Conflict Resolution Tips for Managers
Receiving the manager role for a company can be an exciting time! You've put out a large amount of time and effort to get there, so you may not initially think about the challenges that may arise with this new position. Read our blog from a couple weeks ago on How to Overcome the Obstacles of Becoming a New Manager for some tips on this new, exciting time. A large part of leading a team is being able to effectively communicate and being able to resolve conflicts with team members. Whether the conflicts arise between yourself and an employee or between multiple employees, it’s important to be able to talk through the conflict and find a resolution. This week, Kmet Consulting will be discussing some conflict resolution tips for managers that will help you run your team efficiently.
When a conflict arises in the office, you may be thinking, “What did this employee do this time?” or “That’s their problem, not mine.” Instead ask yourself, “How could I have contributed to this problem?” Being able to troubleshoot everyone’s role in the conflict (including your own), will make the issue easier to solve. For example, instead putting the full blame of an incorrect project on an employee, ask yourself if you gave them clear and detailed instructions about the project. When discussing a conflict with the other person, acknowledging what you could have done better may help the employee to be more willing to reach a compromise.
Define Appropriate Behavior
To help effectively deal with conflict when it arises, make sure that you have clearly defined what is considered appropriate behavior for the workplace in a document like an employee handbook or a code of conduct. Having a written, set of “rules” for employee behavior will provide a great place to refer to when making employee-related decisions and confronting conflicts. In addition, having these guidelines written down will help ensure that all employee’s conflicts are handled in the same way.
Schedule a Time to Discuss
Let’s face it, with conflict comes confrontation. Confrontation doesn’t have to be a scary thing that everyone involved dreads though. As a manager, schedule a time to fairly and thoroughly discuss the conflict with the employee(s). Doing this could help reduce hostility and disagreeableness by eliminating the feeling of being blindsided. In addition, having a set time to discuss conflicts can allow those involved time to think about the possible causes of the conflict and ways to fix it.
Listen to Their Side
As the manager, you’re most likely used to leading meetings, distributing tasks and generally taking charge. However, go into this scheduled time with an open mind and ask each person in the conflict to share their side of the story before you share your side or potential solutions. Encourage everyone that’s involved to practice active listening and not to interrupt until the person speaking is done sharing their side. Not only will active listening help everyone understand where the other person is coming from, it will also show the other person that you respect them (which is a huge factor in solving conflicts).
Avoid Generalizations
When confronting an employee about an issue in the workplace, do your best to avoid generalizations. For example, instead of telling an employee that they’re disrespectful, instead tell them “I felt disrespected when you did this…”. Giving them a specific reason for what started the conflict will allow them to work on changing the action or behavior so that future conflicts can be avoided. Also ask them to avoid generalizations when explaining their side of the story so that you can fully understand their side.
Kmet Consulting knows that many responsibilities come with the position of manager. Being able to resolve conflicts is a great skill to have when leading a team. If you want to be highly prepared to successfully handle conflicts when they arise, check out the HR basics and conflict resolution services we offer. Visit www.KmetConsulting.com for a full list of services that we provide for managers and companies.
Conflict Resolution Tips
Ask Yourself This:When a conflict arises in the office, you may be thinking, “What did this employee do this time?” or “That’s their problem, not mine.” Instead ask yourself, “How could I have contributed to this problem?” Being able to troubleshoot everyone’s role in the conflict (including your own), will make the issue easier to solve. For example, instead putting the full blame of an incorrect project on an employee, ask yourself if you gave them clear and detailed instructions about the project. When discussing a conflict with the other person, acknowledging what you could have done better may help the employee to be more willing to reach a compromise.
Define Appropriate Behavior
To help effectively deal with conflict when it arises, make sure that you have clearly defined what is considered appropriate behavior for the workplace in a document like an employee handbook or a code of conduct. Having a written, set of “rules” for employee behavior will provide a great place to refer to when making employee-related decisions and confronting conflicts. In addition, having these guidelines written down will help ensure that all employee’s conflicts are handled in the same way.
Schedule a Time to Discuss
Let’s face it, with conflict comes confrontation. Confrontation doesn’t have to be a scary thing that everyone involved dreads though. As a manager, schedule a time to fairly and thoroughly discuss the conflict with the employee(s). Doing this could help reduce hostility and disagreeableness by eliminating the feeling of being blindsided. In addition, having a set time to discuss conflicts can allow those involved time to think about the possible causes of the conflict and ways to fix it.
Listen to Their Side
As the manager, you’re most likely used to leading meetings, distributing tasks and generally taking charge. However, go into this scheduled time with an open mind and ask each person in the conflict to share their side of the story before you share your side or potential solutions. Encourage everyone that’s involved to practice active listening and not to interrupt until the person speaking is done sharing their side. Not only will active listening help everyone understand where the other person is coming from, it will also show the other person that you respect them (which is a huge factor in solving conflicts).
Avoid Generalizations
When confronting an employee about an issue in the workplace, do your best to avoid generalizations. For example, instead of telling an employee that they’re disrespectful, instead tell them “I felt disrespected when you did this…”. Giving them a specific reason for what started the conflict will allow them to work on changing the action or behavior so that future conflicts can be avoided. Also ask them to avoid generalizations when explaining their side of the story so that you can fully understand their side.
Kmet Consulting knows that many responsibilities come with the position of manager. Being able to resolve conflicts is a great skill to have when leading a team. If you want to be highly prepared to successfully handle conflicts when they arise, check out the HR basics and conflict resolution services we offer. Visit www.KmetConsulting.com for a full list of services that we provide for managers and companies.
sue@kmetconsulting.com
877-783-5638
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