Fight or Flight…
Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
Conflict is an normal element of human interactions and arises from time to time in every group or organisation. What is not normal however is how conflicts are often manged, or should I say mis-managed. In today’s workplace, characterised by its fast pace, time constraints, deadlines, and diverse personalities, conflicts can easily emerge and escalate without proper management. And the challenges for leaders associated with managing conflict are heightened by the growth in remote working, or by the fact that some people today seem to take offence at every little perceived slight they encounter.
There are several high-profile instances of internal conflicts spiraling into public attention, underscoring the need for effective conflict resolution:
In 2018, Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, and board member Martin Tripp became entangled in a public feud, spotlighting corporate governance, leadership dynamics, and communication challenges within the company.
Uber faced another conflict in 2017, involving former CEO Travis Kalanick and Benchmark Capital, highlighting issues of control and leadership.
Microsoft's internal conflict in 2018, between its Chief People Officer and the head of human resources, underscored leadership dynamics and cultural challenges.
While these instances might differ in scale from what you may face every day, they emphasise the importance of recognising, addressing, and resolving conflicts at the earliest opportunity to maintain a constructive work environment and cultivate positive relationships among your team members. Unresolved conflict generally escalates over time.
In this article, I’ll provide some general guidance for effective conflict resolution at work. I’ll first examine the relationship between constructive and destructive conflict. Then, I'll discuss different conflict resolution styles along with the significance of timely conflict recognition and resolution. We’ll move on to explore practical techniques for handling conflicts involving you directly, as well as conflicts between team members and as part of that I’ll highlight the pivotal role of assertiveness in helping you to deal with any conflict you encounter.
Constructive vs. Destructive Conflict
It's important to begin by emphasising that not all conflicts are harmful. In fact, conflict can be constructive and yield positive outcomes such as enhanced creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. Research reveals that constructive conflicts, characterised by respectful communication, willingness to consider diverse perspectives, and an emphasis on finding solutions, can foster team development and bolster performance. For instance, Amason's study [1] explored the influence of functional and dysfunctional conflict on strategic decision-making in top management teams. It discovered that functional conflict, involving constructive resolution of differences, positively impacted decision-making. Open communication, attentive listening, and collaborative problem-solving led to increased creativity, innovation, and enhanced team performance.
Similarly, Jehn's research [2] focused on intragroup conflict's pros and cons. Constructive management of conflicts, with a focus on solutions, correlated with favorable outcomes like increased creativity and improved decision-making.
These studies spotlight the benefits of constructive conflict – fostering open communication, empathy, and solution-seeking – in enhancing team performance. Conversely, destructive conflicts, featuring aggression, personal attacks, and an unwillingness to find common ground, can negatively impact team dynamics and organisational culture to the point where the environment at work becomes toxic.
Conflict Management Styles
Several models offer guidance on managing various conflict styles. Rahim's 2002 model [3] identifies five styles: Integrating, Obliging, Dominating, Avoiding, and Compromising.
Integrating involves cooperation to find solutions that satisfy all parties. The ‘win-win’ approach if you like.
Obliging accommodates others' needs and concerns.
Dominating involves pursuing personal interests without regard for others.
Avoiding means withdrawing from the conflict.
Compromising seeks middle ground.
Other models describe the styles as competing, avoiding, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating.
Research emphasises that your choice of conflict management style impacts outcomes. For example, constructive styles, such as Integrating and Collaborating, favor open communication and teamwork, enhancing performance and job satisfaction. Destructive styles, like Dominating and Competing, harm trust and job satisfaction. Avoiding conflict usually does not resolve underlying issues, and Accommodating/Compromising styles are only beneficial in limited circumstances. Often compromise is the route taken but as a leader, you may not always be in a position to compromise.
As a leader, understanding and applying these styles is vital. Think about your default reactions to conflict and try to build your flexibility in applying a wider variety of positive styles in future. It is worth your investment to improve in this area because conflict resolution is a pivotal skill for leaders. Employing the ‘Win-Win model’ should always be your starting point, but of course there will always be conflict situations where you cannot find the ideal solution for whatever reasons - in those circumstances, in getting what you want/need, you should at least ensure that you minimise the damage to the relationships with the others involved. You will do so by being prepared to listen to their concerns, discuss matters openly with them and at least explain why you are unwilling or unable to meet their needs on that occasion. Being ‘constructive’ when handling conflict means trying to protect relationships as best you can, even if the other side are not happy with the outcome.
Importance of Timely Conflict Resolution
Another important point to note is that conflict resolution must not be ignored or long-fingered in the hope it will simply go away; conflicts rarely dissipate on their own, and will usually worsen with time if left unresolved. Attempting to sweep conflict under the carpet, or hoping it will just magically disappear rarely helps and unresolved conflict will ultimately harm morale, productivity, and relationships. It can also affect the entire team as people often feel compelled to ‘take sides’. Prompt action is therefore necessary and as a leader you should have the confidence to step in as soon as you see that the conflict is becoming destructive.
Let’s think about how you will manage various forms of conflict:
Handling Conflicts that Involve You Directly
When directly involved in conflict, you need to manage your emotions and reactions. This means avoiding aggression or passivity; self-control, or assertiveness is essential for rational thinking and solution-finding. The first step is to control your own emotions to the point that you can remain calm and in-control. Then try to address the other party's emotions; set boundaries for what is acceptable but do so in a as non-confrontational a manner as possible. For example, instead of shouting ‘don’t speak to me like that’ … speak calmly, and say something such as ‘I am happy to discuss this with you, but I do not accept you speaking to me in that way.’ Your ability to be assertive will determine how good you are at handling conflict where you are directly involved. Hot heads and people with short fuses usually cause conflict to escalate.
Dealing with Conflicts between Team Members
When the conflict involves others in your team, you need to intervene impartially with a view to mediating them beyond the conflict. In these circumstances you should encourage open communication, provide a safe platform for grievances, and foster active listening between the team members involved. It is important that you keep the focus on the underlying issues at hand, and not the personalities involved. Team members won’t always like each other, but they do have to act and behave in acceptable ways and that includes how they resolve conflicts. Your role as the mediator is to seek root causes and explore solutions collectively. Stay neutral, avoid taking sides, and consider seeking outside support for complex conflicts.
Conclusion
Conflict resolution is an important skills for any leader, one that you’ll develop and master over time. But if you do not build your assertiveness and learn to stay calm and in-control when handling any form of conflict, then you will struggle with conflict resolution. A leader who is easily triggered is usually terrible at managing conflicts and generally tries to dominate their way through every conflict situation. This might make them feel like they are ‘winning’ but it usually just means they are stifling conflict or building up resentment amongst their team members - and that always plays out negatively in the longer term.
Ultimately, conflict resolution requires effective communication or as the Dalai Lama once said: "The only way to resolve any problem in the human world is for all sides to sit down and talk."
Thanks for reading!
References
[1] Amason, A. C. (1996). Distinguishing the effects of functional and dysfunctional conflict on strategic decision making: Resolving a paradox for top management teams. Academy of Management Journal.
[2] Jehn, K. A. (1995). A multimethod examination of the benefits and detriments of intragroup conflict. Administrative Science Quarterly
[3] Rahim, M. A. (2002). Toward a theory of managing organisational conflict. The International Journal of Conflict Management.
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