Kashbox Coach Note: Executive Coaching
One thing is certain: there will be conflict when people are put together in working groups. As a leader, it’s not a question of whether you will face employee conflict; it’s a matter of when. Conflict is a natural occurrence in human interaction that leaders should expect and be prepared for.
As business strategist Glenn Llopis advises in the Forbes article, 4 Ways Leaders Effectively Manage Conflict, leaders who fail to address conflict within their staff experience varying levels of disruption, disunity, lowered morale and diminished productivity. Resolving conflict effectively and positively is one of leadership’s most misunderstood and often avoided aspects.
With a dual approach to conflict, where measures are taken to minimize conflict triggers and mitigate conflict once it becomes apparent, everyone benefits. Executive coaching equips leaders with the habits needed to become great leaders.
Preventing Causes of Conflict
Leaders can best maintain a unified environment by understanding what conditions cause conflict and implementing management practices that avoid those conditions.
Conflict can be briefly defined as opposition put into action. The most common way opposition surfaces is in written form. Email and memo wars are prevalent, where chains of conflict can take on a life of their own, dragging bystanders down with them.
Conflict also takes on a verbal form, where arguments disrupt the work of those arguing but interfere with the work of everyone within earshot.
Lastly, and most harmful, are physical conflicts. Physical combatants require immediate action per law and your company’s disciplinary policies.
A major cause of conflict is competition. Many will agree that some level of competition is healthy, but when it interferes with the ability to complete assignments, it becomes a breeding ground for conflict. Competing priorities and action plans are a prime example. Employees may be put in competition for budgets, time, people, or potential rewards. Leaders who can level the priority and resource playing field demonstrate that people are the priority. When they accommodate the team’s overall needs as amiably as possible, they avoid unmerited competition and the following conflict.
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Another cause of employee conflict is poor communication. Conflict will surely appear if people don’t feel informed or are unsure of what is expected. Speculation and rumors create uncertainty, which can trigger anxiety and elevate conflict. A culture of communication and transparency minimizes information gaps. Make it your policy to keep people informed and involved in the organization’s activities. Being truthful without holding back bad news will earn your trust and greatly minimize conflict.
Unfair treatment and/or lack of equal opportunities are another cause for conflict between coworkers. When people believe they’re left out, unappreciated, or unimportant, it creates resentment, rivalries, and conflict. Leaders with awareness and engagement skills refined with executive coaching create a supportive, understanding, and inclusive work environment with equal treatment and consideration that prevents the kind of insecurities that can breed conflict.
The Proper Conflict Resolution Approach
When working with opposing points of view, there are several potential outcomes, but only one is beneficial for all:
- If you concede to one party, the imbalance will make the short life of any peace you establish. This kind of peace is likely in appearance only.
- If you avoid the issues and mandate a resolution, everyone loses. The result may be a conflict worse than the original, and your efforts will fare worse than doing nothing.
- Requiring the parties to compete for a win also creates a worse scenario in the long run, inflaming the conflict.
- If the parties compromise, which is a partial concession, the peace may last a while, but compromises are soon resented. The conflict typically ends up where it started, this time with an additional issue.
- The most effective approach is collaborating and coming to a resolution where both sides feel they are winning. If both sides can agree to make similar adjustments or concessions, they will feel they are cooperating and succeeding. The solution is found in the middle ground, where both sides approach it and meet.
As a leader, your role is to facilitate a civil collaboration and resolve the conflict with the most agreeable solution. This is a significant skill that many leaders haven’t developed. The power of conflict resolution is not to decree a fix but to guide both parties to devise a solution they can live with. Llopis suggests the leader be proactive and intentional. These approaches establish you as a trusted executive coach, mediator, and advocate for each side.
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An Effective Conflict Resolution Process
As a facilitator in employee conflict resolution, it’s the leader’s job to guide the process by using effective steps that people will understand and follow:
- Resolving conflict is a private matter between the opposing employees and their leader. The leader conducts a personal encounter to help each person take away value and agreement.
- The leader affirms the values and principles everyone in the organization strives for, including teamwork, cooperation, and fairness.
- A mediation process is used to hear each side, value their perspectives, and help each party understand the other’s viewpoint.
- The leader guides each participant to offer viable solutions. The suggestions are reviewed, modified, and discussed until an agreement can be reached. This is generally not as difficult as it may appear. Solutions are often simple, but people in conflict don’t see them without help.
- The parties are led into an implementation and follow-up process where progress can be monitored and reviewed. This is a critical time for strong leadership support.
Leaders with softer skills will have the most success in conflict resolution. Empathy, authenticity, and active listening are critical in developing trust in you and the process. Qualified executive coaching programs can be a great resource for helping you hone and apply these skills.
Creator of the KASHBOX: Knowledge, Attitude, Skills, Habits
Helping You Realize Your Potential
I help people discover their potential, expand and develop the skills and attitudes necessary to achieve a higher degree of personal and professional success and create a plan that enables them to balance the profit motives of their business with the personal motives of their lives.
