6 keys to manage conflicts in the company
Tips to keep in mind to solve this kind of problems in the organizational environment.
Companies are always environments based on coordinated work, which has good and bad things. The good thing is that the coordination of teams and departments can create great things thanks to the synergies generated, and the bad thing is that the need for organization facilitates the emergence of conflicts between groups and individuals.
This is why it is crucial for the leaders of any organization to develop conflict management skills. When faced with this kind of problem, the solution is never as simple as pretending that everything is working perfectly or unilaterally taking sharp measures.
How to improve conflict management in organizations
Each organization is unique and has its own work climate, but that does not mean that there are no basic rules of conflict management that should always be taken into account. In the following lines we will look at different key ideas for managing conflict in the company and tips on how to apply them.
1. Do not rekindle old conflicts
Conflicts in the company context do not occur in the abstract, but emerge through flesh-and-blood human beings with their own motivations and emotions. This is why it is necessary to prevent the possibility of taking advantage of present conflicts to rekindle old grudges, This is more common than it seems, even in a professional environment..
Therefore, it is necessary to stop changing the subject and insist that everyone focuses on the current problem, since its importance requires it.
2. Know how to mediate and adopt a position of neutrality.
It is important to empathize and acknowledge the feelings experienced by the people involved, but it is important not to position oneself explicitly in favor of one of the parties, as this can nullify one's ability to mediate. the simple fact of doing so may nullify our ability to mediate..
We must ensure that what we do when mediating is seen within the framework of the common interest, which goes beyond individualities.
3. Claim the value of intermediate solutions.
Often, the proposed solutions do not convince anyone because they are not exactly what you wanted. However, you have to get the message across to everyone that there is value in achieving a compromise where everyone wins a little and gives a little at the same time.
The reason for this is that it allows the unity of the team to be maintained without anyone owing anything to anyone else, which in the long run has a positive impact on everyone..
4. No one wants to be "the loser".
There are times when to resolve a conflict it is necessary to give compensation to all involved, even if for some it is symbolic. In this way alleviates the fear that this will be seen by everyone as a sign of weakness that could set a precedent that may set a precedent so that in the future their needs and objectives will not be taken into account.
5. We must start from the company's values
If you do not want to transmit an inconsistent image of what the organization is, it is crucial not to carry out actions that go against the values of the organization. against the organization's values.
If a company is committed to cooperation and rejects individualism, it makes no sense to solve something behind closed doors, talking only to a few representatives of the parties involved in the conflict, for example. Otherwise, it feeds uncertainty and communicates that the company is an unstable environment in which it is better not to place too much hope.
6. Care must be taken in what is said and what is done.
Another source of possible inconsistencies has to do with solving conflicts only in words, without translating them into concrete measures. To do so is to fall into the error of the mistake of allowing these problems to be solved unofficially through informal channels, which would This damages the working environment.
How to gain experience in this area?
As is always the case in everything related to skills applied to business, conflict management must be perfected mainly in day-to-day work in the organizational context. Fortunately, there are also training programs specifically oriented to train in this kind of group intervention actions.
A good example of this are the various courses and master's degrees offered by universities in this field, which can give you the skills to work in human resources and conflict management.
This training offer is based on an experiential methodology to help you apply in practice the knowledge shared by the experts who organize the course and solve this kind of problems in the most satisfactory way possible, taking into account the values of the company in which you work, as well as the fundamental tools of mediation.
(Updated at Apr 12 / 2024)