Remember that you don`t need to choose a type of meeting and stick to it throughout the process. You can switch between modes. However, our research suggests that in conflict resolution, it is more effective to start separately and develop empathy and then move on to common conflicts than to start together and meet separately. Tensions can erupt between colleagues for a number of reasons. From the perception of an unfair workload, unfair recognition, favoritism to different views on how a task should be accomplished. However, some of the most problematic conflicts with colleagues arise due to ego, personal values, and office politics. Clarify positions – Regardless of conflict or disagreement, it is important to clarify people`s positions. Whether there are obvious factions within the team that support a particular option, approach, or idea, or each team member has their own unique point of view, each position must be clearly identified and articulated by stakeholders. “It`s best if conflicts between the two people are handled as much as possible,” Gallo advised. “As a manager, you have to be firm when you intervene. Often, people expect you to do this over and over again when you start playing referee instead of manager.

Example: “In some cases, I found it necessary to express my opinion when I disagreed with a boss, and this turned out to be constructive. For example, the hostile behavior of a former manager had a negative impact on my work and I began to lose my motivation and job satisfaction. Finally, I asked for a meeting and calmly and politely told him how I felt. To my surprise, he told me that he had problems in his personal life and was not doing well. After that, he tried to be less critical, and I was more understanding. People have different views, and under the right circumstances, those differences escalate into conflict. How you handle this conflict determines whether it works to the team`s advantage or contributes to its demise. 3.

Look for similarities, not differences. Working with my clients, I have found that the best way to resolve a disagreement is to look for similarities. Focusing on the differences will make the space wider, but finding out what you have in common helps bridge the gap. The next time you find yourself disagreeing, look for a point of agreement, even if you need to stretch. Of course, there will be times when you will have to put aside your role as a mediator and decide how to resolve the conflict – for example, when important ministerial or corporate policy issues are at stake, there is imminent danger, or all other avenues have not resolved the conflict, but these opportunities are few and far between. Example: “I worked as a project manager on an IT project, and a technician was constantly late to complete tasks. When I asked him about it, he reacted defensively. I stayed calm and recognized that the deadlines were difficult and asked how I could help him improve his performance. He calmed down and told me that he was involved in another project where he had to do tasks that were not in his job description. After a meeting with the other project manager, we came up with a solution that relieved the technician.

For the rest of the project, the technician did a great job. Often, friendships in the workplace can obscure judgments in team projects. Employees may feel the need to agree on each other because they fear losing a friendship. By breaking down these existing alliances when discussing the team`s final positions, you often avoid this behavior and allow people to see conflicts without persuasion. Another way to anticipate conflict is to help your team members get to know each other better. While personality assessments are far from the end of everything, they can be useful for your employees to discuss everything from work styles and communication preferences to the early or late arrival of meetings. Another good reason to meet your colleagues is that they ultimately need to take charge of resolving their conflict and develop the ability to talk to each other in future conflicts. Of course, the risk of getting together is that you can`t control the process and the meeting only aggravates the conflict. To avoid becoming an arbitrator, encourage your team members to resolve their differences on their own.

But get ready to get involved. One case you may need to intervene in is when a conflict has made itself felt for you or other team members, but the parties involved don`t realize there`s a problem or take the initiative to resolve it themselves. .