started sanitizing their hands. Despite this evidence, his theory was rejected by the hospital and the medical community, mainly because it blamed doctors for their patients’ deaths.
Handwashing eventually became a regular procedure a decade later. However, had there been a successful collaboration and acceptance of Semmelweis's ideas, it could have been adopted much earlier, potentially saving many lives.
The Family Feud: Adidas vs. Puma
Two German brothers, Rudolf and Adolf Dassler established the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory together in 1920. As they lived during the period of World War II, they frequently hid out in bomb shelters during bomb raids.
During one such raid, Adolf sought safety with the family in the shelters and muttered the words, "Here are the bloody bastards again," referring to the approaching bombers.
Rudolf misinterpreted this, believing his brother referred to him negatively, and nothing could persuade him otherwise. This misunderstanding led to a significant strain on the brothers' relationship, and after the war, they chose to pursue separate paths, each founding their independent businesses.
Adolf established "Adi", which later became Adidas. Rudolf founded "Ruda", which evolved into Puma. These world-wide businesses were born from a simple family dispute.
Remote Work Environments Can Increase Friction
Working at a distance increases the chances of misunderstandings, ultimately fueling conflicts. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 81 percent of remote professionals have experienced workplace conflict. By working remotely, it is more difficult to rely on body language cues and develop relationships with coworkers.
For instance, you might find yourself questioning why a coworker hasn't responded to your request:
In an office setting, that colleague might spot you at your desk and promptly clarify their situation.
In remote work, these critical impromptu conversations become trickier, and there's less visibility into your colleague's ongoing tasks.
As such, a remote work environment often requires team members to overcommunicate to prevent misunderstandings.
Managers can consider implementing virtual office hours that allow employees to drop in and engage in conversations, mimicking the spontaneous interactions of a physical office.
4 Benefits of Effective Mediation
Having employees who possess the skill to strategically resolve conflicts offers numerous advantages for an organization's success.
Here are the reasons why great managers study conflict resolution:
Increased Engagement
According to a Gallup study, highly engaged teams experience 21% higher profitability.
Equipping employees with conflict management skills empowers them to navigate disputes with confidence and composure, thereby reducing stress.
This helps to increase trust and mutual respect among team members, fostering a healthy work environment that bolsters engagement.
2. Improved Relationships
Successfully resolving conflicts leads to healthier and stronger relationships. It paves the way for stronger teamwork and collaboration, as team members feel comfortable raising concerns, knowing they will be addressed with due respect.
Research from Deloitte indicates that high-performing teams directly address conflicts with transparency to sustain strong, long-term working relationships.
3. Informed Decision-Making
Addressing disputes involves multiple parties with varying viewpoints and interests expressing their perspective and concerns. This diversity of viewpoints can be a valuable source of information for decision-makers.
A study examining the conflict management styles of 11 teams from two prominent U.S. organizations reinforces the idea. The study found that groups that embraced more cooperative management styles made more effective decisions compared to groups that relied on confrontation and avoidance styles.
4. Innovation and Creativity
In a culture that values open communication and conflict resolution, employees are more inclined to share new ideas even if they challenge existing processes.
This kind of environment fosters a culture of increased innovation and creativity, positioning the organization for continual growth and adaptability.
There is more discussion about how workplaces can reduce conflict and increase innovation. In a study involving 5,000 employees from 9 different countries, it was found that the average weekly hours spent on workplace conflict ranged from 0.9 to 3.3 hours, resulting in $359 billion in lost time within the United States alone.
The Role of Leadership in Conflict Management
Leaders play a pivotal role in conflict resolution within an organization or team. Their actions and decisions can significantly impact the outcome of conflicts and the overall work environment.
Here are the different ways that leadership can improve conflict resolution in the workplace.
Maintain fairness
Leaders have an ethical responsibility to maintain fairness with their employees. By ensuring that conflict resolution processes are fair and consistent, team members will be more willing to accept the outcomes.
There are 3 dimensions of fairness to uphold:
Legitimate expectations
Employees come to expect certain treatment from the organization based on past experiences, including established practices they anticipate to continue.
Procedural fairness
Managers must resolve issues in an impartial and consistent manner, following established guidelines.
Distributive fairness
The organization should equitably allocate opportunities and benefits, such as bonuses or promotions, to reduce conflicts stemming from perceived inequities based on merit.
Set clear expectations and guidelines
Leaders should clearly communicate their expectations when conflicts arise and provide guidelines on how to manage them effectively. Having clear procedures for handling disagreements will prevent conflicts from escalating into more significant problems.
Here is a simple guideline to offer to employees:
Identify the root issue
Evaluate the core causes of the conflict, as it often delves deeper than the presented surface issues.
Understand the other party’s perspective
To find a solution, it’s essential to know what the opposing party wants as a resolution.
Choose a strategy
There are various conflict resolution styles that can be used based on the situation. We will do a deep dive into these in the following section. With the chosen strategy, find a solution that both parties are comfortable proceeding with.
Follow up
After implementing the solution, monitor its effectiveness in resolving the conflict. If it falls short of achieving the desired results, take the opportunity to analyze which aspect of the resolution process may require adjustments and make the necessary changes accordingly.
Create a diverse and inclusive culture
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) play an important role in managing conflict resolution, including:
Reduced bias and discrimination
DEI efforts strive to eliminate bias, discrimination, and microaggressions within the workplace. By addressing and reducing these issues, organizations create a more inclusive and equitable environment, resulting in fewer conflicts rooted in bias or discrimination. When such conflicts do arise, proactive management is better equipped to address them.
Consider engaging a DEI consultant to understand which DEI areas your organization can improve on and what needs to be done to close the gap.
Inclusive conflict resolution process
Employees who believe their voices are heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform at their best.
This highlights the need for organizations to design conflict resolution procedures that are inclusive, culturally sensitive, and equitable.
Inclusive leadership ensures that employees feel supported in addressing conflicts, regardless of their background.
Increased trust
If management is actively committed to DEI, employees are more likely to trust that their situation will be handled with their best interests in mind. This promotes a more effective and efficient conflict resolution process.
The Most Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies
Strategy #1: Accommodate
Accommodation involves one party conceding to the preferences of the other party. This may seem counterintuitive, but it is useful in situations where you do not have a strong stance on the matter in question and can adopt the proposed strategy to resolve the issue. This approach also offers a short-term solution while progressing toward a long-term goal.
For example, say two coworkers are in a dispute about the allocation of office space. One coworker may be willing to be accommodating and give up their preferred office space after hearing about their coworker’s reasoning for needing that particular office. This strategy avoids escalating the conflict and promotes cooperation.
Strategy #2: Compromise and negotiate
This strategy aims to reach a mutual agreement, where both parties compromise on certain conditions to reach a solution. It results in a “win-some, lose-some” approach allowing both parties to achieve some of their objectives, though not all. This is useful if you need a quick resolution or when the conflict is not complex.
To effectively utilize this method, you need to draw from negotiating skills. It's vital to explore the motivations of the involved parties, which may include a desire to settle a dispute without negatively impacting their reputation. Understanding these motivations informs your approach, indicating which factors can be conceded for their benefit and which are non-negotiable.
For example, compromise can be seen when colleagues find themselves in a conflict over the office temperature, with one preferring a warmer environment and the other desiring a cooler one. Ultimately, they reach a consensus to set the thermostat at a temperature that falls between their respective preferences. This solution doesn't entirely favor one person's wishes but instead seeks a middle ground that both parties can mutually accept.
Preparation should also include determining your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). Conflict resolution meetings don't always go as planned, and BATNA represents what you'll do if an agreement cannot be reached. Common BATNAs include escalating the issue to HR or involving a third party, such as a mediator or arbitrator, to facilitate a resolution.
Strategy #3: Mediate
Mediation is to have a neutral third party help reach a consensus among the conflicting parties. The mediator does not impose a solution but guides the individuals in identifying a mutually agreeable resolution.
For example, during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, communication and mediation between U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev helped prevent a nuclear conflict. During this tense Cold War standoff, the acting Secretary General of the United Nations, U Thant, was a behind-the-scenes and rarely mentioned mediator between the two nations.
Strategy #4: Arbitrate
Arbitration, similar to mediation, involves third-party intervention. In this process, a neutral third party acts as a judge who listens to the arguments presented by each side and makes a final, non-appealable decision.
For example, suppose two employees are in a dispute regarding the allocation of tasks within their team. Unable to reach a consensus, they involve their manager as an arbitrator. The manager listens to both sides of the argument and ultimately decides on the allocation of tasks. Both parties agree to follow the manager's decision, effectively resolving their conflict through arbitration.
Strategy #5: Collaborate
Collaboration requires all parties to work together to find a solution that aligns with everyone's interests and needs. In this approach, the environment promotes open communication and brainstorming to generate potential solutions, resulting in a "win-win" scenario.
Collaboration is suitable for deeply rooted conflicts where a more sustainable resolution is essential, and maintaining positive relationships is important. However, it can be time-consuming and may not be necessary for smaller conflicts.
For example, this strategy is commonly used among team members who have different ideas about how to approach a project task. Instead of trying to win the argument or compromise, they schedule a meeting where they openly discuss their ideas and concerns.
During the discussion, they find common ground and identify ways to combine elements of both their approaches. They work together to create a new, innovative project plan that leverages their collective strengths and addresses both of their concerns. In the end, their collaboration leads to a successful project outcome and strengthens their working relationship.
Creative Team Exercises for Conflict Resolution Workshops
As a preventative measure, managers should consider implementing organization-wide conflict resolution training featuring engaging activities to increase participation.
Design thinking workshops
These workshops would focus on leveraging design thinking principles to address conflicts. Team members would be presented with a typical workplace conflict scenario, such as a dispute over resource allocation due to limited resources and competing priorities among different teams.
The team will be split up into two opposing sides and work to brainstorm solutions following the 5 design principles of empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of what each step entails:
Empathize: Start by understanding the perspectives, needs, and goals of all the involved parties. This will help identify the pain points of each stakeholder and the root causes of their concerns regarding resource allocation.
Define: Based on the insights gained through empathy, create a clear problem statement that specifies the core issues in the conflict.
Ideate: With the opposing side, brainstorm potential solutions using techniques like mind mapping to generate a wide range of ideas.
Prototype: From the list of ideas generated during ideation, identify the most promising solutions. Then, develop prototypes or visual representations of these solutions, such as mock resource allocation plans or simulations, to illustrate how they would work in practice.
Test: As this is a simulation, the prototype cannot be implemented, but the team can discuss how they would pilot the solutions and gather feedback to identify any potential issues.
Role reversal
Using the same conflict scenario, ask team members to switch roles. This change offers a fresh perspective on their colleagues' challenges, leading to better understanding and empathy.
Observing whether the solutions remain the same or differ from the initial approach can be particularly insightful.
Outdoor team-building activities
Outdoor team-building activities can be highly effective for conflict resolution workshops. These activities provide a change of environment, encourage teamwork, and offer opportunities for team members to develop communication and problem-solving skills.
Scavenger hunt
Provide a list of clues or riddles for teams to solve as they search for items. This fun activity promotes problem-solving and teamwork.
Art and sculpture challenge
Offer materials like clay, sticks, and rocks for teams to create outdoor sculptures. Consider awarding a team prize, such as a paid lunch, as an incentive. This creative outlet encourages communication and collaboration.
Choose your own adventure stories
These are narratives where individuals can influence the outcome by choosing the next action at pivotal points in the story. Completing the story as a group necessitates discussion of choices and agreement on actions, strengthening compromise and negotiation skills. This can be done around a campfire, providing an ideal ending for the day.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, when effectively managed, conflicts facilitate communication, build trust, and create an environment where differences become strengths.
By embracing the strategies we discussed, organizations empower their employees to navigate challenges with resilience ultimately leading to a more cohesive workplace.