Managing Employee Conflict

Conflict in itself is neither good nor bad, it is just conflict. It is how people handle the conflict that will determine if it leads to a positive or negative outcome. Conflict is bound to happen at work. We have our own ideas and personalities that play into our everyday encounters with our co-workers, and at times they may conflict.

There are advantages of conflict. Without it, nothing would change.  If you are dissatisfied with an employee’s progress, there will not be a chance to fix the issues and create a positive change unless you tell them.

Here are three advantages to conflict:

1. Conflict can help us grow. We learn about what others like or do not like and we can develop different ways to do and look at situations.

2. Conflict makes life more interesting. How boring would life be if we all thought the same way? When someone at work disagrees with you on how to do something or thinks they have a better way, it can be very interesting, if you let it be. When everyone in the group always agrees on everything, how much fun is that?

3. Conflict strengthens relationships.  Working through disagreements and coming out on the other side draws people closer.  Their respect for each other strengthens and they know they can withstand disagreements. They also know that next time they have a conflict, they have history to draw on to get through the conflict easier.

Conflict is a natural part of working together as humans, and working through conflict not only makes our relationships stronger but also our workplace better. By understanding this, conflict does not seem as bad as we always think of it.  It is actually an opportunity to grow our work relationships.