Proper conflict management techniques are an essential part of building a united team. Conflicts are bound to occur within any team, but it is how you react to them that creates the team dynamic and establishes values. Preventing conflict is equally important.
However, many managers and leaders struggle to reign in conflicts. Often, small disagreements turn into major roadblocks to a team’s success.
This stalls progress and decreases every team member’s enthusiasm, not just those involved in the conflict. Thankfully, leaders can decrease the likelihood and severity of conflict by leveraging their team’s strengths. By using tools like the HIGH5 strengths assessment, leaders can gain valuable insights into each team member’s unique abilities, fostering a more harmonious and productive work environment. Understanding individual strengths allows for better task allocation and communication, naturally reducing potential conflicts.
This article outlines how you can manage conflict and the many benefits of doing so.
What is Conflict Management?
Conflict management involves using skills, tools, and processes to resolve conflicts, disputes, or disagreements respectfully. A key aspect of effective conflict management is understanding the unique strengths of each team member. By utilizing tools like the HIGH5 strengths assessment, managers can gain valuable insights into their team’s dynamics. This strengths-based approach allows leaders to anticipate potential conflicts, leverage complementary strengths for resolution, and create an environment where differences are viewed as assets rather than sources of tension.
Conflict management involves preventing conflicts and decreasing the negative effects of any conflicts that arise.
If managers master conflict management, they can restore team member’s trust in one another, minimize any damage to relationships, boost customer satisfaction, and create favorable business outcomes such as increased revenue.
Managing conflicts does not mean pointing fingers at employees and placing blame on individuals. Rarely, there will be a singular individual at fault for conflict.
Managers must be able to comprehend how conflict starts and who is involved fully. Leaders will have to consider multiple ways to look at one’s traits to see if they have caused conflict or hurt the business.
Questioning the status quo, although often viewed as a negative trait, shows an employee is truly engaged.
Conflict does not always negatively impact businesses and leadership. It can be a sign that employees trust each other enough to debate issues and challenge their colleagues.
They may believe that their fellow employees have the same goals as them, meaning escalating a conflict would not be in anyone’s best interest.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
Leverage your team’s strengths in conflict resolution. Use the results from your HIGH5 strengths assessment to assign roles in conflict discussions. For example, team members with strong analytical skills can help dissect complex issues, while those with high empathy can facilitate understanding between conflicting parties.
5 Examples of Conflict Management Styles
We have covered more in-depth the section on conflict management styles here.
Avoiding style
Avoiding conflict entails ignoring or evading conflict and removing involved parties from the situation. Often, such managers will reassign tasks, pause projects, or recreate deadlines to keep the conflict under control.
This style should be more commonly used in the short term. Cooling down offers a multitude of benefits to all parties and it gives everyone a chance to rethink their next move.
Pros: Cooling down allows individuals to make decisions in a clearer and calmer manner. It allows employees to reconsider how they want to approach conflict. This shows managers have trust in their employees, as this style is more laissez-faire.
Cons: In certain moments, using this strategy makes managers seem incapable of getting involved in disagreements.
Accommodating style
Accolades prioritize the other party’s goals and desires before their own, allowing them to get what they desire even if it means making a sacrifice. Accommodating can be appropriate during certain conflicts.
If you do not care about the issue, believe you may be wrong in your stance, or if fighting for your cause is simply not worthwhile, giving in may be a fair decision.
After all, there are some battles that are just not worth fighting. This style is very cooperative and works well to quickly solve minor conflicts.
Pros: Managers are usually viewed as laid back. Solving small conflicts becomes significantly easier and employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.
Cons: Respect for leaders may decrease, as they could be viewed as weak or easily manipulated. Avoid this strategy when the issue is large and important to you.
Competing style
For those using this strategy, compromise is not an option. In fact, even hearing someone else’s perspective does not occur for competitive conflict managers.
One party is extremely firm in its demands and does not back down unless its desire is fulfilled. In cases where there is a clear moral and immoral way to proceed, this strategy could be used.
Sometimes managers simply do not have time to assess the best conflict management strategy and default to competition. It stops conflicts quickly but simultaneously decreases employee morale.
Pros: Managers can display their power and strength. They will be viewed as people who are invested in their morals. Disputes are quickly solved without deliberation.
Cons: Competitive leaders can be seen as power-hungry or authoritarian. The lack of discussion leads to unhappy and unproductive employees in the long term, and finding the best solutions does not occur without input.
Compromising style
This style focuses on finding common ground by asking both parties to compromise elements of their desires to reach a solution.
Both parties have to give up something to find a way to end the conflict, but at times, small compromises are less important than peace.
The strategy is used when a perfect solution is not necessary or when decisions must be made quickly. Use the strategy rarely to avoid resentment.
Pros: Both parties will understand the other individual’s perspective and solve the issue quickly. The discussion about specific compromises fosters collaboration down the road. Managers who compromise are viewed as hands-on and involved.
Cons: Neither party will be completely happy and satisfied with the interaction. If someone sacrifices too much, they will be less likely to work with the other person in the future. Managers may be viewed as averse to collaboration.
Collaboration style
This is the best style to use long-term, but developing and using it takes the most time and effort. Both parties have their needs met and a solution that satisfies everyone’s desires is found.
This involves the individuals coming together to discuss the conflict and brainstorm a solution together. The strategy is used when the relationship between the parties is valued and when crafting the best solution is critical.
Pros: All parties leave satisfied. A legitimate and effective solution is found through working with both sides. Collaborative managers tend to be viewed as skilled and knowledgeable.
Cons: This is a time-consuming strategy to learn and implement. It can interfere with deadlines. Also, the style is not efficient for small conflicts.
What are Conflict Management Skills?
Conflict management skills include communication, emotional intelligence, empathy, problem-solving, creativity, positivity, stress management, and so on.
It is important for employees and employers to prioritize understanding how to solve conflicts rather than avoiding them entirely. Workers with conflict management skills effectively manage disputes and remain productive.
Outcomes are more positive when employees learn to communicate clearly and respectfully and stand up for their own values while valuing other’s opinions.
If employees wish to impress their manager, learning how to resolve conflict should be a top priority.
Improper communication can lead to a confused and dysfunctional team, leading to disagreements and resentment over time. If conflicts are not addressed, they will simply develop out of control.
How to Deal with Employees Who Don’t Get Along?
Learn how to deal with employees before conflicts occur. Doing so gives you time to develop a strategy for long-term success and minimizes damage to any employee relationships.
View the following tips to see ways to manage employees who do not get along.
Understand the Nature of the Conflict
When conflicts arise, avoid believing rumors or making assumptions. Instead, approach the situation with a strengths-based mindset. Engage directly with the employees involved, using insights from their HIGH5 strengths assessments to guide your conversations. Understanding each individual’s strengths can provide valuable context for the conflict and reveal potential misunderstandings or misalignments in how team members approach their work. This strengths-aware approach not only helps in resolving the current conflict but also in preventing future ones by fostering a culture of appreciation for diverse talents and working styles.
Ensure that the conflict is not based on discrimination. Look at your policies against discrimination and ensure both parties are following them.
If you find the core of the problem deals with one party’s identity, protect that individual and have a serious value conversation with the policy violator. Otherwise, consider how else the conflict may have started.
It could be different work styles or values being pitted against each other, or client demands could be contributing to tension. In either case, find the cause of conflict, address it, and ensure it does not get worse.
Encourage Employees to Work it out Themselves
Most business owners value independence, both for themselves and their employees.
Getting overly involved in the conflict can increase the stress on employees and make you seem as though you favor certain employees over others.
You must create healthy habits with your employees before allowing them to be more independent.
There are a few techniques to help you do this:
- positive reinforcement – rewarding positive behavior
- negative reinforcement – removing negative outcomes after positive behavior,
- negative punishment – removing positive stimulus after negative action,
- positive punishment – presenting negative stimulus after negative behavior.
Using these strategies can help your employees determine what behavior is and what behavior isn’t acceptable in your workplace.
Over time, giving them more independence over conflict will result in less micromanagement but also fewer negative reactions, as they have a strong understanding of your standards.
Listen to Both Sides
Do not worry about staff members who are not involved in the conflict at first. Rather, immediately place your attention on the group of people who are engaged in the fighting.
Have all people share their side of the story, as they will feel acknowledged and you will gather valuable information. Ensure you focus on facts over feelings.
Do not take sides, as this will only make the conflict escalate. You must remain objective.
After both employees share their perspectives, ask them to brainstorm solutions if they are calmer. Otherwise, separating them may be appropriate.
Determine the Real Issue Together
During conflicts, employees often stop reasoning and get overcome by emotions. They are often too angry to truly understand the root cause of their problem.
Managers should calm both parties down and listen. Have a peaceful conversation with both employees.
Sometimes, this means having two separate conversations if the employees are too heated. Once the employees are not so overwhelmed, they can more clearly communicate with you.
Find a Solution
Conflicts are not always awful; in fact, they can be necessary at times. Additionally, you should realize employees simply have to work well enough to finish work (they do not have to love each other).
Teach employees when conflict is and is not appropriate. Reorganize teams if necessary. Give people time to relax if a conversation gets intense or conflict begins.
If conflicts continue to arise, it may be time to reconsider a certain employee’s position. Their values may not align with yours, which causes conflict and brings down the entire team.
Teach Them How to Communicate
Effective communication is crucial for resolving conflicts, and it becomes even more powerful when rooted in a strengths-based approach. Encourage team members to articulate their goals, desires, and willingness to compromise through the lens of their individual strengths, as identified by the HIGH5 assessment. This approach allows for more authentic and constructive dialogue. For instance, a team member with a strength in strategic thinking might communicate their concerns differently than one with a strength in relationship building. By acknowledging and leveraging these differences, you can foster more meaningful conversations that lead to innovative solutions and stronger team bonds.
Lots of disagreements between staff signal it is time for you to teach your team about proper communication.
There are multiple courses you can have employees take or different techniques employees can learn to communicate well with the rest of the group.
Lead By Example
Create a standard for employees and use yourself as an example of proper behavior. You must first be open and honest with yourself before you demand employees to do the same.
Start by addressing your own communication and conflict management skills, work on your empathy, try out multiple conflict management styles, and truly listen if you ever get involved in a conflict.
You will gain experience in conflict management, so your insights and tips will be more valuable to employees.
Also, some team members may be more excited by the idea of conflict management if they see their leader working on such skills.
Pro Tip From HIGH5
Create a “Strengths Map” of your team using HIGH5 assessment results. When conflicts arise, consult this map to understand how different strengths might be clashing or could be better aligned. This visual tool can help you and your team members see conflicts from a more objective, strengths-based perspective.
Conflict Management FAQ
What are the 5 conflict management strategies?
Each leader has a unique approach to mitigate and prevent conflicts. However, psychologists often split conflict management techniques into five distinct types of strategies.
These five strategies are the collaborating, competing, avoiding, accommodating, and compromising styles. Accommodation involves placing the other person’s needs above your own, while collaborating involves both parties achieving what they desire.
Compromising involves both parties giving up something to get something, competing involves competition and a “winner takes all” attitude, and the avoiding style involves someone avoiding conflicts.
What are the 4 steps to conflict management?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to conflict mitigation. However, if you need a general outline, you can usually solve a conflict in 4 steps. First, you must understand the issue.
Get the perspective of both parties and understand the root cause of the issue. Then, propose a solution. Have both parties weigh in with their thoughts. Explore other options together. Finally, agree on a single course of action that leaves both individuals satisfied.
Overall Conclusion On Conflict Management
As a leader, you should be committed to growth while ensuring your team is satisfied and fulfilled with their job.
When conflicts arise, your instinct may be to get emotional or look to the past to pick aside. Ensure you set aside such emotional reactions and rather choose to speak with team members directly.
Teach them about ways to manage their conflicts, and only intervene when it is truly necessary as independence is an element of strengthening your manager-employee relationship.
Speaking about conflict management has a plethora of benefits, including increased revenue, more trust between employees, continued collaboration, and strengthened empathy.
You can also avoid an immense amount of drama and negativity by managing conflict.
Conflict in and of itself is not always negative, so you as a leader must learn when to get involved and when to be hands-off.
Remember the benefits of acquiring this skill and continue being team-oriented for long-term success.
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