Conflict is inevitable and as a leader, you must be able to navigate conflict within your teams with a solution-oriented mindset. A solid team is one built of many diverse backgrounds to bring various perspectives to the table and with that, comes varying personality types. As a leader, your role is to assist the team in learning how to work well together. It is important to ensure that teamwork is a foundational element of the company to foster an environment built on open communication and trust. Employees must understand that they need one another to reach success and remove any unhealthy competition. In order to best combat conflict, it is also critical to understand where conflict arises so you can quickly recognize and assist in the conflict resolution.
Common causes of employee conflict:
· Lack of trust
· Unclear roles and expectations
· Resistance to change
· Poor communication
· Differing personalities
· Unhealthy competition
As a leader, it is important to address conflict head on and never sweep it under the rug. In some cases, this may require you to take on the role of mediator to help promote open and effective communication. The first step in resolving any workplace conflict is understanding what caused it in the first place. From that point, you can work within your team to help them develop ways they can overcome it in the future. Conflict that is well-managed will have outcomes of increased participation and creativity.
