Most leaders think conflict is wrong—they avoid it and are uncomfortable with it. When they learn about a conflict within their teams, they may dismiss it or say, “Take it offline.”
What’s crucial to realize is that conflict is a part of our personal and professional lives. With an increasingly diverse workforce spanning multiple generations, genders, races, and cultures, facing team conflict is inevitable.
But what exactly is team conflict?
It’s defined as the clash of ideas, opinions, or personalities within a group of individuals working together. It can manifest in various forms, such as disputes over task deadlines, disagreements about work processes, or friction because of personal ethics.
According to a Conflict at Work report , managers spend over 4 hours a week managing and resolving workplace conflicts. Talk about losing productivity across the workforce.
So, whether you’re a frontline manager or in the C-suite, understanding how to manage conflict effectively is essential for personnel and organizational success.
This blog post walks you through workplace conflicts and uncovers various communication strategies and conflict management skills necessary for a successful resolution.
Different Types of Team Conflict
The adverse effects of a team conflict result in work disruptions, project failures, decreased productivity, and low team morale, which is why ignoring conflicts isn’t advised. The common types of conflict at work include:
1. Conflicting work habits
Every employee has a different working style. While most prefer collaborating with teammates and working as a group, some might like doing their job alone.
Some employees are punctual and finish their tasks on time, whereas others wait until the last minute to get started. Such differences can cause friction in team dynamics , especially when there’s a time-bound common goal to achieve.
2. Personality clashes
Have you ever wondered why you don’t enjoy working with some people, no matter how hard you try? You don’t like them and often physically distance yourself from them. Personality is the combination of qualities or characteristics that form an individual’s distinctive character.
Clashes because of this are widespread in the workplace and happen when two or more employees have incompatible attitudes, socio-economic backgrounds, or life outlooks.
3. Poor communication
Communication issues occur when there’s a discrepancy between what’s heard or said, whether between teammates, an employee, or a manager. For example, you may set a deadline for your team to turn in monthly reports on a Friday so you can review and send them further.
However, some employees might think they have time until late at night to meet the deadline, resulting in delayed work. This mismatch of deadlines stems from poor communication.
Sometimes, conflict between employees and managers can arise due to genuine dislike towards each other. This can cause the person to either not follow instructions or not give clear orders, leading to poor communication.
4. Leadership differences
Everyone has their way of leading teams. Some leaders are authoritative, while others encourage open communication and are highly inclusive. Not all leadership styles bode well with each team member.
For example, in manufacturing businesses with high financial and operational risks, a leader who’s relaxed about meeting deadlines might create chaos among employees and impact work performance.
On the other hand, a directive leader heading a marketing agency where open communication is paramount might create a restrictive work environment. This could discourage feedback,
team collaboration
, and creative freedom, reducing morale and lowering work quality.
via
Queens University of Charlotte
5. Bullying and harassment
Despite increasing awareness, discrimination in the workplace based on age, race, religious or political beliefs, disability, and physical characteristics still very much exists.
Teammates or managers harassing or bullying their colleagues or subordinates for these reasons cause conflict and bad vibes.
Best Practices for Resolving Team Conflict
When there’s discord in the workplace, it affects everyone. At the same time, the old saying, “iron sharpens iron,” represents the upside of the situation.
When handled constructively, workplace conflict results in healthy camaraderie, process improvements, and innovation. Use the following five conflict management strategies for better and faster problem-solving at work.
1. Acknowledge the conflict and let your team know
Do you know two teammates who have been squabbling over a particular task for the last few weeks? This problem might die on its own. But it’s time to step up when it doesn’t happen, and you see how it’s affecting project progress and other team members.
Let everyone know you recognize the existence of the disagreement or tension and that this is a problem to be solved collaboratively, not a battle to be won.
2. Identify the underlying issue and practice active listening
Figure out what’s fueling the disagreement between your employees. Are there clashing work styles at play? Are they arguing about a recently onboarded client? Is it a case of workplace harassment or discrimination?
Listen to both parties to get an initial read on what’s at the heart of the matter. Then, meet with both employees separately and ask what’s troubling them, if they have any proof of why they think the other person is at fault, and what could be the best solution to move forward.
You must also remember that both employees could have differentiating perceptions about the conflict. That’s why we treat conflict objectively and do not make assumptions, especially if rumors are circulating.
3. Conduct your investigation and seek win-win solutions
When you’ve heard both sides of the story and made notes about the conflict, investigate the situation yourself. Refrain from making premature judgments based on the initial conversation, and keep your biases out of the picture.
For an objective resolution, review the company policies in your employee handbook. Stick to the common ground rules that every employee is expected to follow at all times so that you can deal with the problem without involving any subjectivity.
For instance, if the handbook advises starting direct communication between the fighting employees, schedule a brief mediation meeting.
Set a clear agenda to address the scheduling conflict and encourage both employees to express their concerns and listen to each other.
If they’ve been arguing over scheduling shifts that overlap with critical project deadlines, the mediation can help them identify a compromise, such as alternating priorities for adjusting the timelines.
Please note that you may not always need a handbook for a resolution and may naturally be able to apply your conflict resolution skills.
4. Document the incident and follow up periodically
Even if both employees have agreed on a solution, there are a few more steps before your work is done. Check with them within a week or two to see how the situation has progressed. This demonstrates you’re invested in overseeing the matter until the end.
It also informs everyone that disagreements within the team will not escalate or be brushed under the carpet. This allows them to take certain precautions and build a more amicable working relationship with their teammates.
More importantly, document the conflict in question. Consider writing down factual information, such as:
- Parties involved in the conflict
- Date, time, and location of the conflict
- Description of the conflict (facts only)
- Witnesses and their accounts
- Any relevant communication leading up to the conflict
- Actions taken by each party during the conflict
- Immediate outcomes of the conflict
- Any resolution attempts made at the time
- Impact of the conflict on workplace operations or morale
- Steps taken by management following the incident
Doing so is vital to providing a factual basis for resolution, ensuring fair treatment of both employees, and protecting against legal liability. It also helps identify patterns, improve workplace policies, and support decision-making for disciplinary actions to avoid future conflicts.
5. Set expectations and be transparent with proactive communication
Building a culture of engaged employees who respect each other and work well together is a priority as a leader. Foster an atmosphere of empathy where everyone feels understood and valued, even when agreements arise.
To do so, you must manage expectations in terms of what you expect from others and what they expect of you. State clearly what you need from your team or vice versa. Paid or free project management software can help significantly in this regard.
ClickUp Project Management Software, for instance, enables easy planning and prioritization and offers visibility into all project details and how they align with company goals.
Manage your organization’s entire workflow on a single platform with ClickUp
Generate subtasks automatically based on task descriptions, summarize comment threads using ClickUp Brain, and write updates autonomously.
Create and collaborate on tasks with ClickUp Docs and share updates with everyone or privately over ClickUp Chat View . That way, you can quickly gain consensus and make progress in your projects with clarity across all teammates.
Use ClickUp Chat to simplify communication with your team
When everything’s out in the open, in one platform, it becomes easier for you and the team to communicate openly and freely, resolving conflicts as they arise, meeting deadlines, and finishing projects quickly.
Role of Organizational Culture in Resolving Conflict
Organizational culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, behaviors, and practices that guide and inform the workforce’s actions.
It influences what behaviors and outcomes are acceptable in a company and defines how employees deal with conflict.
For example, some cultures may support a compromising or bargaining style in which employees make trade-offs to reach common ground. In contrast, others may use an accommodating style in which one party yields to the other party’s demands out of concern.
Organizational culture also indicates what issues or situations are likely to cause a conflict and how they are categorized.
For instance, some cultures may emphasize relationship-oriented conflicts, such as clashes over values or emotions, while others may see disagreements over resources, methods, or competing priorities .
Effects on recruitment and employment
A solid and healthy culture is a company’s execution engine, making it its most valuable asset. This is supported by the fact that 65% of employees consider organizational culture one of the main reasons they stay in their jobs.
Naturally, the recruitment process is a critical opportunity to reinforce or gradually evolve the organizational culture by selecting individuals who either embody its current values or bring desired new perspectives.
Conflict can result from mismatches between the potential employee’s values and those of the company and unclear communication of cultural expectations during hiring.
The Importance of Effective Communication in Managing Team Conflict
Communication in conflict management serves as a preventative measure against escalation and a tool for resolution.
It helps you to compel parties in conflict to clarify misunderstandings, convey their perspectives, and reach a middle ground, resulting in efficient collaboration in the workplace .
Here are the common techniques and tips you can apply to resolve conflicts in your team:
- Encourage all parties to share their perspectives in a structured manner, ensuring every employee has the opportunity to speak without interruption. Set the stage for open dialogue
- Act neutral during discussions, steer the conversation away from blame and towards understanding and resolution. Ask insightful questions, encourage reflection and learning, and help employees consider different perspectives
- Introduce the ‘Interest-Based Relational’ (IBR) approach to conflict resolution, which focuses on separating the people from the problem and working together to find and squish the underlying issue
- Encourage a shift from dwelling on past grievances to brainstorming potential resolutions, evaluating the pros and cons of each, and deciding on a course of action that addresses the needs and concerns of all involved
Leadership Skills in Team Conflict Resolution
Learning to resolve conflicts is essential regardless of your designation at work. As a leader, you’re expected to act as a mediator and facilitate discussions that allow all parties to voice their concerns without fear of retaliation.
You must, therefore, develop and refine a broad set of competencies. Here’s how:
- Be adept at both expressing your thoughts clearly and listening actively to others. Pay attention to what’s being said and how it’s being said, including non-verbal cues such as body language and tone of voice
- Understand and acknowledge team members’ emotions to navigate the complexities of human dynamics. This requires a deep level of self-awareness and your ability to manage your feelings, especially in stressful situations
- Set the tone by treating all team members with dignity, regardless of their opinions or status. Promote diversity of thought and encourage everyone to contribute to discussions
- Periodically attend training programs and workshops to equip yourself with the tools to manage disputes effectively. In addition, seek feedback from peers and mentors in a similar space and keep yourself informed about the latest research and theories that provide valuable insights and strategies for dealing with team disputes
Team Conflict is Natural, So Must be Your Resolution as a Manager/Team Leader
No one enjoys the tension and discomfort that arise when teammates clash. Such conflicts undermine productivity, degrade work quality, and stress daily office life.
Ultimately, your dedication to resolving conflicts plays a pivotal role. Team disputes will only persist with active intervention from managers or team leaders and a genuine interest in cultivating a harmonious environment.
The key is to roll up your sleeves and adopt an amicable and practical approach to conflict resolution.
Moreover, utilizing ClickUp’s communication plan templates and remote collaboration tools can be instrumental in maintaining alignment and preventing misunderstandings related to work tasks. Get started with ClickUp . Sign up for free and minimize the potential for team conflict.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do you resolve conflict in a team?
As a leader, you can effectively resolve conflict by following five steps:
- Acknowledge there’s friction between a few of your employees, harming team morale
- Take time to find out exactly what’s happening and bring the involved parties to discuss it
- Decide on a solution that works for them and implement it
- Follow up periodically to ensure the same conflicts don’t arise again, and the team can move forward from them
2. What are the five conflict resolution strategies?
The five conflict resolution strategies include:
- Accommodating when one party gives in to the wishes of another
- Avoiding, when people ignore or withdraw from a conflict entirely
- Compromising, which helps find a solution that works for the best interest of the team and doesn’t favor anyone in particular
- Collaborating, which means working with others towards a mutually agreeable solution
- Competing, when winning the argument, is the prime goal for one of the parties involved
3. What’s the best conflict management tool?
ClickUp’s project management software keeps teams on the same page, enabling them to work towards the same goal without friction. When there’s robust team communication, and you have a tool to manage what everyone’s doing, conflicts are kept at bay, or occurrences are minimized significantly.