Resolve Workplace Issues More Effectively with Conflict Management
While you can’t avoid conflict, you can prepare for it and mitigate the risks. If you’re concerned about the impact future conflicts could have on your organization, a conflict management expert can help you put strategies in place to maintain efficiency and protect the business.
What is Conflict Management?
Conflict management involves identifying current or potential issues and using a number of strategies to resolve the problem fairly, so that the best possible outcome is achieved. By using conflict management techniques, organizations mitigate negative aspects of a particular issue or situation, quickly remedy the problem, and ensure quicker business continuity.
There are generally five conflict management styles that organizations can use to resolve problems that may arise. Each style has its merits, with some styles being better suited to certain issues than others.
- Accommodating: Putting aside your own objectives, goals, and desires to accommodate someone else’s needs.
- Avoiding: Ignoring the issue. You don’t help the other party achieve their objectives, nor do you actively pursue your own.
- Collaborating: Working together with the other party in order to achieve both of your goals. This is also known as a “win-win” scenario.
- Competing: Seeking to achieve your own goals, without assisting the other party and often at the expense of the other party. This is also known as a “win-lose” scenario.
- Compromising: Working together with the other party while making sacrifices in order to achieve a result that both of you find satisfactory, although likely not ideal. This is also known as a “lose-lose” scenario.
What are the Benefits of Practicing Effective Conflict Management?
A good conflict management plan can positively impact a number of different areas of your organization.
- Improved Collaboration: Destructive conflict is the enemy of collaboration. By using conflict management strategies to resolve issues swiftly, you’ll be able to help your team sustain their momentum to meet organizational commitments.
- Better Productivity & Decision Quality: By reducing destructive conflict in the workplace, you’ll be creating a more positive company environment. More inviting environments with effective conflict management also lead to higher levels of employee engagement, innovation, and performance. When your team feels more comfortable pressure testing issues, it can lead to better decision quality and organizational output.
- Increased Employee Retention: Employees want to work in a positive, harmonious environment. By integrating effective conflict management practices, you’ll be one step closer to becoming an employer of choice.
- Risk Management: In extreme cases, conflict can lead to situations that might negatively impact public perception of your organization or brand. Conflict management can help you mitigate this risk and protect your business against legal actions and bad publicity.
inclineHR Conflict Management Services
Our team of conflict management experts are passionate about helping organizations deal with potential contentious issues in a productive and efficient manner. We’ll work with you to develop strategies that fit your needs and ensure that destructive conflict isn’t part of your workplace.
Our conflict management services include:
- Outcome-Based Problem Solving and Mediation: Our team will go on a fact-finding mission with all relevant parties to better understand where communications broke down. Based on our critical findings, we’ll offer recommended solutions that work for all parties involved.
- Facilitated Dialogues: We’ll work with all relevant parties to try to create the most optimal scenario possible, that is, where all sides get what they need along with some of the things that they want. All parties will leave the meeting with a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, along with clear success metrics to ensure sustainable and final issue resolution.
Contact Us for a Consultation
Would you like to learn more about our conflict management services? Our team would be happy to speak to you. Please contact us and one of our HR professionals will be in touch with you shortly.