The Best Way To Handle Workplace Conflict In a New Team

Experts estimate that managers spend a quarter of their time addressing the issue of conflict between members of staff. Workplace conflict dissipates energy, lowers morale, ferments greater levels of discord and increases stress. It may lead to the loss of good hands and generally lowers the productivity of the organization or team. it is therefore imperative that managers find quick resolutions to workplace conflict.

However, the time experts estimate managers allot to resolving such conflicts creates an imbalance as they sacrifice productivity on their part in a bid to address such conflicts. The issue therefore is not that they should abandon or ignore addressing such conflicts; rather, devising a means that they can use to cut down the time used up while resolving workplace conflict becomes imperative. With this in mind, we want to look at a few tips on how workplace conflict can be quickly resolved.

The Best Time to Address Workplace Conflict

The title of this piece gives an insight into the direction we are heading with this article; the best time to kill workplace conflicts in a new team or department is to anticipate and address it before it starts. There are several ways to go about it, creating a methodology that everyone understands will bring the issue to the fore as they get to understand the import of conflict and how management views it. the system I want to suggest should be established with a tinge of lightness while still making everyone realize that it would be strictly adhered to when conflicts take place.

STEP 1: CALL FOR A MEETING OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE TEAM/SECTION

It would be a formal affair of sorts. The main thrust of the meeting would be to establish a system to address workplace conflict within members of the team.

STEP 2: SET UP A REVOLVING CONFLICT RESOLUTION TEAM

Think of the UN Security Council, not the permanent members but the members that have a stipulated tenure before another rotation sets in.

• The conflict resolution team would come from the members of staff.


• The will be members for a month before rotation takes place.


• They will oversee any matters arising during their tenure.


• Include an appeal process or the next step to take when the conflict is not resolved


• They will be given an ironclad (standardized) format for investigating, mediating and resolving conflict that comes up.


• Each process and stage will be duly documented so that if resolution goes beyond their tenure, those coming in would be able to know where the last team stopped and follow through.


• Every member of that team will serve time at the committee.

 

Notes on the Conflict Resolution Committee

Number of Members

The number of members at any given time should be between two and three. Being too large may create problems. Most workplace conflicts that occur in a department or team are between members (as against structural clashes that may be between two departments). Having just two members personalizes it and gives a better feeling of privacy.

Format of Investigation, Mediation and Resolution

The procedure for investigation, mediation and resolution should be clearly stated and everyone at that meeting should be aware of it. this will serve to create an open forum where the objective is clear for all to see. Moreover, the overriding issue the manager should pass across at the meeting while laying the format down is how such conflicts can be disruptive and the expectation of management on dealing with inter-personal conflicts.

For the nitty-gritty of the format, the methodology below is a suggestion. It could serve as a guide or give you another idea on how to go about creating a format that suits the team best.

• Approach (investigation Stage begins)


• First Statement (written after approach and report has been made)


• Contact (of the other party)


• Response to First Statement (by the other party)


• Preliminary Meeting (Mediation Stage begins)


• Clarification of First Statement as well as Second statement (second statement is verbal)


• Proffered Solution (by committee members, Resolution Stage begins)


• Agreement (by conflicting parties, both jointly accepting one of the proffered solution


• Appeal Process


• The process should have a stipulated time. The day of approach may not necessarily be the day of contact. Deliberately setting a timetable for resolution has a way of tempering the conflict and stifling it. in other words, the timetable is a means of dousing tension and resolving the conflict. It could take a period of one week. The manager should stipulate time of meeting and duration.


• On preliminary meeting, there could be a second and third meeting or that could just be enough for everyone to state their case and members of the conflict resolution team to sense the direction of amicable resolution.


• The clarification stage should be done on the day of the preliminary meeting. By then, both parties would have read each others' statement and prepared a response (second statement).


• On proffered solution, there should be one than one and they will be presented until there is an agreement by both parties.


• On Appeal, this is where the manager comes in an official capacity to weigh in on the matter. It should be seen as the final stop, a last resort. However, the manager would have been kept abreast of the process although he or she will not get involved. Therefore, if things have not been resolved and it gets to the stage of appeal, the manager would have been prepped up to shoot from the hip.

Points of Note on Format

Final Note

Interestingly, this method of joint resolution participation can work equally well with an old team if they all see it as a fair way of resolving conflicts where sides would not be taken.

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