If you work in a management role, you’ve likely been faced with situations in which you’ve had to manage and resolve internal conflicts. While many people excel in management, disciplining employees doesn’t always come naturally to everyone. However, when workplace conflicts inevitably arise, it’s essential to master the art of conflict resolution in a way that improves your overall culture and allows your team to prosper. Here are a few of the most effective strategies to consider for resolving workplace conflicts:
Schedule a one-on-one meeting.
First and foremost, regardless of the nature of a conflict, employees deserve to receive respect from their managers when being disciplined. Before confronting an employee or conversing about an issue publicly, schedule a time to meet privately to discuss the situation on a one-on-one level. Providing a safe space for every employee to share their perspectives and discuss their concerns will allow for conflicts to be resolved in a way that’s fair and beneficial for all parties involved.
Focus on growth and learning.
There’s great value in using conflicts as growth and learning tools to elevate your company culture and enhance morale. Providing constructive criticism and helping employees understand what skills they need to improve upon can have tremendously impactful effects on their performance moving forward. This may mean working with an employee on achieving better self-awareness or teaching them how to communicate differently in the workplace. Using conflicts as opportunities for employees to invest in themselves can ultimately be one of the best outcomes of conflict resolution.
Keep a comprehensive record.
Over the course of several months and years, it’s normal for a variety of conflicts or contentious circumstances to take place among employees. It’s essential to keep an accurate record of conflicts and the exact steps that were taken to resolve them among staff. This includes recording how your employees reacted and handled themselves, as well as how performance was improved (if applicable) following the conflict. By logging conversations and interactions, you’ll be able to reflect on prior situations and provide better feedback to employees during their performance reviews.
With these strategies, you’ll create a workplace in which all employees feel empowered to learn from their mistakes and grow as professionals.
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Until Next Time,
Your Staffing Partner, Darrin Rohr- President, CEO, and Chief Servant
Current owner of HH Staffing and Former Chief HR Officer for several successful Multinational Fortune 500 Companies. Brings a fresh perspective from decades of experience creating Great Workplace Cultures by building high-performance teams while leading and managing people from all different backgrounds. HH Staffing is headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, and is uniquely positioned to serve both local and national clients.
