When you are in a management or leadership position, managing conflict between employees is crucial to your team’s success. If it is not done properly, then you can end up escalating the issue. Or, if you choose to do nothing then the issue will not have closure which could affect the performance of your team. You should always use the following best practices when you manage conflict between employees.
Attend to Conflict Quickly
You should do your best to begin managing conflict as quickly as you can when you see or hear about a conflict on your team. That way, the event or situation will be fresh in everyone’s minds and you are not letting the situation fester which can create a toxic work environment.
Mediate a Discussion
The conflict needs to be addressed by everybody involved and the best way to handle that is through a mediated discussion. You need to understand the conflict from all sides so that you are able to set a resolution. During the discussion, you need to allow everybody involved equal time to present their case. That way, everyone will feel heard and no matter what the resolution is, your employees will know that their opinions are valued.
Do Not Avoid It
It is your job as a manager to make sure that you are managing conflict and not ignoring it. If you avoid conflict, the problem will continue to cause more problems on your team. Your employees may also see your avoidance as weak management and they will not feel confident in your skills as a leader.
Do Not Aim to Please Everyone
Sometimes when you are managing conflict there is a resolution that is amiable to everyone on your team. But more often than not, the resolution will displease someone when they do not get their way. You should select the best resolution for the conflict at hand, do not select a resolution just because it will please everyone.
