Solving conflicts in organizations

Conflicts lead to staff turnover, reduced employee productivity and even litigation. And to prevent them, you need to know about the tools that allow you to create a comfortable working atmosphere.

Today we'll touch on the importance of HR, discuss what a manager can do and how you, as an employer, can reduce the likelihood of conflicts with the help of a few documents.

Why do conflicts arise and what are they like?

Conflict is when one or more parties actively defend their interests. The reasons for its occurrence are dozens, up to the fact that one person simply did not like the other. But the most common include the following prerequisites:

• Interdependence between tasks. A group of people can't do their job until a particular employee has done theirs.
  
• Lack of tact. A "straightforward" person cannot keep silent about what displeases him, so he takes to insulting someone. The victim defends himself, conflict ensues. Example - conflict on religious grounds.
  
• Lack of understanding. The same phrase, position or task can be interpreted differently. One employee believes that if the project is too complicated, you need to stay late after work to finish it. The other argues that you need to make a plan so that you can do everything without overtime.
  
• Limited resources. When something is lacking people are forced to conflict. In a catering company, employees are not fed for free, so they asked the cook to make them borscht at cost price. The cook doesn't want it, so he refuses. This may well be a prerequisite for conflict.
  

There are the following types of conflict:

• Person-to-Person. Two employees do not get along, their relationship heated. Example: the older employee did not like that the younger one does not show respect.
  
• Man-Group. One employee constantly makes mistakes, causing the entire team to suffer several times. The employee doesn't see his or her own fault, blaming it on others. Ideal conditions for creating conflict.
  
• Group-group. When two or more groups of people are in conflict. For example, at a construction site, a few people are working as they should, and a few are avoiding their duties in every possible way. All are paid the same. This leads to the fact that the second group begins to avoid the first, and at the dinner table everything can turn into a verbal altercation.
  

In most cases, recognizing conflict is easy:

• The person says outright that something is out of order.
• A verbal altercation, but only if you don't have a half-joking way of figuring things out (that is, it's not the norm).
  
• Loss of authority of the leader. Can indicate both that the team is friends against the manager, and that he is unable to cope with different situations.
  
• Sabotage and decreased productivity. A possible reason can be described as, "Why should I perform well if I am treated like this here?".
  
• The employee is tense. Two weeks ago, the employee was cheerful and responsive. Now sits glum and disengaged from the team.
  

About the last three reasons: ask employees directly. Because they can be a consequence of conflict as well as family circumstances, illness or a small weakness.

If a conflict has started, you will probably have to intervene. The main ways of solving the problem look like this:

• Compromise. Two parties have been getting along but have started to conflict. They treat each other well, so they are negotiable. Each makes concessions.
• Cooperation. Will be effective if there has been a misunderstanding. The parties express their views to each other and seek common ground.
  
• Alternative view. A neutral party expresses an opinion, the parties take it into account. Needed if people don't understand each other and you can see it.
  
• Mediation. The neutral party makes a decision that can suit both sides. It can be unconventional.
  
• Conflict resolution. The game is not worth the candle, it is better to leave the status quo.
  
• A complete victory for one side. It is obvious that one of them is wrong, so they must give in.
  
• Concession with compensation. One of the parties is ready to sacrifice their interests in exchange for something.
  
• Court. An extreme and rare measure. The parties could not agree, the conflict began because of control.
  

Sometimes it happens that you just got a quarrelsome employee who likes to reason. In this case, it is worth thinking about a serious conversation about the violation of labor discipline. This is due to the fact that other ways to solve the problem are useless.

If you are working remotely, call each other. If you work, schedule a meeting. When both parties arrive, point out that they are prohibited from insulting each other and talking in rosy tones. Then ask the participants in the conversation to tell their version of events. Let them focus on what they don't like.

When everything is revealed, clarify whether you understood everything correctly. If the answer is convincing, find 2 to 5 solutions and voice them. After that, indicate which solution you consider acceptable and allow the party to the conflict to choose one of them.

Next, clarify whether there is anyone else on the side of the opposing friend. If there is, repeat the scheme. If not, clarify whether the conflict has been resolved (this question is rather rhetorical) and ask to shake hands.

You are the boss of a limited team, and everyone should be happy. In this case, we recommend doing the following:

• You should always have everything under control. A boss who cannot fulfill his duties is less likely to be listened to than one who does his job well.
• The rules should always be followed. Employees like to do less work and earn more money, so if you give a break in the form of unreasonable non-compliance with the rules, expect that they will be violated more often in the team.
  
• Praise people and be polite. If a person makes a lot of changes, show that you appreciate it.
  
• Teach people to behave correctly and do their job well. This is especially true for newcomers who do not know something, can make a mistake or take the wrong (from the point of view of efficiency) opinion.
  
• If possible, expand the interests of the team to the management. If they do not support this, you can unobtrusively convey this (so that it does not look like bragging).
  
• Know how to listen to someone else's point of view. Someone is more experienced than you, someone is older, someone has an interesting view on resolving conflict situations.
  

Also, take into account the characteristics of manufacturers and give everyone their own role. In stores, one person can sell well and fill out reports poorly. And another one sends orders and counts the cash register perfectly, but the seller is average.

If you happen to be the head of an organization or a company, you can do the following:

• Hire a smart HR. A smart one is either a person with work experience or someone who has a good theoretical base. A specialist should be able to pay attention to behavior, the ability to demonstrate a person's talent.
• Written agreements and documentation. They help to convey to employees that companies have methods for solving problems and principles.
  
• Management training. If there are several departments, if possible, find a good trainer (it is better if he is an experienced employee) who will teach how to manage a team.
  
• An adequate implementation system allows you to avoid impulsive decisions on the part of management.
  

And do not forget to communicate with other subordinates. If they have problems, help.