Employees can get along once the root cause of conflict is found.
Conflict in the workplace can be a very stressful situation for both the employees and boss, and trying to solve the conflicts may be a complex situation or problem of its own. Finding the root causes of why conflict happens, though, can ultimately lead to better solutions. In some cases, it may involve rethinking how a boss deals with his employees.
Differing Styles and Needs
Every employee is going to have a different personality and approach in do his job. The University of Florida says that conducting personality tests such as the Myers-Briggs test can help identify where a particular employee can best be placed in a company. Some employees may like a structured way to work, and others may prefer a more unstructured environment. Having them work apart would ultimately be better than working together and instigating serious conflict.
Also, the needs of certain employees can lead to situations of what the University of Florida calls the "haves" and "have nots." In these scenarios, some employees may not have access to certain resources that can help them succeed while others do. For example, one department may get access to newer computers while another department doesn't, or it could be that some employees get more time interacting with the boss while others don't. This can lead to the "have nots" plotting against the "haves."
Lack of Information and Communication
Important information that doesn't get to every employee in a company can lead to serious conflict, according to Conflict911.com. Such a scenario can still happen despite memos, emails, reports or meetings. When certain information gets passed around a large company, it's important that everybody understands use the information that was sent to them and that the information is as clear as possible. Managers should hold meetings to go over memos or reports so that every word and idea is clearly understood by all employees.
Undefined Areas of Responsibility
Chart Learning Solutions says that an employee not knowing what his responsibility is can lead to conflicts among staff. Comprehensive training for every employee is essential so employees don't flounder or complain in the process of not knowing exactly what they're supposed to do.
Differing Perceptions
The University of Florida says that employees can sometimes view incidents with differing perceptions. For instance, different departments can get the perception that they are more useful than others. In other cases, hiring someone like an administrative assistant can be seen as a positive step forward by some employees and a slap in the face to others. Even performance reviews, memos or office rumors can be looked at with differing perspectives and in a negative light.
Alternative Dispute Resolution Failures
Conflict911.com says the process of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is being used more often in organizations for conflict mediation. The process of ADR involves hiring a person with an unbiased opinion to act as a mediator to help solve a crisis between people. However, sometimes getting the ADR process implemented can happen too late. This can create more employee discord in the process. It nevertheless can help considerably if alternative resolution methods are implemented as early as possible.
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