If there’s one subject that is sure to vex the average business manager, it’s resolving conflict in the workplace.
Sometimes it’s merely a misunderstanding. At other times, deep-seated, long-standing issues may require a manager to probe a little deeper into the matter to determine what is actually fueling the conflict.
Consider these three tips for ensuring a more productive and calm workplace environment.
- Staff meetings. The best way to prevent misunderstandings, resentments and just plain false information that can disrupt the workplace is to conduct regular staff meetings. Yes, it takes time from a manager’s busy day, but it is the best way to quell damaging gossip that can spread fear and confusion at work. Be especially careful not to cause a loss of face for your employee. That can set the stage for angry feelings and even vindictive actions, which could prove costly to an enterprise.
- Have an open-door policy for every employee. Many managers do not discover that serious conflicts are hampering workflow until significant damage to relationships have occurred. Sometimes these disagreements appear so petty as to be not so important when compared to seemingly larger concerns. Yet the longer they simmer on the back burner, the more likely is the prospect of an all-out brush fire that hamstrings productivity.
- Maintain accurate human resource records. Many a lawsuit’s outcome has hinged upon documenting workplace events in a notebook. Always share your concerns with the company’s human resource manager, particularly if a troubling tension persists among staff members, or if one employee appears to have mental-health concerns.