Conflict is inevitable in the workplace and it’s critical that these problems be handled appropriately. Otherwise, the company might have to deal with the consequences of losing good employees, declining workplace morale, and lowered productivity. It’s clear that too much unresolved conflict is hazardous to the health of your organization so managers need to step up and look for ways to negotiate solutions to workplace problems. How exactly can managers deal with conflicts between employees? It’s critical to learn the art of negotiating mutually beneficial solutions so that managers can bring harmony out of conflict.
Supervisors and managers have so many things on their plate and the last thing they need to add to it is mediation. Their tendency may be to take swift action just to handle the problem so they can get back to the rest of their work. However, it is critical that managers take the time to gather all of the facts and information so they can fairly negotiate the best solution.
When employees are deeply upset about something they need a chance to get their story out and be heard. This means that everyone involved should have a fair chance to speak their minds and share their side of the story. Not only can letting them speak dramatically change the person’s outlook, but it will give you the necessary information to make an informed decision about the next course of action. If necessary, you might even need to interview fellow colleagues who can verify their story and possibly shed some new light on the situation. Of course, this should only be done as an absolute necessity so you don’t create additional conflict in the office. When you take time to research the issues and gather information, it will make employees feel like the negotiation process is fair.
Gathering information is also a valuable learning tool for managers because it gives insight into happenings in the office and makes it possible to prevent future problems. It also gives managers the chance to teach employees how to work collaboratively to reach win-win solutions. Furthermore, adequate information makes it possible to reflect on the issue so you can negotiate the most effective outcome.
