Addressing Workplace Conflict: Effective Methods for SMEs

Sometimes, running a business extends beyond organisation, strategy, and processes. It involves managing conflict in the workplace – a tricky but necessary component of maintaining harmony across a team and ensuring a positive working environment for each and every employee. If you’re a business owner in the midst of dealing with staff conflict, here’s a complete guide on how to resolve conflict in the workplace.

Understanding the Dynamics of Workplace Conflict in SMEs

Managing conflict in the modern workplace starts with understanding the different types of situations you might meet along the way. Conflict could look like anything from two employees butting heads, rivalry across different teams, or a lack of trust towards management.

Whether it’s conflict between individuals, such as colleagues or employees and their managers, or larger groups, such as entire departments, types of conflict at work can be broken down into two categories:

• Informal conflict. This might look like a small clash between employees – a minor disagreement in the office involving a few team members.
• Formal conflict. This is conflict at a higher level, and may involve an employment tribunal or even a claim brought against a business.

As a business owner, it’s important to remember that with the right level of compassion and care, conflict is always manageable, whatever it might look like. Employees will be looking to management to resolve conflict in a way that’s fair and just – try and remain impartial in order to see all sides of a situation.

Common Causes of Conflict in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Conflict can stem from a multitude of situations, including:

• Poor working conditions.
• Unclear communication or instruction.
• Bullying or harassment.
• Unequal opportunities across a team.
• Unfair treatment.
• Poor management.

A lot of the time, the chances of conflict occurring can be minimised with fair, proactive, and compassionate management. However, there will inevitably be situations where employees disagree or don’t quite get along, which is where a crucial understanding or even an extra level of support with resolving workplace conflict comes into play.

Preventative Measures to Minimise Conflict in the Workplace

Managing conflict in the modern workplace starts with understanding how best to prevent these situations from arising. Sometimes, conflict will be inevitable, but there are several ways to approach a working environment that aim to minimise the chances of difficult situations arising. Most of these strategies start with effective management of a team, such as:

Clear Communication

Establish open channels of communication and encourage active listening. With clear and concise conversation, many points of conflict can be avoided altogether.

Team Building

Activities outside of work that make space for connecting and building healthy relationships are a great way to bring a team together and foster healthy collaboration.

Clear Policies & Procedures

Putting policies in place that are clear, fair, and consistent will not only save you time and stress down the line if conflict does occur, but they also work to keep staff aware and informed of what will happen if they run into difficult situations at work, helping to foster trust and make employees feel seen and protected.

Employee Support

Provide resources that actively support employees in their personal and professional development. Often, conflict can arise as a result of a team feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or not seen at work. By putting the steps in place to build support amongst a team, tension and stress will naturally decrease while trust and job satisfaction rises, minimising the chances of unnecessary conflict at work.

Monitoring & Feedback

Continuous feedback is a great way to address minor issues before they escalate into full-blown conflict. It doesn’t always have to be a formal review – even just a quick chat or coffee-break conversation can make a world of difference if an employee is experiencing stress or unease at work.

Effective Strategies for Resolving Workplace Conflicts

The Role of Mediation in Conflict Resolution

Mediation is when an impartial third party steps in to help manage a conflict between two people, or two groups. This is a very effective way of resolving conflict, as it gives everyone involved the space and time to communicate in a way that’s fair, avoiding further dispute and supporting a peaceful resolution.

Internal staff members can be trained to act as mediators, or businesses can opt for bringing in an external mediator to provide professional support with conflict resolution.

Formal Complaints at Work

If an employee files a formal complaint against a colleague or their manager, the company is required to follow their official grievance procedure.

This is essential as if someone is proved to be participating in bullying or harassment at work, there may be a need for disciplinary action to take place, or even a dismissal.

Seek External Support

Finding an outside support system is a great way to mediate conflict and find a resolution. External support offers a professional, impartial perspective, providing expert guidance and advice for resolving conflict swiftly and efficiently.

Conflict Resolution at Work With The HR Dept

If you’re looking for a proactive way of dealing with workplace conflict, we’re here to help. At The HR Dept, we’re dedicated to providing SMEs with conflict management and resolution services that work to address and resolve difficult situations through training, mediation services, and tailored resolution strategies.

Our expert approaches tackles conflict with care, providing impartial external mediators and professional support with how best to minimise the chances of conflict occurring and proactive ways of managing conflict should it arise. Get in touch today to find out more about how we can help you manage and resolve conflict at work.