assignment on conflict management with real life example

How to Manage Conflict in the Workplace [with Examples]

By Status.net Editorial Team on April 10, 2023 — 10 minutes to read

Managing conflict in the workplace is a critical skill: conflicts arise for various reasons, whether it’s due to different perspectives, communication breakdowns, or issues with specific tasks. In this article, you will learn some practical techniques to manage conflict in the workplace, step-by-step:

Step 1: Identify the Source of Conflict

Before you can effectively manage conflict in the workplace, it’s important to identify the root cause of the issue. Start by observing the situation and gathering information from those involved, as well as any witnesses. Ask open-ended questions that encourage team members to share their perspectives, and listen actively to each person’s input.

By understanding the different viewpoints of the individuals involved, you’ll be better prepared to pinpoint the main source of conflict. Some common sources of workplace conflict include miscommunication, differences in values or priorities, resource allocation, and unmet expectations. Keep in mind that there may be multiple factors contributing to the conflict, or even underlying issues that need to be addressed.

Once you have identified the root cause(s), consider creating a list of the primary contributing factors to help guide your approach in resolving the issue. This list can help keep the discussion focused on the problem at hand, rather than on the individuals involved:

• Miscommunication
• Differences in values or priorities
• Resource allocation
• Unmet expectations

The goal is to work together with your team to address the conflict and find a solution that benefits everyone involved, and by first identifying the source of the conflict, you’re taking a critical step toward restoring harmony in the workplace.

Step 2: Determine Your Conflict Management Style

There are 5 conflict management styles:

Competing Style

The competing style is characterized by high assertiveness and low cooperativeness. You may use this style when you prioritize your own needs and desires over others. This style can be beneficial in situations where quick decisions are necessary or in cases when standing up for your own rights is essential. However, be cautious, as overuse of this style may lead to strained relationships and conflict escalation.

Accommodating Style

When using the accommodating style, you prioritize cooperation over assertiveness and tend to sacrifice your own needs and desires to satisfy others. This approach can work well when building relationships or maintaining harmony is more important than achieving personal goals. However, overusing this style may result in feelings of resentment and undermining your self-esteem.

Avoiding Style

The avoiding style is characterized by low assertiveness and low cooperativeness. You may use this style when you prefer to sidestep conflict or postpone addressing issues. Avoiding can be useful when tensions are high and taking time can result in more productive conversations. However, consistently avoiding conflicts may lead to unresolved issues and mounting frustration.

Compromising Style

This approach involves reaching a solution that partially satisfies both parties. Compromising is valuable when it’s essential to achieve a quick resolution or when both parties have equal power. However, reliance on this style may lead to suboptimal outcomes if parties give up important elements for the sake of agreement.

Collaborating Style

While compromising style is focused on a quick resolution, collaborating style takes more time. In this approach, you work jointly with the other party to find a solution that satisfies both sets of needs and desires. Collaborating is ideal when mutual commitment to a solution is critical, and both parties have complementary skills and resources. However, this style may not be practical in time-sensitive situations or when complete consensus is unnecessary.

Each style has its own advantages and disadvantages (so consider them contextually), for example:

Step 3: Adapt Your Style for Effective Conflict Management

Recognize that each conflict management style has its own advantages and disadvantages, and no single style is superior in every situation. Consider the context, priorities, and the people involved; then choose the most appropriate approach:

• Collaborator: Works well when all parties’ interests are important, and a creative solution is needed.
• Avoider: Applicable when the issue is minor, or when you need some time to think things through.
• Competitor: Effective when a quick, decisive action is essential, or when protecting your own interests is important.
• Accommodator: Suitable when preserving the relationship is more important than resolving the issue itself.
• Compromiser: Useful when finding a middle ground is the best approach, and both parties are willing to give up something in return.

Step 4: Use Effective Communication Techniques

Clarify the situation.

Seeking clarification helps ensure that you fully understand the situation and prevents misunderstandings. To seek clarification:

• Ask for more information or examples if something is unclear
• Rephrase statements in your own words and ask the speaker to confirm their accuracy
• Request that complex ideas be broken down into simpler terms.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions encourage meaningful discussion and can help uncover the root cause of a conflict. Instead of asking questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” use open-ended questions like:

• “What factors contributed to this situation?”
• “How did you feel when this happened?”
• “What would be your ideal outcome in resolving this issue?”

Practice Active Listening

• Maintain eye contact and give your full attention to the speaker
• Refrain from interrupting or formulating your response while they’re speaking
• Summarize and reflect back the speaker’s main points to ensure you understood them correctly.

Show Empathy

• Try to understand their thoughts and emotions
• Validate their feelings by expressing your understanding
• Be supportive and offer assistance when appropriate.

Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to understand their feelings and emotions. Acknowledge their point of view, even if you don’t necessarily agree with it. By displaying empathy, you enable a more open and honest conversation that promotes problem-solving and fosters mutual respect.

Propose Solutions

• Focus on the problem rather than the personalities involved
• Propose solutions and keep the conversation factual and short
• Try to be as kind as possible when speaking.

Examples of Conflict Resolution

One approach to managing conflict is through collaborative problem-solving, which encourages team members to work together towards a mutually beneficial solution.

For example, imagine two employees who have opposing views on how to handle a customer service issue. You, as their manager, can step in and encourage open communication between them. Ask each employee to voice their concerns and possible solutions. Once all ideas have been shared, work on finding a compromise both employees can agree on. This collaborative approach not only resolves the conflict but also fosters a healthy environment for future problem-solving and teamwork.

Another example of collaborative approach:

Consider a situation where a leader, in their first management position, oversees a team and notices a team member, Diana, with a low customer satisfaction score.

Rather than avoiding the issue or placing blame, the leader should initiate a constructive conversation with Diana. You can start by acknowledging her strengths, then explain the concerns regarding her customer satisfaction score, and invite her to share her perspective on the matter.

After understanding Diana’s viewpoint, you can work together to identify strategies for improvement, such as additional training, peer support, or regular check-ins. By addressing the issue directly, you not only resolve the conflict, but also provide crucial support and guidance for your team member’s growth and success.

Imagine you and your manager disagree on the recommendation for a client. In this situation, you might want to adapt a collaborative or accommodating approach. Start by finding a 30-minute block for the two of you to talk through the recommendation and try to reach a common ground. You can also explore the reasons behind each other’s perspectives and potential compromises.

Another example is when your team needs to present a unified front during negotiations with another group. It’s vital to negotiate differences and conflicts behind the scenes to avoid showing signs of weakness or disarray in front of the other team. Apply a collaborative negotiation style to foster productive long-term relationships and manage conflicts effectively.

Conflicts in personal relationships at work can be emotionally charged and damage productivity. Always consider the value of the relationship and the potential consequences of the conflict. For example, when discussing non-work related topics it is often more productive to choose a conflict management style that protects the relationship, such as accommodating or avoiding.

As you practice applying different conflict management styles in real-life scenarios, you will become better equipped to handle various conflicts and improve your relationships both personally and professionally.

How to Prevent Conflict In the Workplace

Creating a positive environment is crucial for managing and preventing conflict in your workplace. By fostering a supportive and collaborative atmosphere, you can reduce tensions and promote healthy communication among your team members. Here are a few strategies to help create a positive work environment:

Encouraging Collaboration

In order to promote a sense of unity and cooperation among your team, consider implementing strategies to encourage collaboration. This could include:

• Organizing regular team-building activities
• Hosting brainstorming sessions to facilitate the sharing of ideas
• Encouraging open communication, where all opinions are welcome and respected

Building Trust

Trust is a cornerstone of a positive work environment. Here are some ways you can build trust within your team:

• Be transparent and open about company decisions, goals, and challenges
• Encourage honesty and provide a safe space for employees to voice their concerns
• Recognize and appreciate team members’ achievements and contributions

As trust builds among team members, they are more likely to approach conflicts with a problem-solving mindset and work to find mutually beneficial resolutions.

Learn more: How to Build Trust in the Workplace [18 Effective Solutions]

Developing Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is key in understanding and managing feelings, both within ourselves and among others. Consider offering resources and training for your employees to develop their emotional intelligence. This can include:

• Workshops or seminars on emotional intelligence and communication skills
• Access to resources like articles and books focused on self-awareness and empathy
• Encouraging team members to actively practice and improve their emotional intelligence skills in their daily interactions

With increased emotional intelligence, you and your colleagues will be better equipped to navigate conflicts, express emotions effectively, and empathize with the feelings of others.

What To Do If You Can’t Resolve a Conflict

When conflicts seem to be beyond resolution through usual communication channels, mediation or seeking third-party assistance can be a helpful strategy. Mediation involves an impartial person who facilitates a constructive dialogue between the conflicting parties to help them find a mutually acceptable solution. Here are some steps to follow when employing mediation in your workplace:

• Choose a neutral mediator: It’s crucial to select a person who is not involved in the conflict and has no personal stake in the outcome. This can be someone from within the company, like an HR representative, or an external professional mediator.
• Provide an open forum: Encourage both sides to express their viewpoints without interruption, focusing on understanding each other’s perspectives. The mediator must ensure that everyone is heard and not allow personal attacks.
• Use active listening skills: Throughout the mediation process, show genuine interest in understanding the concerns of both parties by listening to understand rather than formulating counterarguments.
• Facilitate collaborative problem-solving: The mediator should work with the disputants to generate potential solutions, encouraging them to think creatively and collaboratively. This process empowers those involved to take ownership of their decisions and may lead to more lasting resolutions.

In some cases, mediation might not be sufficient to resolve the conflict, and you may need to seek external assistance. Legal professionals, industry-specific conflict resolution experts, or third-party organizations can be valuable resources in managing complex disputes.

In your journey to manage conflict in the workplace, it’s essential to recognize the inevitability of conflict and focus on establishing a positive, collaborative environment. Developing strong conflict management skills and applying effective strategies can help you and your team navigate challenging situations, leading to growth and improved communication. Remember to:

• Identify the root cause of conflict
• Practice active listening and empathy
• Embrace a solution-oriented mindset
• Keep an open mind and stay curious
• Collaborate with your coworkers, seeking mutually beneficial solutions
• How to Choose a Conflict Management Style? [5 Styles with Examples]
• How to Resolve Employee Conflict at Work [Steps, Tips, Examples]
• Effective Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace (Examples)
• Workplace Culture: Importance and Impact
• 20+ Core Values: Examples for Travel and Accommodation Companies
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Guide to conflict resolution skills — plus real world examples

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What is conflict resolution?

5 conflict management strategies

How to resolve conflict: 11 techniques

Conflict resolution examples

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Nobody likes conflict. We shun it. We run away from it. We groan every time we have to engage in it.

But conflicts and disputes are part of the normal human experience, especially at work. 

By developing healthy responses to conflict, we develop skills that can serve us for a lifetime.

Let’s discuss what conflict resolution is and some strategies that you can use to achieve it. 

Conflict resolution is a communication skill. 

It offers a tried-and-tested way of resolving disputes among parties. The end result should be both peaceful and fruitful. It focuses on mutual respect while aiming at solutions that are a win-win for all parties involved.

The goal of conflict resolution is to bring any conflict situation to a peaceful end. It also aims to avoid any bad feelings or retribution in the future by fully resolving the matter at hand.

In business, there are many different management styles . Similarly, there are several conflict resolution strategies. 

None are necessarily better or worse than another, and they each have their own pros and cons. 

However, some management styles are better for particular situations than others.

5 conflict management strategies 

Whether you know it or not, we all have conflict management strategies that we fall back on. 

Conflict resolution experts Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann codified these strategies into five key behaviors: 

• Avoiding 
• Competing 
• Compromising 
• Accommodating 
• Collaborating

Since we often use a variety of strategies to resolve conflict , let’s take a closer look at each behavior.

1. Avoiding

For some, the pain of confrontation is just too great. 

Those who employ an avoiding strategy withdraw. They refuse to participate in a healthy conflict resolution discussion . But without true input, a conflict can never be resolved. 

What’s more, at work, there's a real loss to the company since any contribution of fresh ideas is lost. 

2. Competing

Those entering a workplace conflict resolution discussion with a competitive mindset have a take-no-prisoners approach. And a win-at-all-costs outlook. 

There is no cooperation with the opposing side, and the person practicing this strategy expects to claim victory in the end. Unfortunately, those with differing points of view will not be acknowledged. 

Since conversations are one-sided, key issues within the conflict can easily be overlooked.

3. Compromising

Compromising is a strategy that blends both assertiveness and a willingness to negotiate. 

While you may not get all that you want, you will get enough for you to be satisfied. While both parties may not be completely happy, the conflict’s resolution will feel even-handed and just.

4. Accommodating

When we quickly give in and accept another’s position in a conflict, we are employing an accommodating strategy. 

It’s submitting to the demands of the other party without acknowledging one’s own wants and needs. While it may look like a means for resolution, it often leads to unresolved issues.

5. Collaborating

Collaboration enables one to put forth their needs while at the same time cooperating with the other side. 

Through a co-creative process, conversations are aimed at jointly creating a solution that brings everyone on board. Collaborative efforts ensure that all parties are satisfied with a solution.

If you’re not sure how to resolve conflict, try using these 11 conflict resolution techniques with your team:

1. Choose your strategy wisely

There is no right or wrong answer about how and when to employ a conflict resolution strategy. 

For example, if the matter at hand is not that important, it may be natural to use an accommodating strategy to move an issue forward. But for more important issues, it may be critical to take a firmer posture to achieve desired outcomes.

To build team cohesion and help resolve any outstanding conflicts, here are some key skills you can leverage:

2. Don’t be defensive 

We all get defensive when we feel our backs are to the wall. But such postures keep us from seeing, let alone understanding, the positions of others. 

It’s always in everyone’s interest to try and grow the mindset of the opposing party. While you don’t have to agree with their views, closing down prevents a conflict from moving forward to resolution. 

By trying to put yourself in another’s shoes, you can go a long way in diffusing a volatile situation. While you don’t have to, try to see the reason in another’s argument. Instead of saying “no,” try to actively understand the opposing side’s position. 

This is your chance to observe from a different perspective.

3. Listen actively

Listening, not talking, is the key to successful communication. 

This is especially true when it comes to conflict resolution and managing team conflict. You need to understand what someone’s underlying concern about the situation is.

While it’s natural for us to talk about our own issues, we often find it difficult to listen to the arguments of others. What’s more, for managers who want to solve problems quickly, it may seem natural to do all of the talking when faced with a conflict. 

But it’s much better to allow space for others to explain their viewpoints without disruption. Respectfully create an environment where everyone shares the spotlight, then really focus on what they’re saying. 

You may discover a new point to their argument, helping to drive collaborative problem-solving.

Coaches often employ active listening skills to be truly present for their clients. 

Working with an opposing party requires deep listening and the ability to mirror and restate what has been said. 

If you can truly understand another’s objectives, compassion can come into play and lead to a quicker resolution. What’s more, by leveraging active listening, you reduce the chance of misunderstanding and misalignment.

4. Be humble

Even if you hold the strongest position in an argument, there still exists the chance you could be wrong.  

That’s the key to humility. 

Consequently, humble leaders don’t use a competitive strategy when engaging with others. They listen to all opinions instead of blindly pushing their agenda forward. 

What’s more, they are consistently open to feedback, even when it’s about their conflict management skills.

5. Don’t take it personally

Your opinions are not you. 

A mature leader realizes that arguments aren’t directed at them personally but at the issues at hand. 

When an argument is attached to your ego, it will be much more difficult to engage in any level of constructive compromise. Taking an approach of active detachment will allow you to depersonalize the situation and come to a resolution faster.

6. Keep calm

Conflict resolution breaks down in the presence of anger. This happens especially when leaders are involved. 

Set the appropriate communication tone for your team and those with opposing views by remaining calm at all times. 

Of course, you can display emotion related to anger when you’re preparing your argument. But never when you’re engaged in the thick of it. Emotional awareness is key when trying to remain impartial.

But before you begin any conflict resolution meeting, it’s essential that you remain calm in order to reach a solution that works for both parties. 

A great manager has the emotional intelligence to keep their own feelings in check.

7. Look for non-verbal cues

Resistance in a conflictual situation doesn’t necessarily come in the form of raised voices and angry words. Nonverbal communication plays a big part, too.

Body language and subtle nonverbal cues can speak volumes as to what is really going on. 

This is especially true if someone is introverted or not used to dealing with conflict directly. Your ability to “read the room” and identify when someone’s body language doesn’t match their words is essential to drive an argument to resolution.

8. Show willingness

With time and effort, you can master a variety of conflict resolution skills. 

That said, your ultimate goal in any conflict is to reach an agreement between both parties. Sometimes this requires a willingness to set aside personal objectives and ego in order to reach a collective solution. 

What’s more, deadlocks between parties can be resolved early and quickly when you display a commitment and willingness to resolve the issue.

9. Practice patience

Conflict is not something to be avoided. Rather, it’s something to be managed, even when we want conflicts to be resolved quickly. 

But lasting solutions can take time, especially if both parties have a strong commitment to their argument. If you rush to a resolution, others may not feel heard, creating a tenuous agreement. 

If you apply the above skills, listen to all arguments, and cultivate patience, you’re likely to achieve a timely resolution.

10. Remain impartial

Showing favoritism or being partial to one side won’t solve the issue — in fact, it could make it worse.

Don’t immediately point fingers before you hear both parties give their explanation. Try to look at each side of the conflict for what it is. Avoid personally taking the people involved and their personalities into account.

11. Stay positive

During an interpersonal conflict, it's easy to sink to the lowest emotional state of someone involved. 

If someone is starting to raise their voice or become negative, try to cut it off early. Redirect the conversation to a more positive tone. 

Remind the parties involved that you're trying to reach a solution that everyone is happy with. 

A positive attitude will keep people more open and accepting. And it will help the conversation from devolving into a shouting match.

Conflict resolution skills examples 

Let’s take a look at two examples where a manager used their conflict resolution skills to solve a problem in the workplace:

Conflict resolution situation 1

One of your employees comes to you and complains that another employee is being too controlling over the department’s radio. They will only play their favorite station, which is a genre of music that not everyone on the team enjoys. The employee also won’t let anyone else adjust the volume. They brought the radio from home and claim it as their own.

Resolution:

You use a compromising resolution style to try and find an outcome that would be good for everyone. 

You listen to all sides of the conflict. Then you explain to the owner of the radio that people find it unfair they have complete control over the department’s music.

You propose a couple of solutions to the team as a compromise.

Each person could be assigned a different day of the week to choose a radio station for the department.   

Alternatively, the radio owner could take the radio home. Then, each employee could use headphones to listen to their own preferred music at their workstation. That way, everyone could get what they want, without interrupting or inconveniencing others.

Conflict resolution situation 2

An employee comes to you complaining about repetitive strain injuries from their workstation. Their arms and hands are sore. Their eyes feel strained, and their neck hurts from having to hunch over.

They say that if something doesn’t change, they’re in so much pain that they will have to quit.

You use an accommodating conflict resolution style to help them fix the problem.  

You actively listen to their problems and make them feel heard. You also let them know that you sympathize with them and want to help them fix the problem.

First, you suggest that they go over the company’s ergonomic training. They can check for themselves if their desk is properly set up. If not, they can make adjustments based on the training and see if it helps resolve their concerns.

You let them know that if they can’t set up their equipment in an ergonomic way, then you can help find another solution. You tell them that you may be able to accommodate them by buying a special ergonomic keyboard or mouse or even a new chair or desk.

Start effectively using conflict resolution skills today

The workplace, or even our personal lives, can quickly spiral out of control if we have an unresolved conflict. 

That’s why it’s important to use effective conflict resolution strategies to nip the problem in the bud.

Now you know some popular conflict resolution strategies, and you’ve seen examples of them in practice. It’s time to try applying them to your own life.

If you’re looking to create a better business environment with less conflict, give BetterUp a try.

See how BetterUp can help your business with conflict resolution by requesting a customized demo.

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Can’t we all just get along? A guide to conflict management styles

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Discover how to build a winning team and boost your business negotiation results in this free special report, Team Building Strategies for Your Organization, from Harvard Law School.

In Real-Life Conflict Scenarios, Promote Constructive Dissent

Real-life conflict scenarios involving teams are common in business, government, and nonprofits. to get the benefits of dissent without the harmful costs, follow our three guidelines..

By Katie Shonk — on August 29th, 2023 / Conflict Resolution

John Kelly. Gary Cohn. Rex Tillerson. General H.R. McMaster. Nikki Haley. Jeff Sessions. Scott Pruitt. Steve Bannon. Reince Priebus.

These are just some of the high-profile figures who left the White House who Donald Trump took office, often as a result of conflicts and policy differences with the president. According to a report by the Brookings Institute, the turnover rate for top decision-makers during Trump’s first year in office was 34%, as compared to rates of 6% to 17% for the previous five presidents. By December 2018, almost halfway through his term, Trump’s turnover rate had climbed to 62%.

Real-life conflict scenarios can keep groups from being effective. But at a press conference on March 6, Trump suggested that any conflict within the White House has been beneficial: “I like conflict. I like having two people with different points of view, and I certainly have that, and I make a decision. But I like watching [conflict], I like seeing it, and I think it’s the best way to go.”

Is conflict indeed an asset in negotiating and decision-making teams? Yes, but only if it’s managed constructively in real-life conflict scenarios.

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In our FREE special report from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School - The New Conflict Management: Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies to Avoid Litigation – renowned negotiation experts uncover unconventional approaches to conflict management that can turn adversaries into partners.

The Right Kind of Conflict

In the 1970s, psychologist Irving Janis used the term “groupthink” to describe the common tendency for group members to withhold their true views for fear of being excluded or antagonizing others. In real-life conflict scenarios, groupthink can lead negotiating teams and other groups to overlook critical information and ignore looming crises.

The best leaders avoid groupthink by surrounding themselves with people with diverse views, styles, and perspectives, Lesley University president and conflict management expert Jeff Weiss told NPR’s Marketplace . This diversity of opinion helps leaders view a problem from all angles, a benefit that Trump appears to appreciate.

The key to effective group decision making is constructive dissent —disagreements that respectfully and productively challenge others’ viewpoints, according to Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino. We often wrap up negotiations too quickly and leave value on the table because we fear to disagree with others, she says. By contrast, when we feel free to disagree with others, we foster a more rigorous decision-making or negotiation process.

At the same time, diversity of opinion can foster unconstructive and damaging real-life conflict scenarios. In their research, University of Virginia professor Kristin Behfar and her colleagues found that when negotiating teams disagree on substantive issues, such as interests, priorities, and goals, the conflict management process can lead them to better outcomes than if they hadn’t disagreed. But if the conflict becomes personal, the team is likely to be far less productive.

Promoting Constructive Conflict

How can we engage in constructive dissent in group meetings and negotiations without being sabotaged by destructive conflict? Research and real-life conflict management examples suggest these three guidelines:

• Negotiate differences behind the scenes. When negotiating with another team, your team needs to present a unified front. Conflict may be useful behind the scenes, but at the table it can be a sign of weakness and disarray. For this reason, spend at least twice as much time preparing for an upcoming negotiation as you expect to spend at the table, advises Cornell University professor Elizabeth Mannix. Begin by debating the issues to be discussed and developing priorities. Aim to achieve consensus on the team’s goals and the strategies you will use to achieve them.
• Assign a devil’s advocate. At Chicago-based money-management firm Ariel Investments, leaders actively promote dissent in meetings by assigning “devil’s advocates” to poke holes in the decision-making process, writes Gino in her book Rebel Talent : Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life (Dey Street Books, 2018). Ariel’s president, Mellody Hobson, kicks off team meetings by reminding those present that they don’t have to be right; they just need to be prepared to disagree in order to help the team make wise decisions.
• Prepare for conflict. Although team members may try to express their differences professionally and respectfully, there may be times when disagreements become personal and unproductive. In real-life examples of workplace conflict, leaders can encourage team members to reveal the hidden interests and concerns behind their accusations and demands through active listening. As they navigate real-life conflict scenarios, team members may come to view their differing preferences as opportunities for value-creating tradeoffs.

What real-life examples of conflict resolution have you dealt with, and how?

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5 Real-Life Examples of Conflict in the Workplace

Interviewers often ask job applicants about their conflict resolution skills and ask them to describe workplace conflict examples they have experienced in real life. You might get the job if you can describe your ability to resolve conflicts you have encountered at previous jobs, but your new job might present even more challenging situations.

Conflict resolution is the responsibility of everyone in the workplace, not just upper management and not just the human resources department. All employees have a role in resolving conflicts. Leaders in the organization can, however, set an example for a company culture that allows for differing opinions and cultural differences while providing avenues for employees in all roles to resolve conflict.

These are some common workplace conflict examples and how you should address these situations when they arise.

1. Poor Communication Between Management and the Employees on the Front Lines

When leaders in an organization effectively communicate their expectations, this makes it easier for all of the employees to do their jobs. You would be surprised how many companies have not set out their policies in writing, leaving many of the rules open to more than one interpretation.

For example, is it sexual misconduct if a medical resident assigned to a hospital goes on a date with a physician who holds a permanent job there? Where should employees turn if they are having trouble because of poor collaboration and contrasting personalities among members of their work team?

The more written guidelines the managers provide about how to handle conflict, the easier it is for all the other employees to deal with potential conflicts as they arise.

The Four Quadrants of Management

A manager’s management style has a major effect on the productivity of every team member. The best managers are the most self-aware. They self-reflect before they start chewing employees out about their poor job performance.

The four quadrants of management are key to understanding why inadequate communication and poor workplace morale affect some work environments. It is possible to categorize each manager’s style as high or low responsibility and high or low control.

When managers exhibit low responsibility, personality-based conflicts and other kinds of dysfunction thrive. The most resilient employees can rely on their own problem-solving skills to accomplish some of their work tasks, but it is very hard for employees to effectively adapt to the company’s vision.

When the manager has a low responsibility low control style the employee believes that the manager does not care. Therefore, everyone’s productivity tanks.

A low responsibility high control manager does not communicate expectations but still bosses everyone around and gets mad when they don’t read the manager’s mind. This managed style leads not only to decreased productivity but also to stress and conflict among team members. Low-responsibility management can especially negatively impact employees working in remote locations.

At a minimum, high-responsibility managers have increased awareness of the organization’s vision and of their role in achieving the company’s goals. They know that it is their responsibility to solve problems that arise and, when appropriate, to guide employees regarding how to solve them. They set clear expectations for the workers they supervise.

The trouble is that high responsibility high control managers tend to micromanage and be excessively critical of their employees. This makes team members feel uncomfortable and leads to poor productivity. At worst, it amounts to the root cause of a hostile work environment.

High-responsibility low control managers have the self-awareness to understand that their leadership style affects the productivity and well-being of employees and of the company as a whole. They can avoid conflict by treating their employees with the utmost respect. They avoid communication issues by encouraging employees to openly discuss their perspectives with them. Because of their higher emotional intelligence, they follow up about pending tasks and common workplace conflicts only as much as they need to.

2. Workplace Conflicts That Arise From Different Styles of Working

Interpersonal conflicts can arise when you are working closely with someone, even if the two of you have a lot in common and ordinarily get along.

Plenty of longtime friends never experienced personality clashes with each other until they were responsible for a task, such as going on a road trip together or rooming together for a semester. You might have a high opinion of your friend but not be able to stand the way he changes lanes or how he arranges the dishes in the dishwasher.

Clashing preferences on a work team causes tension in plenty of working relationships. The inability to agree on guidelines for updating a shared document or on which other team to email first is one of the most common examples of conflict in an office environment.  Managers should encourage employees to take conflict resolution steps among themselves or with the help of management or human resources before prolonged conflict becomes entrenched in the culture of the organization.

There Is Not a One-Size-Fits-All Template for a Productive Work Environment

Although work style conflicts are very common, the specifics of each conflict vary from one team to another and one conflict to another. When such conflicts occur, it is sometimes appropriate to give the parties to the conflict a chance to resolve the conflict among themselves before you intervene. Some employees are very resourceful with problem-solving tactics.

If an employee complains to a manager, the manager should take some kind of action, but the most appropriate action varies according to the situation. In the case of discrimination complaints or reports of sexual harassment, the managers’ response should not be something that constitutes retaliation against the employee who complained.

Retaliating against an employee about a sexual harassment or discrimination complaint can lead to worse legal issues for the organization. Managers should, however, thoroughly gather relevant facts before singling out one employee for his or her role in a problem to which many members of the organization contributed.

3. Employment Discrimination Is More Than Just Workplace Conflict

Communication conflict and disagreements over work styles can yield your organization a reputation as an unpleasant place to work. Discrimination is an even worse problem, though.

Low productivity and high employee turnover are costly, but they cost a lot less than if your company faces a discrimination lawsuit from a current or former employee.

Employment discrimination can take many forms, and it is more prevalent than you might imagine. Many employees who have experienced discrimination do not report it to their employers for fear of losing their jobs or making the conflict worse.

Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination based on protected characteristics such as race, sex, religion, age, and disability, among other protected characteristics. Employers who subject employees and job applicants to discrimination can face serious legal consequences.

The legal definition of discrimination is much broader than the examples of discrimination most familiar from highly publicized cases. A company does not have to refuse to hire women to be liable for sex discrimination. An employee can sue for sexual harassment if coworkers persistently make sexuality-related comments that bother him enough to interfere with his work performance. Sexual harassment is not always about a C-suite executive pressuring an entry-level employee to provide sexual favors.

How Leaders Can Prevent Discrimination in the Workplace

Effective communication is key to preventing workplace discrimination. All employees should undergo harassment training during part of the onboarding process. The organization should provide additional harassment training each year to notify employees about changes in the law and in the company’s policies. They should also be clear with employees about the extent to which employees can expect confidentiality when reporting harassment or discrimination.

4. Conflicts Within an Organization’s Leadership

Poor communication is detrimental to any place of employment, and active listening consistently helps to prevent conflict in the workplace , but the effects are even more pronounced when both parties to the conflict are among the major decision-makers in the organization.

Leadership conflicts are among the most costly types of conflict in the workplace because of their effect on productivity and worker morale.

When to Bring in a Mediator

When leaders who are responsible for the company’s direction disagree about work styles and other matters, sometimes it takes more than just active listening to solve the problem. Officers and other leaders in an organization may need the help of third parties to resolve their workplace conflicts.

Before you lawyer up, you and your business partner should discuss your conflicts in the presence of a professional mediator and try to find a mutually agreeable solution to your workplace conflicts.

5. Ineffective Mechanisms for Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

It is frustrating for employees when they get mixed messages about whose responsibility it is to do what.

For example, an employee might complain to her direct supervisor about a problem, and the supervisor might tell her to talk to HR. When she goes to the HR office, they might tell her that the person who can solve the problem is her direct supervisor. These kinds of communication problems require good leadership to solve.

In the meantime, empathy and emotional intelligence can make a poorly run workplace more bearable until the institutional problems get sorted out.

Conflict Management Training Helps Everyone

You have much more control over your own actions than you do over other people’s, but the more you learn about how to resolve conflicts at work, the more harmonious your work team, or your entire organization, will be.

Most people’s education and job training do not include enough specific instruction in conflict resolution to prepare them adequately for the conflicts they routinely encounter at work. Whether you participate in one-on-one coaching sessions or group workshops, you can benefit your entire organization by sharpening your conflict management skills.

Contact AllWin About Conflict Management Training

No matter your role in the organization, you can benefit from formal training in conflict management in the workplace with AllWin .

Our certified training courses and coaching sessions can help you build your conflict management, de-escalation, and communication skills through in-person or online programs. Contact AllWin today and take the first step toward effectively resolving conflicts on your team and in your organization.

About the Author: Jeremy Pollack

Jeremy Pollack, Ph.D. is the founder of Defuse De-Escalation Training, a sister company of Pollack Peacebuilding Systems, the largest workplace conflict resolution training and consulting firm in North America. He actively participates in de-escalation training and consulting initiatives for a variety of industries, from Fortune 500 companies to well-known non-profits. Besides his Ph.D. in Psychology from Grand Canyon University, Jeremy holds a Master’s Degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding (NCRP) from California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is also a member of several organizations focused on conflict resolution and peacebuilding, such as the Peaceful Leadership Institute, the Association for Conflict Resolution, and the Division 48 (Division of Peace Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. Jeremy also holds several certifications in the field of training and coaching: he is a Certified Organizational Development Coach (CODC™), a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist-Individual (CCTS-I™), and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) under the International Coaching Federation.

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Examples of Conflict in the Workplace - Scenarios & Solutions

Table of Contents

• Scenario 1 — You get off on the wrong foot with a new coworker
• Scenario 2 — Someone sends you urgent requests after hours
• Scenario 3 — Things got awkward between you and your work friend after you got a promotion
• Scenario 4 — Your supervisor is playing favorites, giving preferential treatment and more opportunities to certain team members.

Conflict in the workplace is inevitable.

So how can we set ourselves up to deal with conflict as constructively and professionally as possible?

After all, conflict is a necessary - and healthy - element of all human relationships. The key is to make sure that bottled up emotions and/or uncontrolled outbursts don't lead to toxicity in the workplace.

That's why we hosted an interactive chat with Sharon Ray, a conflict resolution expert with 25+ years of experience in HR.

Watch the Chat

"Anytime you deal with people, you're going to have some sort of disagreement or conflict. Conflict in the workplace is an exercise in persuasion. Being able to problem solve and find the best solution for both sides."

Sharon fielded questions from the PowerToFly community about how to deal with a number of examples of conflict in the workplace.

You get off on the wrong foot with a new coworker.

They ask you for help responding to a customer inquiry, but you refuse to lend a hand because you are working on a tight deadline and don't want to waste time. There has been tension between you two ever since, and now you need their help on a project, but they're not being very responsive.

How do you recover?

Proposed Solution

Go own it! Find an appropriate time to walk up to them and say,"I understand that we got off on the wrong foot. My apologies for that. What I'm trying to resolve is X. Can we have a conversation about that?"

Regardless of who the conflict is with - an employee, your boss, etc., they'll think more highly of you if you demonstrate self-awareness. The conversation may be awkward, but that's better than a tense relationship that could last years all because you got off on the wrong foot.

Key Focus : It's all about how you approach the situation.

Try to maintain respect in the conversation and understand that it does not mean that you're going to love each other at the end of it. At the end of the day you are trying to resolve something so that you can move forward and execute on whatever project or plan you need to deliver.

You're frustrated because your colleague in France keeps messaging you at 5am (your time). They send you seemingly urgent requests when you're sleeping or just waking up, and you're sick of being bombarded with 11 requests before you've even sat down at your desk. You get the vibe they don't like you very much and you don't know how to approach them.

Avoiding confrontation is making your situation worse, not better! Schedule a time to chat with them via phone or video call.

Bring the spirit of collaboration to the table!

Uncover the root of the problem by asking questions - "Is there any particular reason you send me requests before I'm up? Am I responding to you too late?"

Once you understand why they're doing it, you can help them articulate their needs. Maybe they send you 11 messages at 6am because that's right before their lunchtime, and they don't want to forget their questions when they go on break.

Now figure out a solution that works for both of you. Can they send themselves a reminder on Slack to ping you with their questions when you're at your desk? Can you just ignore their messages until you clock in now that you understand they're not time sensitive? Should you schedule a morning check in to go over these requests in real time rather than via message?

Key Focus: Have a candid conversation to ease any tensions long distance can bring.

You got a promotion that your friend at work was also gunning for. Now things are awkward between you two. You definitely want to keep the friendship going, but they aren't even speaking to you outside of team meetings.

Sharon suggests going up to the person and owning it. Tell them that you know it's an uncomfortable situation and that you'd like to continue the relationship. These situations are tough, but radical candor is important - learn more about how to practice it in the workplace here .

Key Focus: Be proactive. Break the ice. Figure out how to work together.

Important Note: Never apologize for your promotion/moving your career forward. Prepare to be content with the other person's decision if they are no longer interested in continuing the friendship.

Tensions are rising in the office as it becomes increasingly clear that your manager is playing favorites. Certain team members consistently receive the most exciting projects, professional development opportunities, and public recognition. While others, including you, are overlooked despite boasting equal or superior performance. This favoritism has led to low morale and a sense of unfairness among the team, which hinders overall productivity and collaboration.

To address this issue, it's important to map specific times when you've noticed this happening to yourself. That way, you can come prepared with examples for the meeting, Having a well-thought-out plan before approaching your manager is key. Begin by requesting a private meeting to discuss your concerns.

In this meeting, be calm and professional. Provide specific examples of instances where favoritism has been observed, focusing on the impact on team morale and performance rather than personal grievances. Emphasize the importance of fairness and equal opportunity in fostering a productive and motivated team.

Depending on the conversation, you might suggest implementing a more transparent and inclusive system for assigning projects and opportunities, with clear, objective criteria for distributing assignments and recognition. In addition, you can suggest regular team meetings where progress, accomplishments, and future opportunities are discussed openly so that everyone is informed and feels included. Encourage your manager to solicit feedback from all team members to ensure everyone's skills and contributions are recognized, and the company distributes development opportunities equally. By fostering a more equitable environment, your team can improve morale, enhance collaboration, and increase productivity.

Don't see your specific scenario listed above? Feel free to check out the full video for more examples of conflict in the workplace scenarios - and solutions!

Here are some highlighted questions from the chat and learn :

• What steps should I be taking to resolve conflicts at work? (4:21)
• What if the company you work for does not have an HR department, Should we expect the owner of the company to be the mediator? If so, are there tools he/she could reference when dealing with this type of situation? (4:29)
• How do I know when to escalate an issue with a coworker? (10:35)
• What are some suggestions to implement when management refuses to address issues of conflict? (10:42)
• I feel like my team is always combating my ideas. How do I address this? (17:47)
• How does one approach a manager who is part of the conflict without being scared to bring up the issue? (17:55)
• As a manager, how can I help my team address conflict better? (29:20)
• Could you please talk about conflict resolution and remote/international teams who may have geographical and cultural differences? (43:08)
• How do you best approach a coworker (same tenure) who's not doing their share of the work, while being respectful/not coming across as a manager/supervisor? (44:48)
• How do you think conflict can be an avenue for innovation? (47:34)

We'll leave you with some parting words from Sharon: "Whatever the scenario, keep in mind that we are human, and will face conflict. How we resolve that conflict is key."

16 thought-provoking questions about diversity and inclusion

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5 Strategies for Conflict Resolution in the Workplace

• 07 Sep 2023

Any scenario in which you live, work, and collaborate with others is susceptible to conflict. Because workplaces are made up of employees with different backgrounds, personalities, opinions, and daily lives, discord is bound to occur. To navigate it, it’s crucial to understand why it arises and your options for resolving it.

Common reasons for workplace conflict include:

• Misunderstandings or poor communication skills
• Differing opinions, viewpoints, or personalities
• Biases or stereotypes
• Variations in learning or processing styles
• Perceptions of unfairness

Although conflict is common, many don’t feel comfortable handling it—especially with colleagues. As a business leader, you’ll likely clash with other managers and need to help your team work through disputes.

Here’s why conflict resolution is important and five strategies for approaching it.

Access your free e-book today.

Why Is Addressing Workplace Conflict Important?

Pretending conflict doesn’t exist doesn’t make it go away. Ignoring issues can lead to missed deadlines, festering resentment, and unsuccessful initiatives.

Yet, according to coaching and training firm Bravely , 53 percent of employees handle “toxic” situations by avoiding them. Worse still, averting a difficult conversation can cost an organization $7,500 and more than seven workdays.

That adds up quickly: American businesses lose $359 billion yearly due to the impact of unresolved conflict.

As a leader, you have a responsibility to foster healthy conflict resolution and create a safe, productive work environment for employees.

“Some rights, such as the right to safe working conditions or the right against sexual harassment, are fundamental to the employment relationship,” says Harvard Business School Professor Nien-hê Hsieh in the course Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability . “These rights are things that employees should be entitled to no matter what. They’re often written into the law, but even when they aren’t, they’re central to the ethical treatment of others, which involves respecting the inherent dignity and intrinsic worth of each individual.”

Effectively resolving disputes as they arise benefits your employees’ well-being and your company’s financial health. The first step is learning about five conflict resolution strategies at your disposal.

Related: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Employees

While there are several approaches to conflict, some can be more effective than others. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model —developed by Dr. Kenneth W. Thomas and Dr. Ralph H. Kilmann—outlines five strategies for conflict resolution:

• Accommodating
• Compromising
• Collaborating

These fall on a graph, with assertiveness on the y-axis and cooperativeness on the x-axis. In the Thomas-Kilmann model, “assertiveness” refers to the extent to which you try to reach your own goal, and “cooperativeness” is the extent to which you try to satisfy the other party’s goal.

Alternatively, you can think of these axis labels as the “importance of my goal” and the “importance of this relationship.” If your assertiveness is high, you aim to achieve your own goal. If your cooperativeness is high, you strive to help the other person reach theirs to maintain the relationship.

Here’s a breakdown of the five strategies and when to use each.

1. Avoiding

Avoiding is a strategy best suited for situations in which the relationship’s importance and goal are both low.

While you’re unlikely to encounter these scenarios at work, they may occur in daily life. For instance, imagine you’re on a public bus and the passenger next to you is loudly playing music. You’ll likely never bump into that person again, and your goal of a pleasant bus ride isn’t extremely pressing. Avoiding conflict by ignoring the music is a valid option.

In workplace conflicts—where your goals are typically important and you care about maintaining a lasting relationship with colleagues—avoidance can be detrimental.

Remember: Some situations require avoiding conflict, but you’re unlikely to encounter them in the workplace.

2. Competing

Competing is another strategy that, while not often suited for workplace conflict, can be useful in some situations.

This conflict style is for scenarios in which you place high importance on your goal and low importance on your relationships with others. It’s high in assertiveness and low in cooperation.

You may choose a competing style in a crisis. For instance, if someone is unconscious and people are arguing about what to do, asserting yourself and taking charge can help the person get medical attention quicker.

You can also use it when standing up for yourself and in instances where you feel unsafe. In those cases, asserting yourself and reaching safety is more critical than your relationships with others.

When using a competing style in situations where your relationships do matter (for instance, with a colleague), you risk impeding trust—along with collaboration, creativity, and productivity.

3. Accommodating

The third conflict resolution strategy is accommodation, in which you acquiesce to the other party’s needs. Use accommodating in instances where the relationship matters more than your goal.

For example, if you pitch an idea for a future project in a meeting, and one of your colleagues says they believe it will have a negative impact, you could resolve the conflict by rescinding your original thought.

This is useful if the other person is angry or hostile or you don’t have a strong opinion on the matter. It immediately deescalates conflict by removing your goal from the equation.

While accommodation has its place within organizational settings, question whether you use it to avoid conflict. If someone disagrees with you, simply acquiescing can snuff out opportunities for innovation and creative problem-solving .

As a leader, notice whether your employees frequently fall back on accommodation. If the setting is safe, encouraging healthy debate can lead to greater collaboration.

Related: How to Create a Culture of Ethics and Accountability in the Workplace

4. Compromising

Compromising is a conflict resolution strategy in which you and the other party willingly forfeit some of your needs to reach an agreement. It’s known as a “lose-lose” strategy, since neither of you achieve your full goal.

This strategy works well when your care for your goal and the relationship are both moderate. You value the relationship, but not so much that you abandon your goal, like in accommodation.

For example, maybe you and a peer express interest in leading an upcoming project. You could compromise by co-leading it or deciding one of you leads this one and the other the next one.

Compromising requires big-picture thinking and swallowing your pride, knowing you won’t get all your needs fulfilled. The benefits are that you and the other party value your relationship and make sacrifices to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.

5. Collaborating

Where compromise is a lose-lose strategy, collaboration is a win-win. In instances of collaboration, your goal and the relationship are equally important, motivating both you and the other party to work together to find an outcome that meets all needs.

An example of a situation where collaboration is necessary is if one of your employees isn’t performing well in their role—to the point that they’re negatively impacting the business. While maintaining a strong, positive relationship is important, so is finding a solution to their poor performance. Framing the conflict as a collaboration can open doors to help each other discover its cause and what you can do to improve performance and the business’s health.

Collaboration is ideal for most workplace conflicts. Goals are important, but so is maintaining positive relationships with co-workers. Promote collaboration whenever possible to find creative solutions to problems . If you can’t generate a win-win idea, you can always fall back on compromise.

Considering Your Responsibilities as a Leader

As a leader, not only must you address your own conflicts but help your employees work through theirs. When doing so, remember your responsibilities to your employees—whether ethical, legal, or economic.

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability groups your ethical responsibilities to employees into five categories:

• Well-being: What’s ultimately good for the person
• Rights: Entitlement to receive certain treatment
• Duties: A moral obligation to behave in a specific way
• Best practices: Aspirational standards not required by law or cultural norms
• Fairness: Impartial and just treatment

In the course, Hsieh outlines three types of fairness you can use when helping employees solve conflicts:

• Legitimate expectations: Employees reasonably expect certain practices or behaviors to continue based on experiences with the organization and explicit promises.
• Procedural fairness: Managers must resolve issues impartially and consistently.
• Distributive fairness: Your company equitably allocates opportunities, benefits, and burdens.

Particularly with procedural fairness, ensure you don’t take sides when mediating conflict. Treat both parties equally, allowing them time to speak and share their perspectives. Guide your team toward collaboration or compromise, and work toward a solution that achieves the goal while maintaining—and even strengthening—relationships.

Are you interested in learning how to navigate difficult decisions as a leader? Explore Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability —one of our online leadership and management courses —and download our free guide to becoming a more effective leader.

About the Author

When approached right, conflict can provide healthy learning and growth opportunities. Here is how to manage conflict like an expert.

We often perceive conflict as undesirable, if not flat-out scary, but real-life conflicts are typically much less bombastic than TV and movies make them out to be. In fact, when approached right, conflict can even provide healthy learning and growth opportunities. Conflict management skills are the key to unlocking this complex door. Whether your team’s conflicts are this small or much bigger, you can use the below conflict management guide to effectively problem-solve.

What are conflict management skills?

What are the 5 conflict management strategies.

• 8 examples of conflict management skills
• 7 best practices for conflict resolution

Conflict management skills help minimize the negative impacts of workplace conflicts on you, the people involved, and your whole team. They’re basically what you would do when you sense a disagreement coming on with a friend or partner, but applied to the workplace. On less fortunate occasions, they might be skills you use once the conflict has already gotten out of hand.

Use a meeting management tool like Fellow to have a structured, collaborative meeting agenda to ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak.

When you think of conflict, do you tense up and get anxious, or do you view it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and work better together? Different approaches work better for different people, and all these approaches can be loosely grouped into the below strategies. 

1 Collaborating

Just as teams that work together create better products, people who resolve conflicts together achieve better outcomes. This is the premise of collaborative conflict management skills. Under this method, you’ll guide the conflicting parties to a mutually agreeable resolution. Maybe no one person in the conflict will have all their boxes checked, but they’ll certainly reach a more agreeable point than before.

2 Competing

In conflict management, a competing strategy typically results in one party “winning” and the other “losing.” For obvious reasons, you might want to avoid competitive conflict management approaches unless absolutely necessary. Reserve it solely for when the person against whom a grievance is aired has flagrantly violated your workplace’s terms.

Conflict avoidance can get a bad rap – it might make you feel meek or unconfident. Sometimes, though, avoiding conflict is precisely the right call. For example, instead of raising an issue over a tiny edit you made to someone’s work, just make the edit yourself. Save your feedback for larger issues. Simultaneously, make a note to watch for that tiny mistake again in future work, and consider gently calling it out if you continue seeing it.

4 Accommodating

Even the tiniest, most pedantic requests can be a source of conflict. As an example, let’s say one of your team members is overall pleased with another team member’s contributions but wants one minor change made. That’s a minor change, not a major change. In other words, it’s likely not worth any squabbling. Applying your accommodating conflict management skills here would mean that the one team member accepts these changes instead of objecting, or a team member refrains from bringing up very minor irks altogether.

5 Compromising

Compromising may be the best of both worlds, as it combines assertion with cooperation. It typically follows the flow of, What do you want? Here’s what I want. Here’s an alternative that works for us both . It’s a great approach when you need to resolve a conflict quickly so an urgent decision can be made. Plus, you can always come back to the conflict after the decision is made. You can’t quite do that if you let the conflict bubble over without compromise.

8 examples of conflict management skills 

While the above explanations may read simply, these basic descriptions mask the fact that actually resolving your conflicts can be tough. You’ll need the below conflict management skills for best results.

• Communication
• Emotional intelligence
• Active listening
• Open discussion
• Impartiality

1 Communication

Picture this: You task two team members with completing a project, but as the project progresses, the team members realize they just can’t get along. But it’s not like you’re asking them to be friends. You’re just asking them to complete this assignment. Two people who don’t vibe still need to work together sometimes, but poor communication can exacerbate any preexisting negative feelings toward their work partner. Remind your team members that they need to be on the same page when it comes to their work, and find ways to minimize their interactions outside of what’s needed to complete good work.

“We all make mistakes, like we all do, and that’s okay, as long as we fix them moving forward, and we create a process or a system where they don’t break or something doesn’t happen again. But I do think it’s like, you know, I value that leadership, I’ve always valued that leadership.” – Melissa Rosenthal , CCO at Clickup

2 Emotional intelligence

Conflict can stem from you and your team members not being on the same page emotionally. That comes into play a lot in conflict management. If you can’t tell when someone is frustrated, you won’t know when to put your conflict management skills to work. 

Likewise, if you can’t perceive that your management style is stressing your team out, you might wonder why their motivation is in the gutter. The thing is, you’re the problem in this case. But if a lack of emotional intelligence causes you to blame the employee instead, you’ve now worsened the conflict. Always read the room and encourage emotional openness from which to hold empathetic problem-solving conversations (or maybe try a problem-solving activity ).

3 Active listening

Our minds run at a mile a minute. That makes it pretty easy to get distracted when someone is speaking to you. And that’s a surefire way to face conflict later when you don’t follow through on what you and the person discussed. Active listening can help you avoid this struggle.

When you listen actively, you notice someone’s exact phrasing and points made. You might then respond with similar phrasing or ask questions to clarify. This way, the person with whom you’re speaking will know you’re on the same page as them. 

4 Open discussion

When conflicts are serious enough, you might want to take steps to address them the moment you sense them. A great way to do so is to invite all the people involved to a meeting. At this meeting, the conflicting parties can openly discuss the circumstances and how they feel about them. 

As a team leader, you can use this moment as a springboard for conflict resolution. When everyone’s thoughts are out in the open, problem-solving conversations might flow naturally, and everyone might walk away happy. Try out Fellow’s problem-solving meeting template below to ensure a great conversation.

“There are people who are team players and really care about the company. When they speak up, it matters a lot to me because I know they are coming from the right place.” – Eric Schmidt,  Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell

Some conflicts are simple to overcome, while others can take time to resolve and make people pretty angry. That’s why patience is such an important conflict management skill.

For example, conflicts stemming from stubbornness might test your patience. You may also feel challenged by rushing impatiently to a solution, which may inadvertently leave someone out of the resolution. 

No matter how, or by how much, a conflict tests your patience, you should never get angry. You can be firm and stern, but obvious frustration will always worsen the problem. And if you do deliver what’s seemingly a “final verdict” angrily, you’ll likely upset your team enough that resentment builds. And resentment is a perfect breeding ground for future conflicts.

6 Impartiality

While having a favorite team member is frowned upon, it’s inevitable that you’ll grow closer with some people than others. Yet the team members with whom you’re close can make mistakes too. If you resolve conflicts in ways partial to them, then you’re not really solving conflicts. You’re just playing favorites.

Impartiality is the key here. No matter who’s involved in a conflict, take a step back from it and figure out who’s done what. Then, figure out how those actions affected the other parties. Then, make a call: Who needs to do what to resolve this conflict? When you step back like this, better outcomes are possible for everyone.

Think back to your childhood. When people yelled at you when you made mistakes, you didn’t like that, did you? Now imagine castigating someone on your team for making a mistake that’s led to conflict. Imagine yourself insulting their work quality, or worse yet, their intelligence. That’s pushing them away when you should be calling them in . Instead, take a guidance-based conflict resolution approach.

Even if you do think a conflict is the result of someone’s terrible work, you don’t need to say so. That would be pretty harsh! Instead, show the person where their errors lie, how these errors affected other people, and how they can avoid these mistakes in the future. Do so constructively without any signs of anger or disappointment to keep things positive and encouraging. Speaking of which…

8 Positivity

Negative emotions only beget more negative emotions. It’s entirely possible to resolve most conflicts while staying positive. And positive emotions beget more positive emotions!

For positive conflict resolution, make sure all discussions are at least neutral in tone. Encourage participants to go into the conversation with an open mind and perhaps even excitement about resolving the problem. Working from this mindset makes finding a meaningful solution far more likely.

7 best practices for conflict resolution  

Ready to keep an open ear and mind as you positively, patiently resolve conflicts? Start with the below conflict management skills. Your team will thank you, and so will your stress levels.

• Avoid the blame game
• Be explanatory, not accusatory
• Keep calm and carry on
• Keep it all within the conflict
• Don’t take things personally
• Observe body language
• Don’t burn bridges

1 Avoid the blame game

Nobody likes to feel blamed. If anything, blaming someone will lead to them feeling defensive, and that’s not a great mind state from which to solve problems. Instead, make sure that everyone in the conflict gets open space to share concerns without interruption. Then, work from everything that’s been said to identify the most serious pain points. Shift the conversation to those and how everyone present can contribute to addressing them.

2 Be explanatory, not accusatory

Imagine if someone said, “You did this wrong.” That wouldn’t feel great. But what if that person said “I don’t have what I need” instead? You might then be inclined to ask what the person needs instead of going on the defensive. From that position, you can solve problems much more easily. 

Notice that the better statement for problem-solving begins with “I.” A conflict narrated through how each participant feels rather than whom they blame is much healthier. Most people are empathetic and will strive to help other team members’ negative emotions disappear. In other words, they’ll resolve the conflict.

3 Keep calm and carry on

Big conflicts might make you want to tear your hair out. They might make you want to scream. You obviously know not to do the former, but don’t do the latter, either! Even the most intense of conflicts are better resolved when everyone is calm.

Instead of approaching a conflict with exasperation, frame your concerns in a neutral tone. “I’m tired of having this client treat me like this” can always be “When this client treats me this way, it causes me to…” Notice how much less intense the latter phrase sounds. That calmer approach is much less likely to make someone feel too frazzled to dig their feet in and get to work solving the problem.

4 Keep it all within the conflict

Any time you discuss a conflict with someone outside it, you risk bringing them into the conflict. Sometimes, doing so is inevitable: When two of your team members aren’t seeing eye to eye, they might ask for your help. That’s natural and a good thing. But if one of those team members complains about the other to someone else on the team, that’s a problem. Suddenly, that third person is involved in the conflict. 

Remind your team members to keep what’s said in the room. And if someone in the conflict feels truly angry, suggest that they vent somewhere no one else can see or hear. Maybe that means journaling or speaking to a friend outside work who doesn’t know the other people involved. Getting that anger out now can lead to better conflict resolution later.

5 Make sure everyone knows not to take things personally

When you started at your first job, criticism may have felt like the end of the world. But that’s all anxiety speaking – rarely is criticism delivered with a personal agenda. So when it comes time to manage conflicts, make sure everyone knows not to take things personally.

That said, if the source of conflict is insults or offensive comments, then there’s indeed something to be taken personally. But if the issue at hand solely pertains to work, you can resolve it without anyone getting hurt. Just have everyone separate their emotions from the tasks and learn to objectively see what went wrong and why. 

6 Observe body language

You know how sometimes people will say “I’m fine” but clearly show that they’re not? That’s the power of body language. When team members in a conflict say they’re OK with a solution but still appear unhappy, that might indeed be the case. 

Of course, you can’t call someone out for looking like they don’t mean what they say, but you can encourage more, honest conversation. If someone says they’re OK with something but doesn’t appear to be, you can say, “I’m glad to hear that. Is there anything more you want to add?” This way, you can get additional input that all sides can use to approach a solution that works for everyone.

7 Don’t burn bridges

Relationships are important, and rarely is a conflict significant enough to be worth burning that bridge. Do all you can to encourage apologies and a mindset of resolution rather than proving one side right or wrong. You should also promote a focus on the current conflict rather than old ones that, when brought up out of nowhere, can incite anger. Calm conversations preserve relationships — the precise point of conflict management.

Conflict is inevitable, and it doesn’t have to be bad

If groups of people always saw eye to eye, the world would look a lot different, and so would your workplace. Conflict is indeed inevitable, but you and your team can learn and grow from it. Doing so requires conflict management skills, teamwork, and a space in which both can develop. Meetings are often that space, and with Fellow ’s highly versatile meeting tools, you can easily plan and take actions to resolve conflicts.

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7 Workplace Conflict Examples (Plus How to Handle Each One)

Nine out of 10 companies plan to implement “return to work” by the end of 2024, according to CNBC . With so many people coming back to the office , does this mean workplace conflict is destined to come along for the ride?

“Conflict in the workplace is inevitable. Any time you’re bringing people together, you’re going to get different perspectives,” shares Scott Monty , CEO and Principal of Scott Monty Strategies and Leadership Coach and Communications Strategist for Chameleon Collective.

This inevitability can actually work in your favor: If you know disagreements are bound to happen, you can prepare yourself. You can be on the lookout for common catalysts and try to mitigate them. And when an issue does arise, you can navigate it adeptly to keep the team unified and the work product strong.

Monty continues: “The key with any kind of conflict, whether personal or professional, is how you resolve it.” Now, keep in mind, we can’t divorce the individuality of everyone involved from our solutions and best practices for resolving workplace conflicts.

"Everyone has different communication needs: the pace of conversation, the length of time devoted to the conversation, the tone and level of detail shared within the conversation are all factors that differ between us and need to be considered for effective communication and conflict management," explains Lindsay Friedman, Leadership Development Coach and Founder of Lead With Lindsay .

Armed with this awareness that best practices and solutions must account for individual differences and workplace culture, here are 7 workplace conflict examples–and suggestions to navigate each one.

Examples of workplace conflict: Scenarios and solutions

1. inflexible thinking.

Inflexibility in the workplace, also known as black-and-white thinking or “my way or the highway”, usually doesn’t allow for multiple perspectives or solutions. In certain work environments, leaders, or colleagues might dismiss alternative approaches simply because they aren’t intuitive to them. As a result, team members may disengage, convinced no one wants to hear their original thoughts anyway.

The conflict arises when someone breaks the pattern. They offer innovation, feedback, pushback, or alternatives. These moments can be particularly sticky because they call for navigating two disagreements. There’s the difference of opinion over the best approach in the near-term, and whether repetition or expansive thinking is the way to go long-term.

How to handle it:

First, you’ll want to pick your battles. If someone’s drawn a line in the sand over something that won’t actually affect the team, the culture, or the results (i.e., it’s just rigid and different), let this pitch pass you by. Ask yourself: “If I wasn’t on this team, and the situation was handled as planned, do I think it would still succeed?”

If the answer is no, or if it’s a repeated scenario, then it’s important to address both the pathway forward in this specific instance, and the way ideas are presented. Of course, these should be two separate conversations.

Start with the immediate: “I notice we seem to have settled on a course of action before [consulting an expert]/ [conferring as a team]/ [considering xyz], could we discuss before finalizing?” Then once the dust has settled, look for ways to discuss culture (HR may be able to help).

2. Poor leadership

When it comes to conflict resolution in the workplace, leadership can be compared to money: not a primary concern when abundant, but when it’s absent, it can occupy most of your thoughts.

The worst kind of leadership vacuum doesn’t come from the absence of a leader, but from the absence of recognized leadership by a person in charge. A poor leader can make team members feel: unsupported, micro-managed, like they have nothing to do, like they have everything to do, and the list goes on.

So, how do you address the resultant workplace conflict as the employee or leader? The first thing to remember is that, in fact, you both have the power to do something about it.

If your manager lacks strong management skills , research “managing up.” You have the power to report on your work, and create space for feedback. Start by asking for a 1-on-1 meeting, and then, ask if you can schedule it regularly. Tell your manager specifically: “Here is where support/feedback would be particularly helpful.”

And if you’re a leader who hasn’t been given the tools to support your new team, ask for leadership training. This is too often an afterthought for people promoted because of job skills, not management skills.

Start by researching if there’s an online or in-person intensive, email the appropriate powers that be (HR? Your Boss?) and ask to attend. Frame your ask in terms of the company. It sounds like this: “I see there’s a training on managing Gen Z: This will allow me to communicate even more effectively…”

3. Balancing in-office presence

Post-pandemic, differing opinions on return to office have become a hot topic and are currently one of the most common examples of workplace conflict. Monty walks through how you could address this issue in your office, step by step:

“Determine where there is room to meet in the middle. If the two sides are hopelessly divided, then it’s important to recognize that as well. But understanding the reason behind the staked positions is key to working out a solution.

For example, if management wants an employee to spend more time physically in the office versus working remotely and the employee wants more days at home, determine why it’s important to each one. Maybe the employee has elder care issues that require them to be at home; maybe the employer wants to see work output.

In both cases, there are ways to accommodate the needs of the other: letting the employee work from home on days when healthcare visits are required; creating a regular cadence of updates on work completed for the employer.”

Monty makes a great point: If the company provides the flexibility for the individuals involved to find a solution, they can. As the employee, you should be candid about the specific flexibility you need–and the results you can be trusted to deliver. As the supervisor, do the same, in-office time should be critical, and scheduled reasonably in advance.

With that said, as Monty mentions as well, there isn’t always “room to meet in the middle.” Did your CEO just publicly declare return-to-work was mandatory, zero exceptions? Start sending your resume around, because sometimes the resolution is realizing it’s not the company culture for you.

4. Compensation disparities

Many years ago, I wrote a personal essay for The Muse entitled “ What You Should Learn From My $10,000 Career Mistake ”. It was the true story of how my failure to negotiate landed me in a parallel role but on a different payscale trajectory from my colleagues. And yes, it caused conflict.

First, I felt resentful of my colleague. We were of a similar age and experience, and she wasn’t working longer or harder, but she was making more money. Second, I felt resentful of my boss. She knew there was more budget available for my salary. She offered me the low end because she expected us to dance, I didn’t, and the money that was allocated for my role just didn’t go to me.

Third, I felt resentful of the institution. I knew rationally that my colleague and boss had nothing to do with my failure to negotiate. When the decision was made to tell me the salary for the role, why wasn’t it the actual amount allotted? Finally, I had conflict within myself that I was a living, breathing example of “If you don’t, you don’t get.”

The best way to address this conflict is to avoid it all together. Companies: Pay people what they’re worth to avoid the cost of repeated searches. Keep this in mind: When the underpaid hire finds out (and they will), tell-all tweets, LinkedIn statuses, and TikToks are becoming more prevalent–and then your organization will have to pay for another search (and perhaps a crisis team).

Job searchers: Negotiate. And while I’ve come a long way from leaving $10,000 from not asking; I’m still not the best person to advise you on this. But The Muse has a great resource on this topic right here .

5. Time management

Time is a non-renewable resource. So conflicts over time feel personal. Why is it taking your colleague or boss so long to get you that thing you need? Why is your boss or colleague rushing your process?

Time management touches so many other dicey areas, including: delegation, multitasking and productivity, and quality of deliverables. Some people enjoy the stress of working up to the last minute and others like being done two days early.

The best approach here is to be honest with your colleagues from the outset about what you need. For example, if the person you’re working with is notoriously tardy but does great work, saying clearly: “I need this by XYZ deadline in order for the project to be a success.” Or, “This client likes deliverables for review before the meeting.”

If the project requires concurrent work and you have different schedules, pose your concerns as questions: “How can I better support you in your part of the project?” Or, “Would it be helpful if I took [aspect] off your plate?” Or, “Could you give me visibility into your timelines for this project?”

6. Lack of recognition in the workplace

I know a business owner who used to ask his employees what their love language was when he hired them. While this may not be appropriate in your work environment, the sentiment holds. It’s helpful to know what appreciation means to your team. Is it: Words of affirmation? Gifts? Acts of service? In other words, do they want the pizza party or the monetary bonus?

The reason why it’s so helpful to get to know what feels like recognition, is that a lack of recognition can be both unintentional, and a cause for conflict.

There are several ways to avoid and address conflict in this area. First, be generous and avoid worst practices. Failure to credit colleagues for ideas or thank people for their efforts is never a good idea.

If you’re the one giving credit, remember: The ideal is to be sincere and share out loud and with documentation. Meaning, take the time to tell a teammate they did a great job–and write it in the performance review. The former is validating, and the latter is often key for advancement.

And if you’re dealing with a credit stealer? Ask questions (ideally, 1:1).. “Andrew, I’m thrilled the idea was well-received, but I was surprised that you didn’t mention we worked on it together?” You can follow up by asking directly: “How do you envision we share credit/responsibility as the project rolls out, now that it’s green lit?”

If this is recurrent, ask your boss how they’d recommend someone address someone else stealing their ideas.

7. Out-of-office personal conflict

Remember the good ol’ days when you were advised to avoid friending colleagues on Facebook in case someone tagged you in a college-era keg stand photo? Now, it’s because you might vote for different presidential candidates and that could lead to an all out feud.

To put it plain: These conflicts don’t belong in the workplace. Unless a colleague brings their perspectives into the office and engages you specifically: asking you to discuss your views, deriding you for your views, refusing to work with you because of your views—what they think and who they vote for is outside your purview.

Now, if it’s important to you to work in an environment where your colleagues will hold similar political ideologies; if you’re looking for a company with a strong public stance on ethical, moral, or political issues–that’s different. And you can find that.

If personal political transparency and alignment isn’t part of the company culture, it’s not something a team member should be enforcing. This is the sort of conflict best directed to HR, immediately.

Be as direct as possible in your email: “Could you please provide me with recommendations for a co-worker repeatedly questioning my political beliefs?” HR is literally there to help.

Conflict in the workplace may be inevitable, but the outcome is not. There are two takeaways you must keep in mind. First, while conflict can occur at any time, so can conflict resolution. Handled correctly, it can build even stronger relationships moving forward. Second, you don’t have to go it alone. While these suggestions are strong first steps, when behavior is concerning, elevate it to HR–that’s literally what they’re there for.

Full Guide to Conflict Resolution (Skills, Examples & Process)

Conflict is an unavoidable (and sometimes healthy) part of life. Reasonable amounts of conflict can help us learn and consider things from others’ points of view. 

In the workplace, however, conflict can disrupt your routine, cause stress, and create an overall toxic work environment. 

As such, conflict resolution skills are an invaluable asset no matter what your profession is. 

After all, every employer wants someone who knows their way around conflict and can facilitate a friendly and collaborative work environment. 

This begs the question - what kind of conflict resolution skills do recruiters want to see and how can you make them stand out on your resume? 

This is exactly what this article is here for! We’ve put together everything you need to know about conflict resolution, including: 

Why Do Conflict Resolution Skills Matter?

10 conflict resolution skills and examples, 8 steps for resolving conflict successfully, how to add your conflict resolution skills to your resume.

Let’s dive in!

What Is Conflict Resolution?

• Conflict resolution is the process, methods, and set of skills necessary to effectively resolve conflicts between two or more individuals. 

The ability to resolve conflict is beneficial in all areas of life, but especially so at work. That's because, whether you work in an office, remotely, or on the field, you’re bound to face work-related conflict to some extent. 

About 85% of employees experience some kind of conflict in the workplace. And, according to a CIPD report, conflict typically happens for one of the following reasons: 

• Differences in personality or working styles
• Individual competence or performance
• Level of support or resources

Knowing how to overcome any such conflicts can be a huge asset both during your job hunt and in your career. Just to give you an idea, conflict management was the most in-demand soft skill among businesses hiring in 2019. 

But what is it exactly that makes conflict resolution skills so sought after? 

No matter the scale of the conflict or your level of involvement, possessing the skills to resolve it can come with a heap of benefits. 

Here are some of the most noteworthy ones: 

• Improved productivity. A well-functioning, friendly work environment allows employees to cooperate with each other and work more productively. Conflict in the workplace, on the other hand, leads to stress, anxiety, and a drop in motivation and productivity, according to the CIPD.
• Better work environment. Conflict resolution skills can significantly reduce miscommunications and disagreements among coworkers, and thus make the workplace a much nicer and more pleasant environment to work in.
• Professional growth. Conflict resolution skills are among the most popular transferable skills out there, which means they come in handy for many jobs across several industries. As such, having strong conflict resolution skills can help give your career a significant boost.
• Good customer relationships. In customer-facing roles , conflict can often occur between employees and customers. In such cases, conflict resolution skills can really save the day.
• Saved company time and money. US employees spend around 2.8 hours each week involved in a conflict. This amounts to around $359 billion in hours paid, according to CPP, Inc. In a workplace with minimal conflict, though, employees can use that time to work, in turn saving the company time and money.

Now that we covered the basics, let us break down the most impactful conflict resolution skills that could give your resume and career a serious boost, starting with:

#1.  Communication

Communication is among the most important conflict resolution skills out there. 

It involves being able to listen attentively to what other people have to say, as well as expressing your own thoughts and opinions clearly. Many times, a good communicator is also someone who will catch on to non-verbal cues or who is able to persuade people to try and resolve a conflict. 

In a nutshell, communication skills can make or break the conflict resolution process. 

For example, think about how important communication skills are to an HR manager trying to resolve a conflict between two coworkers. They need to be able to persuade both sides to sit down and talk, listen attentively to understand the conflict, express their thoughts in an open and non-judgemental manner, and facilitate a discussion between the two parties. 

Communication is a multi-faceted skill that consists of the following: 

• Oral and written communication
• Non-verbal communication
• Active Listening
• Presentation
• Public speaking
• Negotiation

#2. Emotional Intelligence 

Emotional intelligence is being aware of, controlling, and expressing one’s emotions, as well as handling interpersonal relations justly and empathetically. 

When it comes to resolving conflict, emotional intelligence goes a long way in putting yourself in the other person’s shoes or understanding each side’s perspective. 

Let’s say, for example, that you got into a conflict with a coworker because they didn’t manage to meet a deadline, thus bottlenecking the entire team’s workflow. 

If you’re a highly emotionally intelligent person, you will be able to put yourself in your coworker’s shoes—maybe they had a very good reason for not meeting the deadline. The task could’ve been harder than initially estimated, there might have been some unexpected issues, or maybe the coworker had some personal problems that got in the way.

Viewing the problem from the other person’s shoes will allow you to focus on finding a solution to the problem at hand instead of just blaming them. By adopting such a neutral approach, you’re a lot more likely to avoid conflict at work, establish good relations with your coworkers, and get things done better and faster. 

Some skills associated with emotional intelligence include: 

• Interpersonal skills

#3. Leadership

People in leadership positions are often required to resolve conflict. After all, leadership involves being able to manage and inspire others, which in itself means ensuring that your team members are getting along and collaborating effectively. 

That said, leadership skills are not only for dedicated leadership roles. 

For example, you may be working in a team and still be able to manage and inspire your teammates in such a way they see you as a “team leader.” In such cases, you will also be able to resolve conflict more effectively than others, as leaders are typically emotionally intelligent, great communicators, and natural-born influencers. 

Here are some other soft skills related to leadership:

• Relationship-building
• Strategic thinking

#4. Teamwork

Teamwork involves working well with other individuals, addressing problems collectively, and putting the group’s needs ahead of personal goals. 

As such, you can probably imagine why teamwork skills are important when it comes to conflict resolution. If you don’t think as a team member, you won’t be able to collaborate with others and put your differences aside to reach a common goal. 

Similarly, if you’re personally involved in the conflict, having teamwork skills is what can differentiate whether you’ll be able to sit down and resolve the conflict or act selfishly and escalate it. 

Teamwork comes in especially handy in arbitrary conflicts, where it doesn’t matter who “wins” but how fast and effectively the issue can be resolved. 

Some teamwork-related soft skills are:

• Collaboration

#5. Patience

Patience is the ability to tolerate waiting, delay, frustration, or any other negative emotion or circumstance, without getting agitated or upset. It goes without saying that if you want to resolve a conflict successfully, you’ve got to be patient. 

This applies both to whether you’re a third party trying to resolve a conflict or if you’re part of the conflict itself. 

In the first case, you’ve got to have patience during the entire mediation process, considering that things may get heated or that the parties in conflict may need to take some time to reach an understanding and overcome the conflict. 

In the second case, you’ve got to be patient enough to hear the other party, sit through the conflict resolution process, accept opinions and advice you may not necessarily agree with, and even go through a reconciliation process, depending on the severity of the conflict. 

#6. Compromise

A compromise is an agreement or a settlement of a dispute in a way that both sides make concessions. It's almost impossible to settle a conflict without making at least some sort of concession, which makes the ability to compromise vital if you want to find a solution.

Compromise involves both coming up with such settlements and being able to accept them if you’ve been involved in the conflict yourself. 

Take, for example, two classmates who need to work together on a project but can’t agree on the topic, because each of them wants something different. The teacher may decide to assign the topic themself so they won’t have to disagree over it - in this case, each student will compromise their own choice to avoid conflict. 

Alternatively, the teacher may suggest they simply team up with other people and keep the topics they liked in the first place. This is also a compromise that can de-escalate the conflict between the two students. 

#7. Assertiveness

Assertiveness is the middle ground between aggressiveness and apathy. Meaning, someone who is assertive is someone who stands up for what’s right in a positive way, instead of getting angry or being passive in the face of injustice. 

In a conflict, assertiveness means that you can communicate with others without upsetting them or yourself. This is exactly what makes it one of the most important conflict resolution skills. 

To give you an example of assertiveness as a conflict resolution skill, think of a supervisor who decides to facilitate a meeting between two employees who have argued and are not on speaking terms.

Some other examples of assertive behavior include: 

• Being able to admit mistakes and apologize
• Not feeling entitled or superior to others
• Expressing appreciation toward others

#8. Problem-Solving 

Problem-solving is the ability to identify problems, find what’s causing them, and come up with a good solution. 

Problem-solving and conflict resolution go hand in hand. A problem solver is someone who, instead of wasting time being angry or irritated when faced with conflict, will focus on understanding the problem and solving it in a way that benefits everyone involved.

For example, if you’re a team leader whose team is facing a productivity issue, you may need to redefine the roles of two team members who don’t like each other to avoid conflict between the two. 

Some skills associated with problem-solving skills include: 

• Analytical skills
• Research skills
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making

#9. Creativity

Oftentimes, you have to think outside the box to resolve a conflict. 

This is exactly where creativity comes in. In a nutshell, creativity is the ability to view situations and approach tasks and challenges inventively. 

Creative skills may be what makes the difference between an OK and a great solution to a conflict.

A restaurant server who’s facing a conflict with a customer, for example, may find more creative ways to solve the disagreement than simply calling the manager, such as offering them a complimentary drink or getting the entire table dessert at the end of their meal. 

As with most soft skills, creativity is made up of different skills, such as: 

• Imagination
• Open-mindedness
• Experimentation

#10. Management

Management is being able to manage people (including yourself), situations, resources, and even processes. And, of course, to be able to master conflict resolution, you need to be able to do all of these things. 

Although management skills are typically associated with management positions, that’s not actually the case. Any professional can benefit from strong management skills, especially when it comes to successfully resolving workplace conflict. 

For example, if the HR manager at your company is mediating a conflict between you and a coworker, the stronger your management skills, the better you’ll be able to handle yourself and the process. Similarly, if you’re the one mediating a conflict, you’ll need strong management skills to manage those involved, their reactions, and the resources at your disposal to solve it. 

Some management skills include: 

• People management
• Project management
• Time management
• Risk management

5 Healthy and Unhealthy Ways of Responding to Conflict

Several things can factor into the way we respond to conflict, including our upbringing, our core values, and our previous experiences. 

Take, for example, two adults. The first grew up in an inclusive, open environment, while the second grew up in an eruptive and violent environment. As you can imagine, the person in the first example is much more likely to respond to conflict in a healthy way than the person in the second. 

The same applies to people with, say, different values; a person who believes in cooperation and understanding will most probably seek to resolve conflict, whereas someone who’s more on the selfish side might cling to it longer. 

But what exactly consists of healthy and unhealthy ways of responding to conflict? Let us give you some examples:  

• Lack of empathy or inability to recognize the other person’s feelings and respond to the thighs that matter to them. 
• Anger , resentment, or explosive reactions.
• Apathy or withdrawing love, which leads to rejection, isolation, and shaming. 
• Inability to compromise and see the other person’s perspective. 
• Fear or avoidance due to associating conflict with a bad experience or expecting a bad outcome. 
• Empathy and understanding of the other person’s viewpoint. 
• Calm , inclusive, and non-defensive reactions and words. 
• A “forgive-and-forget” attitude and the readiness to move past a conflict without holding any grudges. 
• Seeking compromise and not acting out of spite or with intent to punish. 
• Desire to face conflict as soon as possible so that both sides can move on. 

The more you practice conflict resolution, the better you can get at it. That said, there are some do’s and don’ts you can learn about conflict resolution that’ll help you get better at this skill.

Below, we’ll cover the 8 steps you can take in order to resolve any conflict:

#1. Keep your calm

Before you engage in a conflict resolution process, you’ve got to make sure you’re calm and clear-headed. 

After all, the people involved in the conflict likely already feel angry, impatient, or judgemental toward each other, while your job as a mediator is to eliminate negativity as much as possible. 

This, however, may be hard to do if you yourself are not calm. The conflict resolution process may be even harder if you’ve been involved in the conflict yourself and want to solve it, but you’re not able to keep your calm.

As such, you can try taking several deep breaths before beginning the conflict resolution process, relaxing your body and dropping your shoulders, or doing whatever works best for calming you down. 

#2. Set a time and place for discussion

Conflict resolution can be a strenuous and time-consuming process for those involved, and can also get very distracting for those who aren’t involved but may happen to witness it. 

So, it’s important to find an appropriate time and place for the conflict resolution process to take place. Here are some things to keep in mind: 

• Conflict resolution takes time. For this reason, you should make sure that everyone involved has enough time and won’t have to leave for another appointment halfway through the process. 
• The environment matters. For starters, the place should be private from the eyes of outsiders. Additionally, you should make sure that all participants feel comfortable in the agreed-upon location by choosing a neutral place. That way, you don’t run the risk of one side feeling superior or vulnerable. 
• Conflict resolution can get tiring. Consider having water or snacks available to ease up the process. 

#3. Define the conflict or issue 

The first step to finding a solution to a problem is accepting there is a problem in the first place. 

Only once all the parties have accepted this, can the conflict resolution process begin. 

The first step here is to clearly define the issue at hand and not let it escalate into unrelated conflicts. After all, it’s not uncommon for conflict to escalate to a point where no one knows what they’re even fighting about anymore. 

Some things you can do to define the conflict successfully are:

• Begin the process by sharing your own take on what’s causing the conflict 
• Ask all the people involved to share their own experience 
• Try to keep the discussion to one main point at a time 
• Take every perspective into consideration
• Consider how each person is contributing to the problem
• List any past, unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue (if it’s a persisting issue) 

If you’re personally involved in the conflict, try to use “I” statements as much as possible (e.g. “I feel like my efforts always go unnoticed” versus “you always ignore my hard work.” That way, you’re more likely to create a space where everyone can voice their opinions.

#4. Note down possible conflict triggers

Sometimes, it’s external factors that trigger people into conflict. 

Such factors typically include:

• Personal issues

Openly discussing what may have triggered other parties into conflict can increase the empathy of all those involved, as well as make it easier to anticipate and avoid similar conflicts in the future. 

#5. Brainstorm and list possible solutions

Pick everyone’s brain on how you can go about solving the conflict. 

One of the most common issues of conflict resolution is pushing one solution and not keeping an open mind to alternative options. Brainstorming different ideas and possibilities, on the other hand, can help all parties reach a compromise or an agreement that’s beneficial to everyone involved. 

Once you’ve brainstormed and discussed different solutions to the conflict, note down the best ones or the most achievable ones. 

#6. Agree on a single plan

In many cases, the “solution” to a conflict may be to simply acknowledge both sides were wrong, agree to disagree, apologize, or move on. 

In other cases, though, you may actually need to come up with and agree on an action plan to make sure the conflict never repeats again. For example, if two team members feel like the project leader doesn’t take their ideas into consideration, the plan may be to have weekly meetings where every member is given five minutes to express their insights and thoughts. 

In such cases, before ending the conflict resolution process, make sure to clearly define the necessary actions and steps for every person involved. 

#7. Check-in to discuss progress

Following through is an essential part of conflict resolution. 

After all, even if the conflict resolution meeting goes well, there is still a chance that people won't follow through with the plan or repeat the same patterns after a while.

As such, make sure to agree on a time in the future (not too soon after the initial meeting) to check in with everyone, see how they’re feeling, and ensure there is actual progress.  

#8. Involve a third party 

Now, despite all the best intentions, there is still a chance that the conflict resolution process won’t work (or that it may require many more meetings and mediation, depending on the scale and severity of the issue). 

If that happens, the best course of action is to involve a third party to help out. In most cases, the team lead or HR manager is the right person for this.

Anyone can claim they have conflict resolution skills. It’s being able to prove them in your resume that will help you stand out from the competition. 

Below, we’ll cover the entire process of adding your conflict resolution skills to your resume effectively, step-by-step.

Before you read further, though, pick one of our resume templates and fill it in as you go!

#1. List Them Under Your Skills Section

The most obvious place to list your conflict resolution skills is under your skills section. 

Although this part is fairly straightforward, there are some things you want to keep in mind. 

For starters, you shouldn’t just mention every conflict resolution skill we covered in this article and call it a day. Instead, you want to make sure that you add conflict resolution skills that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. 

Here is just how you can do that: 

• Check the job description. In 99% of cases, the job description can show you exactly which skills are needed for the position. If you’re applying for a teaching position, for example, the job description may not directly mention “conflict resolution” as a skill, but a bunch of other skills related to it, such as excellent communication and interpersonal skills, creativity, and leadership. 
• Identify the skills you possess. Now think about the skills that you can back up with your previous work experience. Only list conflict resolution skills that you possess and that you can prove you possess on your resume. 
• Add them under your soft skills. Then, add those skills under your resume’s soft skills section. 

Here’s an example of how conflict resolution skills look on a resume’s skills section:

#2. Mention Them In Your Resume Summary

Secondly, you should mention your conflict resolution skills in your resume summary . 

In a nutshell, the resume summary is a short paragraph that usually mentions:

• Your professional title and years of experience
• Your top skills (up to three)
• Your most noteworthy achievements 

Done right, your resume summary should convey you’re a great candidate from the get-go and get the hiring manager to go through the rest of your resume in more detail. 

Here’s an example of a resume summary that highlights the applicant’s conflict resolution skills: 

A dedicated customer support representative with over five years of experience helping customers and solving their problems. Excellent communication and conflict resolution skills, with over 95% customer approval rating to prove it. Looking to leverage my skills to help Company X provide quality customer service. 

#3. Back Them Up With Your Work Experience 

Last but not least, you should use your work experience section to back up all the conflict resolution skills you’ve mentioned with facts. 

This is exactly what makes this section the most important part of your resume. 

Done right, it will prove to the hiring manager that you’re exactly who they’re looking for.

Here’s just how you can do that:

• Focus on your achievements instead of your responsibilities. Instead of mentioning things the hiring manager already knows (i.e. your responsibilities), aim to show how you made an impact with your achievements instead. So, when you’ve pinned down the conflict resolution skills to include in your resume, write down some achievements from your previous roles to prove them. 
• Make your achievements quantifiable. To really impress recruiters, you want to make your achievements as quantifiable as possible. After all, nothing says “real” more than a data-backed claim. For example, “hit and exceeded department’s KPIs by 20% for four months in a row” sounds better than “increased sales.” 
• Take advantage of action verbs and power words. This article lists the best action verbs and power words you can use to give your resume some color and make your achievements sound even more impressive. 

And here are some great examples of how you can describe your conflict resolution skills in your resume’s work experience section:

• Won an American Business Award for Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion for creating a checks and balances system that decreased employee complaints and conflicts by 15% in only three months. 
• Managed cross-department teams of 20 people without any hiccups, never missing a deadline, and in the end, exceeding the company’s KPIs by 14%.

Interview Questions on Conflict Resolution Skills - Sample Answers

Once you’ve worked on your resume, the next step in your job search process is to ace the job interview.

If the job you’re applying for involves customer support or management, there’s a very good chance that the interviewer will ask you detailed questions about your conflict resolution skills.

In this section, we’ll teach you just how you can answer them! 

The first thing you need to know is that the interviewer will most probably inquire about your conflict resolution skills through a behavioral interview question . 

Behavioral interview questions are types of questions where the interviewer asks you about how you acted in a specific situation.

So instead of a question like:

“What’s your greatest strength?”

They’re going to ask:

“What’s your greatest strength, and give us an example of a time you applied it in the workplace.”

Some other examples of common behavioral questions are: 

• Tell us about a time when you solved a problem at your job that wasn’t part of your job description.
• Have you ever had to work under someone who wasn’t very good at communicating? What happened?

Now, behavioral interview questions can seem trickier to answer than conventional interview questions. 

After all, anyone can answer a question like “ what’s your greatest accomplishment? ” 

Coming up with a concrete example that demonstrates how you went above and beyond to complete a work task on the spot, though, can be considerably more challenging. 

Well, it doesn’t have to be!

Lucky for you, there’s an easy way to answer behavioral interview questions called the STAR method . Here’s what STAR stands for: 

S - Situation. Describe in what situation the event took place.

T - Task. Talk about the task at hand or your responsibilities. 

A - Action. Describe the steps you took to address the issue/complete the task.

R - Results. Mention the results of your actions. 

Master the STAR method , and you’ll be able to answer any conflict resolution-related job interview question that the HR manager throws at you!

Let’s say, for example, that the interviewer asks the following question: 

“Have you ever faced conflict or disagreement with a coworker? What happened and how did you resolve it?”

Here’s how you’d answer it using the STAR method: 

Situation. “During my internship at Company X, my team and I were supposed to work together and brainstorm new talent-sourcing ideas for a client. The client was a large supermarket chain located in a very rural area, so they were struggling to source new talent.”

Task. “Basically, our task was to meet on a daily basis, brainstorm, and finally settle on three ideas. After a couple of meetings, we did have a few ideas, but none of them were really satisfactory. Meanwhile, the management wanted something they could confidently present to the client.

At this point, some of my teammates basically said “well, here are our ideas, we don’t have anything else!”. Another teammate and I, however, wanted to work on it a bit more and come up with something that WOULD work.

There was a lot of back and forth from there, the tensions were high, and the team kept shutting down all the ideas we were proposing. The deadline was super close and we had to figure out a way to move forward.”

Action. “So, I gave it some thought and realized that we’d be in a deadlock forever if we continued like this. They wouldn’t agree with our approach and we wouldn’t agree with theirs. So, we decided to bring in an unbiased third party who didn't have any emotional investment here.

We then conducted a longer meeting without any time restraints and went through each idea one by one, while the third party acted as a sort of mediator. When someone pitched something, they also had to back it up with as many facts as possible, otherwise, it wouldn’t count.”

Results. “This really helped bring something new to the table. The “mediator” helped sort through all the bad ideas, as well as infused the team with new energy, and kept tensions on the low.

We eventually came up with completely original ideas that we all agreed upon. We finished the meeting in approximately two hours and the management had three awesome ideas they could pitch to the client. The client did implement one of the ideas, which eventually resulted in three new hires.”

Simple, right?

And just to make sure you’ve really got how the STAR method works, let’s cover another example. 

Let’s say that the interviewer asks something like this:

“How do you handle angry or irritated customers? Give me an example.”

Here’s how you’d answer with the STAR method:

Situation. “Working in customer support, you really get to talk with many different kinds of people. I remember I had one angry customer that called the helpdesk once to complain. He kept repeating that the product he bought was faulty and demanded I resolve the situation then and there.”

Task. “Customers calling for refunds happen all the time, but this one was different as he just kept shouting over the phone the whole time. I had to get him to calm down if I wanted the call to go anywhere.”

Action. “Fortunately, I had experience dealing with loud customers and knew the first thing I had to do was listen to his story. Halfway through telling his story, he calmed down once he realized I was trying to help. He explained that the product was supposed to be a gift, and that’s why he was so frustrated. Then, I offered 2 solutions: a refund or a replacement for his product with express delivery.”

Results. “The customer opted for the replacement option. I called him back once they received the order just to check in if he was happy with the product. He turned out to be happy both with the product and our service, and thanked me for the help.”

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap on conflict resolution skills! 

Before you go and put everything we just told you to practice, let’s go over the main points covered in this article: 

• At work, conflict resolution skills are essential because they improve employees’ productivity, ensure the work environment is enjoyable for everyone, and save the company money and time. 
• Some important conflict-resolution skills include communication, creativity, assertiveness, compromise, and leadership. 
• Some healthy ways to respond to a conflict are showing empathy, keeping your calm, wanting to resolve the conflict, and following a “forgive and forget” attitude. 
• To successfully resolve conflict, make sure to properly define the issue at hand, outline possible conflict triggers, brainstorm possible solutions, agree on a single plan, and follow up to see if everyone involved is following through. 
• To make conflict resolution skills pop, add them in the skills section, sprinkle them in your resume summary, and back them up with your work experience section.

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4 Conflict Resolution Worksheets for Your Practice

As a therapist, counselor, or coach, your main job is to help clients identify the situations that are troubling them – the conflicts in their lives – and guide them through to win–win solutions.

Mutually satisfying outcomes can prevent anger, anxiety, and depression, and enable individuals, couples, and families to live together productively and in peace (Christensen & Heavey, 1999; Cummings, Koss, & Davies, 2015).

In this article, we’ll share some powerful conflict resolution worksheets that can teach parties the pathways to win–win outcomes, converting conflict into shared problem solving. Participants feel like they are sitting on the same side of the table, working together against the problem, instead of against each other.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free . These science-based tools will help you and those you work with build better social skills and better connect with others.

This Article Contains:

2 useful conflict resolution worksheets, 4 tools for resolving conflicts at work, worksheets for student conflicts, 2 best worksheets for couples’ conflicts, teaching conflict resolution: 4 lesson plans, 5 positivepsychology.com toolkit resources, a take-home message.

Conflict – problems, issues, troubles, dilemmas, tough decisions, etc. – generally emerge in one or more of the following three areas (adapted from Kellermann, 1996):

• Intrapsychic conflicts – pulls and tugs within a person’s array of feelings, desires, thoughts, fears, and actions
• Interpersonal or intergroup conflicts – situations in which two or more preferred action plans seem to be incompatible
• Situational conflicts – situations in which adverse circumstances such as illness, financial difficulties, or other factors collide with each other or with what participants want

Differences can quickly spark arguments when parties believe that the outcome will result in either winning or losing. That is why the word “conflict” usually suggests fighting. These worksheets, by contrast, teach pathways to win–win outcomes.

By guiding both conflict resolution and cooperative problem solving in the same process, solution building for any decision, issue, or dilemma becomes a combined effort. The idea of winning versus losing is removed, and a win–win outcome negates previous conflicts.

Win–Win Waltz Worksheet

The process that leads to win–win outcomes is referred to as the win–win waltz because the process involves three essential steps.

The Win–Win Waltz Worksheet explains the key terms, core concepts, and essential ingredients for using the exercise successfully.

1. Knowing when to use the win–win waltz

The win–win waltz guides the way to cooperative solution building in situations when there seems to be conflict with underlying or overt tension and a feeling that two sides feel in opposition.

Also, the win–win waltz guides the process in any situation that calls for problem solving.

In both instances, the tone needs to stay calm and cooperative. There needs to be an awareness of the dilemma that participants need to solve and a willingness on both sides to seek a solution that will be responsive to the concerns of all parties.

2. Core concepts: solutions versus underlying concerns

Solutions are potential plans of action.

Concerns , by contrast, are the factors to which the solution needs to be responsive.

For instance, a problem/conflict is that I am hungry, but at the same time, I don’t want to eat – two alternative and seemingly opposed courses of action.

My underlying concern might include wanting to lose weight, to alleviate my hunger, to minimize my intake of calories, and to find an immediate solution. The solution options may be to eat some yogurt, distract myself by phoning a friend, or to exercise as that too tends to alleviate feelings of hunger.

3. One list for both people’s concerns

That assumption differs significantly from the usual two-list way of thinking (e.g., my way versus your way or pros versus cons).

4. What if there are seemingly too many underlying concerns?

Paradoxically, the more concerns that have been identified, the more likely it becomes that the ultimate solution will be excellent, even though a long list of concerns may appear daunting.

The trick is for each participant to step back and reflect: “ Of all of these concerns, what one or two concerns are most deeply felt? ” Start the solution-building process by responding to these concerns first. Add additional elements to the solution set until all the underlying concerns have been answered.

For instance, Gil and Angela want to find a new apartment. Stepping back from their list of 20 concerns concerning what apartment to choose, they realize Angela’s primary concern is location. She wants an apartment close to her mother, while Gil’s primary concern is the price. With just two variables to attend to for starters, Angela and Gil can quickly start apartment hunting.

Once they find apartments that met their initial criteria, they add their other concerns.

5. It is for me to look at what I can do, not to tell you what to do.

Solution generating works best if each participant looks at what they can offer toward a win–win solution, and especially toward a plan of action responsive to the other person. Offering suggestions about what the other could do can undermine solution building.

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These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to improve communication skills and enjoy more positive social interactions with others.

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In the workplace, conflict resolution skills enable managers to keep their work environment positive.

They also enable colleagues to work together harmoniously (Johansen, 2012; Korabik, Baril, & Watson, 1993).

Whereas conflict breeds tension that erodes work quality, cooperation maximizes productivity and, at the same time, keeps employees enjoying their work.

Fortunately, the Win–Win Waltz Worksheet works wonderfully in workplace situations too.

The additional tools below also merit attention when conflicts arise in the business world.

Early intervention. It’s best to address potential tensions as soon as you become aware of them.

Participation. It is generally best to bring together all the parties involved in any given dispute and to have them learn to do the win–win waltz together.

Identify those who, even with guidance, cannot think in terms of win–win.

If one or more parties appear to be unable to look for mutually satisfying solutions, a top-down or powering-over decision may be necessary.

Some parties simply cannot get past looking out for themselves only. Others invest more in seeking to hurt the other party rather than to find benefits for both sides. They would rather create a lose–lose outcome than see the other side receive any aspect of what they want.

Keep the problem, the problem.

The vital principle comes from the work of Fisher and Ury (1991). They rightly identify that talking about people and feelings can be inappropriate in work settings.

The problem, for instance, is not that ‘she is an intrusive person.’ The problem is that roles and responsibilities may be unclear. The problem is not that ‘he is lazy.’ The problem is an unclear division of labor. The problem is not that ‘he works too slowly;’ rather, how to speed up the work process so that deadlines can be met.

14 Effective conflict resolution techniques – BRAINY DOSE

Students can benefit from using the Win–Win Waltz Worksheet when they face conflict situations with roommates, friends, and teachers.

Students also are likely to experience conflicts within their own thoughts and preferences.

For instance, these intrapsychic conflicts can arise when they want to go out with friends but also know they need to study for an exam. The win–win waltz recipe works well for any of these situations.

From my way , No my way , to OUR way is for practicing win–win conflict resolutions on issues that can arise at home. The worksheet is from Susan Heitler’s (2003) book The Power of Two Workbook . (Available on Amazon .)

The Anger Exit and Re-entry Worksheet offers guidance for stepping back and calming down when anger begins to emerge.

When people become angry, they cease to be able to hear each other’s concerns. They are likely to disregard all their cooperative-talking skills and instead resort to blame, criticism, and attempts to control.

In the face of irritation or anger, it is essential to have a self-calming ability as part of the conflict resolution process.

It generally is best to begin the self-calming process by stepping back or out of the anger-inducing situation. For this reason, couples need to develop mutual exit/re-entry routines.

In a collaborative marriage, partners respect each other’s ideas; they avoid dismissing or steamrolling over each other’s viewpoints. But what happens when couples have differing opinions regarding a future decision? Both spouses may want the decision to go their way. Fortunately, both can win.

Exercise 1: The Win-Win Waltz

One hallmark of a true partnership is the effectiveness of two people’s shared decision making.

“Effective” means their ability to make decisions that are responsive to the full range of concerns of both partners.

These steps of the win–win waltz can be used in a group to demonstrate how to make decisions about upcoming events (shared decision making) and to change things that are not working (fix-it talk). The only difference is that fix-it talk begins with two initial steps.

• Learn the signs and costs of unilateral decision making in a partnership.
• Learn to make shared decisions.
• Practice division of labor decisions so that they do not keep re-occurring.
• Identify pitfalls to avoid and keys to success.

Cue cards – Write one step each on three separate pieces of paper:

• Express initial positions.
• Explore underlying concerns.
• Create win–win solutions.

Win–Win Waltz Situation Cards Win–Win Waltz Worksheet : distribute one copy to each participant.

Place the three cue cards so that they are visible to all the group members (e.g., facing the group, propped on chairs in front of the group). Spread the cards/chairs out so there is room for two people to stand next to each.

Explain that a waltz has three steps, as does collaborative problem solving, pointing to the step on each cue card as you explain it.

Walk through the following example to be sure that everyone understands the difference between concerns (fears, values, motivations) and positions and solutions (plans of action). The leader plays both Pete and Mary.

Step 1: Express initial positions.

Peter and Mary want to buy a car. Peter says, “ Let ‘s buy a Ford. ” Mary says, “ No. I want a Toyota. “

Step 2: Explore underlying concerns.

Ask the group what Peter’s concerns might be. Peter might say: “ The prices are reasonable, and the dealership is close by, so it will be easy to take care of maintenance and repairs. “

Stress that both sides need to explore their underlying concerns, and ask then for what Mary’s might be. Mary might say: “ I don’t want to have to keep taking the car back to the shop; I want as much room as we can get for passengers for our kids and their friends. “

Step 3: Create a plan of action responsive to both.

Go with the information generated by the group. Peter and Mary might say: “ Let’s get a Consumer’s Report guide to cars so we have full information on repair rates, roominess, and prices. Let’s also find out which dealers have repair facilities near us. “

Hint: Encourage thinking in terms of solution sets that are multi-piece answers.

Now, invite one couple in front of the group to try the “waltz” sequence. Use the situation of a couple deciding where to go for dinner.

Emphasize the difference between concerns and positions (which are action plans or specific solutions).

Make one list of all of their concerns and a list of three possible solutions: one partner’s idea with modifications, the other partner’s idea with modifications, and at least one new solution (possible final solution).

Invite the group to look at the difference between concerns and solutions.

Have a different couple come to the front and traverse the three steps on their own to the dilemma: “ What should we do for vacation this summer? ”

To be sure they follow the three steps, use the Win–Win Waltz Worksheet where they can write out the three steps.

Pass out additional Situation Cards and invite other couples to try the win–win waltz in front of the group.

• Most couples have systems for making decisions together, such as taking turns on who gets their way, whoever feels most strongly about the issue gets their way, or they compromise (they both give up some). How do these three options compare to the win–win waltz?
• What was most satisfying about this style of problem solving?
• What will be the hardest part of actually using the win–win waltz?

Conclusions

With the win–win waltz, virtually any decision becomes easy and mutual. Both big and little choices – where to live and what to eat for lunch – become simple and shared. The more skilled a couple becomes, the faster the decision making and the more satisfied you both feel with the resulting plan of action.

Exercise 2: Win–Win Worksheet

Applying the win–win waltz successfully, even under challenging dilemmas, requires practice. It often helps to write out your process on particularly tough decisions.

Use the Win–Win Waltz Worksheet as a guide for working through the process of making collaborative decisions.

Two copies of the Win–Win Waltz Worksheet for each participant.

Couples facing each other, with some space between each couple, so that each couple will be able to work semi-privately.

• Hand out two worksheets to each participant. Explain that one is to use now, and the second is for them to take home.
• Ask participants to look at the worksheet. What do they notice about the boxes on the page?
• They start with two different boxes, then merge into one list of concerns for everyone. In other words, each individual’s interests become the concern of the partnership.
• There are four different suggestions for ways to generate solution sets. Generating multiple solution sets helps in two ways. First, it fosters creative thinking. Second, evaluating between solution set options often gives rise to identifying additional underlying concerns.
• Have each couple work together to complete the worksheet. Suggest they pick from one of the following topics:
• Saving for retirement
• If you should join a new sports club (or some other organization)

How did the worksheet help to structure your decision-making process?

Using the worksheet can help keep track of the details, emphasizing that all underlying concerns are important.

Exercise 3: Traps and Tips

People sometimes say, “ I tried the win–win waltz, and it didn’t work. ” Usually, that means they fell into one of several common traps.

By contrast, if they said, “ The win–win waltz works great! ” odds are they utilized certain techniques that facilitate success.

One copy of the Traps to Avoid and Tips for Success Worksheet One copy of the Win–Win Waltz Situation Cards

1. Recognize at least three potential traps (listed in Procedure, below).

2. Recognize three techniques for success (below).

Briefly explain each Trap to Avoid and Tip for Success.

• Frozen thinking (saying the same thing over and over, and not taking in new information) versus absorbing information from each other
• Attachment to a position and pushing for that solution, evident in attempts to debate, persuade, and convince
• Criticizing the other’s concerns instead of trying to understand them

Tips for success:

• Be an example to each other and listen to learn!
• Create one list for concerns, a shared data pool, so both partners’ concerns become of equal import.
• Emphasize the elephant: Tell the story about the blind men and the elephant. Each blind man felt one part of the animal. The one who touched its side described the elephant as something like a wall. The one who felt the tail described the animal as like a hose. The trunk felt like a tree branch, the leg like a tree trunk. Putting all of their perspectives together was essential for them to be able to appreciate the whole elephant. Similarly, emphasize that both partners have legitimate views; each of them tunes into different aspects of a dilemma.
• Ask the last question—” Is there any piece of this that still feels unfinished? “
• Think out of the box and be creative when exploring possible solution sets.
• Exit now; talk later. When you get too stuck, drop the dialogue and resume later, when everyone is calmer.

Now, pick one situation from the Situation Cards . Ask for one volunteer (A) to try to be a reasonable spouse. In a way that the rest of the group can’t see, point to one of the trap for another participant (B). This participant will use this style of thinking. The group’s role is to be on the alert for recognizing each trap B demonstrates.

As soon as the group identifies a trap, B needs to let go of it and return to productive mode. A’s role is to try to be so effective that A and B reach a consensus despite the traps.

Debrief by noting what A did that was effective even if B was persisting in a trap.

Ask for two new participants to be A and B. Repeat using a different trap.

Ask participants to help you come up with a potentially tricky decision a couple might have to make. Have two participants come to the front and discuss this question with the tips in front of them. Have the rest of the group pay attention to what tips they used and the impact of them.

What would you like to be able to do if you find yourself or your partner in a trap?

With enough skills, couples can avoid slipping into an adversarial stance. If not, take a break from the discussion, and try another time. Using the tips will often make it easier to come to a consensus on complicated dilemmas.

Exercise 4: Costs of Unilateral Rather Than Shared Decision Making

Depression and anger both indicate flaws in shared decision making. Notice the connection in the following story.

• Understand the relationship between unilateral decision making, anger, and depression.
• Experience the concept “ Depression is a disorder of power. “

Tell the following story:

Once upon a time, in a kingdom not far away, a lovely lady named Linda married a handsome man named Len. Linda and Len lived in Louiston, where Linda grew up and was a town she loved.

One day Len said to Linda, “ I don’t seem to be able to find employment here that is as good as what I could get if we were to move. ”

Linda felt crushed. “ I love Louiston. I love my job here, my family, my friends. I don’t want to move, as much as I do understand that the job market is better in other areas. ”

Len answered, “ Linda, I’m sorry that you’re so against the idea. But I have already taken a job several states away. We need to move if we’re ever going to get ahead in life. That’s that. The decision has been made. ”

Continue reading the following instructions to the group, pausing after each, but saving the answers until the visualization has been completed:

• Close your eyes and picture yourself as Linda.
• Notice what emotions you are experiencing. Notice who seems more prominent, more powerful – yourself or your partner – as you put yourself into the role of the two partners.
• What did you experience?
• Now have two participants role-play this scenario using their best win–win waltz skills. What is different?

Discussion and conclusions

What have you learned about the relationship between anger, depression, and unilateral (one-sided) decision making? The powerless person experiences either anger or depression. The more critical the decision, the more potent the anger/depression.

17 Exercises To Develop Positive Communication

17 Positive Communication Exercises [PDFs] to help others develop communication skills for successful social interactions and positive, fulfilling relationships.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

Our toolkit contains invaluable tools for practitioners, coaches, and other professionals. In fact, the Positive Psychology Toolkit© contains over 400 tools, many of which are highly applicable to conflict resolution.

Below we will briefly mention some of these tools that are designed to assist with conflict resolution.

1. Giving Negative Feedback Positively

In any relationship, there are the inevitable ‘hard topics’ to breach, and by avoiding these topics, more harm is done to the relationship. To approach these discussions in a healthy way, our Giving Negative Feedback Positively worksheet guides you through eight constructive steps for a positive conversation and successful relationships.

2. How to Apologize

This exercise also focuses on positive communication in relationships , guides clients in how to apologize effectively to build trust and prevent further conflict.

3. Hot buttons

When Hot Buttons Are Pushed is a coping exercise to help clients become aware of their ‘hot buttons’ that cause unhelpful and impulsive actions. This exercise will help them respond more effectively once they know what their hot buttons are.

4. Difficult people

Looking at Difficult People from a Strength Perspective  is an exercise to guide a client’s thinking about a ‘difficult’ person. Once the client can see the strengths of that person and focus on positive aspects, they’ll be less affected by less desirable aspects.

5. Improving Expression and Understanding

This couples therapy exercise is geared toward Improving Expression and Understanding and is a formatted guide with prompts to encourage positive communication.

6. 17 Positive Communication Exercises

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others communicate better, this collection contains 17 validated positive communication tools for practitioners. Use them to help others improve their communication skills and form deeper and more positive relationships.

Conflict leads to emotional distress, turmoil, depression, unhappy relationships, and separation.

But it does not have to be that way.

Being able to manage conflict constructively can instead create opportunities to reach many mutually beneficial decisions. The conflict resolution process can bring you and your partner closer together; allow you to learn from each other; and get to know, understand, love, and respect each other even better.

As long as there are differences of opinion, there will always be conflict. But knowing how to manage it productively and turn it into a win–win situation is the key to a healthy relationship , friendship, and family.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free .

• Christensen, A., & Heavey, C. L. (1999). Interventions for couples.  Annual Review of Psychology ,  50 (1), 165-190.
• Cummings, E. M., Koss, K. J., & Davies, P. T. (2015). Prospective relations between family conflict and adolescent maladjustment: Security in the family system as a mediating process.  Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology ,  43 (3), 503-515.
• Fisher, R., & Ury, W. L. (1991). Getting to yes. Penguin Books.
• Heitler, S., & Hirsch, A. H. (2003). The power of two workbook: Communication skills for a strong & loving marriage. New Harbinger.
• Johansen, M. L. (2012). Keeping the peace: Conflict management strategies for nurse managers.  Nursing Management ,  43 (2), 50-54.
• Kellermann, P. F. (1996). Interpersonal conflict management in group psychotherapy: An integrative perspective.  Group Analysis ,  29 (2), 257-275.
• Korabik, K., Baril, G. L., & Watson, C. (1993). Managers’ conflict management style and leadership effectiveness: The moderating effects of gender.  Sex Roles ,  29 (5-6), 405-420.

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Exploring 15 Real-life Workplace Conflict Examples

Workplaces are dynamic environments where diverse individuals come together to achieve common goals. However, with varying personalities, perspectives, and work styles, conflicts are inevitable. Managing and resolving conflicts is an essential skill for maintaining a healthy and productive work environment. In this article, we will delve into 15 real-life workplace conflict examples, highlighting the challenges faced and the effective conflict resolution strategies employed.

Here are 15 real-life workplace conflict examples:

1. communication breakdown.

One of the common workplace conflict examples is communication breakdowns. Imagine a project team where members receive conflicting information from different sources, leading to confusion. In this case, effective conflict resolution involves promoting open communication channels and clarifying expectations. Recognizing the importance of transparent communication prevents misunderstandings and helps teams function more cohesively.

Also read: The Significance Of Workplace Communication In 2024

2. Personality Clashes

In a diverse workplace, clashes in personalities can emerge, hindering collaboration. For instance, a creative team might face conflicts between introverted and extroverted individuals. Conflict resolution strategies here include fostering team-building activities, encouraging empathy, and acknowledging and appreciating diverse strengths. Recognizing the value each personality type brings to the team can turn conflicts into opportunities for growth.

3. Power Struggles

Power struggles often surface when team members vie for control or recognition. In a scenario where two managers are competing for leadership, conflict resolution requires clear delineation of roles and responsibilities. Establishing a transparent hierarchy and promoting a culture of cooperation rather than competition can help resolve power struggles, fostering a more collaborative work environment.

4. Unmet Expectations

When expectations are not met, conflicts can arise. Picture a situation where an employee feels overlooked for a promotion. Conflict resolution strategies in such cases involve setting realistic expectations, providing regular feedback, and ensuring transparent performance evaluations. Addressing concerns proactively can prevent potential conflicts from escalating.

5. Workload Imbalance

Unequal distribution of workload is a classic source of workplace conflicts. An example could be a team where some members feel overburdened while others perceive they are not contributing enough. Conflict resolution involves equitable workload distribution, recognizing individual strengths, and fostering a culture of teamwork. Ensuring that everyone feels their contributions are valued can mitigate such conflicts.

6. Cultural Differences

Globalized workplaces bring together individuals from various cultural backgrounds, leading to clashes in values and norms. Conflict resolution strategies in this scenario involve cultural sensitivity training, promoting an inclusive workplace culture, and encouraging open discussions about cultural differences. Creating an environment where diversity is celebrated rather than causing conflict fosters a more harmonious workplace.

7. Lack of Recognition

Lack of recognition is one of the prime workplace conflict examples. Employees crave recognition for their hard work. Conflict may arise when individuals feel undervalued. Conflict resolution strategies include implementing employee recognition programs, providing regular feedback, and acknowledging achievements publicly. Recognizing and celebrating the efforts of each team member helps boost morale and minimizes conflicts arising from unmet emotional needs.

8. Policy Violations

In a structured work environment, conflicts may arise when policies are violated. For example, an employee might breach confidentiality, causing tension among colleagues. Conflict resolution involves enforcing policies consistently, providing clear guidelines, and addressing violations promptly. A well-communicated and consistently enforced policy framework acts as a preventive measure against conflicts arising from policy breaches.

9. Ineffective Leadership

Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping a healthy work environment. Conflicts may arise when leadership is perceived as ineffective or inconsistent. Conflict resolution strategies involve leadership training, fostering open communication between leaders and subordinates, and creating a feedback loop for continuous improvement. Addressing leadership concerns head-on prevents conflicts from permeating through the entire organizational structure.

10. Competition for Resources

Scarce resources can trigger conflicts among team members competing for the same pool of assets. Conflict resolution strategies involve transparent resource allocation, setting clear priorities, and encouraging collaboration over competition. A well-structured resource allocation system minimizes conflicts arising from perceived inequities in resource distribution.

11. Resistance to Change

Any discussion about workplace conflict examples is incomplete without the mention of resistance to change. Conflict may emerge when some employees resist adopting new technologies or adapting to new work processes. Conflict resolution involves effective change management, providing adequate training and support, and involving employees in the decision-making process. Addressing the concerns of those resistant to change can help smooth transitions and minimize conflicts.

12. Mismanagement of Feedback

Providing constructive feedback is an essential aspect of professional development. However, conflicts may arise if feedback is poorly delivered or perceived as unjust. Conflict resolution strategies involve training managers in effective feedback techniques, promoting a culture of constructive criticism, and ensuring that feedback is specific, timely, and actionable. Improving the feedback process reduces the likelihood of conflicts stemming from the mismanagement of performance evaluations.

13. Inadequate Resources

When teams lack the necessary tools or resources to fulfill their responsibilities, conflicts may arise. For example, a marketing team might face tension due to insufficient budget for a crucial campaign. Conflict resolution involves aligning resource allocation with organizational goals, providing adequate budgets, and fostering a culture of resource optimization. Ensuring teams have the necessary resources minimizes conflicts related to unmet expectations.

14. Discrimination and Harassment

Workplaces must be free from discrimination and harassment, yet conflicts may arise if such issues are not addressed promptly. Conflict resolution strategies involve implementing strict anti-discrimination policies, conducting regular diversity and inclusion training, and providing confidential channels for reporting incidents. A zero-tolerance approach to discrimination and harassment creates a safe and inclusive work environment, preventing conflicts and promoting employee well-being.

15. Undefined Roles and Responsibilities

Unclear job roles and responsibilities can lead to conflicts, as team members may step on each other’s toes or feel overwhelmed by undefined expectations. Conflict resolution involves clarifying roles, establishing clear job descriptions, and promoting a culture of accountability. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities contribute to a more organized and conflict-free work environment.

Workplace conflicts are inevitable, but how they are managed and resolved can significantly impact the overall health of an organization. The 15 real-life workplace conflict examples presented in this article illustrate the diverse nature of challenges that can arise. By implementing effective conflict resolution strategies such as open communication, leadership development, and transparent policies, organizations can transform conflicts into opportunities for growth and collaboration. Prioritizing conflict resolution is not only crucial for maintaining a positive work environment but also for fostering long-term success and employee satisfaction.

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Browse Course Material

Course info.

• Prof. Mary Rowe

Departments

• Sloan School of Management

As Taught In

• Business Ethics
• Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management
• Communication

Learning Resource Types

Negotiation and conflict management, assignments.

Grades are based 50% on class work and 50% on writing: your Little Papers, the journal and Separate Pages. Please write in your confidential journal and write evaluations of your colleagues every week. I will read your papers, keep them confidential, and return the papers at the next class – no one else sees them.

Many of the documents that relate to these assignments can be found on the lecture notes page.

2 What Kind of Negotiator am I? Hand in your journal, which should include the following four assignments:

• The Class Notes reading assignment for today: Rowe, Mary. Options and Choice for Conflict Resolution in the Workplace , in Negotiation: Strategies for Mutual Gain , by Lavinia Hall, ed., Sage Publications, Inc., 1993, pp. 105-119, ends with an “Exercise” which is your first self-assessment. Write about your conflict management preferences and those of people close to you.
• Score the Thomas-Kilmann Questionnaire – the second self-assessment. Please write about your scores in three areas of your life. Some people photocopy the questionnaire and the answer sheet for a Significant Other before filling it out, either to find out the self-analysis of the Other, or to see how the other person thinks you would answer it, or both.
• Write about the $2 game: How did you feel about the negotiation conditions, and the tactics you used or observed in the $2 game? Whose negotiating behavior particularly impressed or irritated you, and why?
• Turn in at least one Separate Page, about the negotiation behavior of someone in the class which you found particularly noteworthy on the first day.

There are pages on the study materials page with questions that may be useful in this analysis. The separate page should include the name of the person whose negotiation you are describing. You do not need to sign the page but if you want to write an anonymous page – and also wish me to give you credit for writing a great assessment – then put your name on it with a sticky note, and I will remove the note before giving the page to the person named. These pages will be sent to all of you after the end of the course. Previous classes have suggested that this feed-back is useful to the recipients of the pages. My first interest, however, is that you should be able to analyze and understand how others negotiate, and how various negotiations strategies and styles affect you.

Case this week: Stratego Aero I. (Please save your copy of the case)

For next week: Please find the Ethics and Machiavelli Questionnaires , and scoring sheets in the Class Notes, for the assignment due in Session 3. Pick up your part in Terry and Josephine at Navigational Systems . 3 Distributive and Mixed Motive Bargaining Hand in: Ethics and Machiavelli Little Paper #1 ( PDF )

The Ethics and Machiavelli Questionnaires are the third and fourth self-assessments of this class. You will find the Ethics and Machiavelli Questionnaires , and scoring sheets, in the Class Notes. If you wish, photocopy the questionnaires and give a copy to someone who knows you well, to fill out about you and return to you. NB: The Machiavelli Questionnaire is at best quaint and sexist, and there are no right answers. The point is to assess the extent to which you think or act in a way that others might think is “Machiavellian,” and to see if you believe that your thinking and behavior reflect your own values. Please feel free to (re) read The Prince , or recall anything you would like about Machiavelli, as you think about this. Alternatively, just deal with the image of “Machiavellianism” and whether you think it suits you.

Also – please write in your journal and, as usual, please write a separate page about the negotiation of someone in the class (journals are handed in during Session 6).

Case: Prepare your role in the Terry and Josephine case. If you can, prepare together with anyone who is playing the same role as you.

For Next Week: Pick up your roles for next week in the Hiring/Salary case ( Barrister ) and the Performance Evaluation case ( The Yearly Review ). Prepare with someone else with the same role if you can. 4 Integrative and Mixed Motive Bargaining This week there is a lot of reading, writing and case preparation but nothing to hand in.

Write: Write in your journal, (which is due in Session 6). As usual, please write a separate page about your observations of someone in the class?

Cases: Prepare your role in Barrister, Counselor, Solicitor and Avocat , and your role in The Yearly Review . Please prepare together with anyone who is playing the same role as you.

Pick up copies of the Aggressive Competitive Negotiator and Tax Books cases to prepare for next week. Choose a partner for next week – the negotiation next week will be two on two. 5 Competitive and Cooperative Styles and Do Gender or Culture Make a Difference? Write: Write in your journal, plus the “separate page” about the excellent (or otherwise remarkable) negotiation of a classmate.

Cases: Prepare the Tax Books case with a partner. NB: Please together choose a negotiating style and strategy and tactics that you and your partner will pursue – see the tactics sheet from Negotiation 101 (refer to the study materials section). Keep your plans secret from the other side, but please tell me in your journals how the planned choice of strategy, style and tactics influences (if at all) your negotiating, and the outcome of the case. See if you are able to figure out which strategy and style the other team adopted? In real life, can you recognize the strategy and style of others? ( negotiated two on two )

Please also prepare the Aggressive Competitive Negotiator with your partner. Come up with several suggestions about how you might deal with this ACN.

Pick up your role in Telemachus , for next week. Please prepare with someone who has the same role. 6 Negotiating in Context Hand in your journal – plus separate pages about people who have inspired you, or who have done something you find questionable, in class negotiations. The journal – covering classes and readings (and your life?) during the period of Session 2 up to today – is due today.

Case: Prepare Telemachus , (but not the Coalition case). Prepare together with anyone who is playing the same role as you in Telemachus . Please pay special attention to the question of choosing a strategy and style and planning your tactics – again please review the Tactics sheet from Negotiations 101 and review the possible roles Ury describes for a Thirdsider – two pages at the end of N101 (refer to the study materials section).

Next Week: Please do the reading for Session 7, before you write your Perceived Injurious Experience letter. Then read the instructions in the Class Notes on how to write a P.I.E. letter. This letter is your Little Paper #2, due in Session 7. You may turn this assignment in early if you wish to because you are taking a trip. Please try hard to follow the instructions even if you think they are too rigid. Holiday Week Optional Assignment: Enders Game , as suggested earlier and/or Joan Slonczewski’s A Door Into Ocean , Avon, 1986, science fiction, which presents a profoundly different view – from Enders Game – of sources of power in dealing with armed conflict. As with Enders Game , this book may interest you especially in the light of hostilities in many parts of the world. If you do read either or both books, please consider writing in your journal your responses to the questions I asked for Session 4, with respect to Enders Game. 7 Origins of Conflict – Dispute Prevention – Delegating Conflict Management to the Disputant Write: In your journal – and look for behavior in a classmate that will inspire a separate page.

**Hand in Little Paper #2: “Perceived Injurious Experience.” **

• Assignment Description for the PIE Letter ( PDF )
• Drafting – and Perhaps Sending – A Private Letter to a Person Who has Harassed or Offended You ( PDF )
• Joe and Josephine at Biochemix ( PDF )

Please try hard to follow the instructions, even if you think they are too rigid? 8 Your Employer’s Dispute Resolution and Complaint Handling System Write: In your journal and, if possible, a separate page. If you read or skimmed the MIT Guide to Dealing with Harassment consider writing a paragraph of critique or commentary. Read the questions posed for last week and answer them?

Preparing for Next Week: Read the instructions (in the Class Notes) for Little Paper #3, “Seeing Both Sides of a Dispute”, due on Session 9.

Pick up Stratego Aero II . Check to see that you still have Stratego Aero I . You will need both I and II to prepare for next week.

Before you leave class please arrange to prepare together with one or more people playing the same role as you in the mediation next week. Preparing for any important negotiation is probably the most important skill in negotiations. It is especially vital if you are going into a mediation in any role. You will find the Moore readings useful, so try to do the readings for next week before you meet with a colleague who has the same role. See also the Moore chart: Figure 2.1 from Moore, Christopher W. The Mediation Process: Practical Strategies for Resolving Conflict. 2nd ed. Jossey-Bass, 1996. Holiday Week Optional Assignment: Rent the video The Return of Martin Guerre . The question is, whom can you believe? Is it possible to tell if someone is lying? If so – how will you do it as a manager? If not – how will you manage? 9 Conciliation and Mediation Write: Write in your journal and – if possible – a separate page.

Hand in: Little Paper #3: Seeing Both Sides of a Dispute ( PDF )

Case: Prepare Stratego Aero II . To do so, you should have re-read Stratego Aero I as well as your Stratego II Secret Instructions. Prepare together with someone who is playing the same role as you and please prepare carefully. Otherwise you will mess up your colleagues’ role-playing, and they will write me fierce notes about requiring people to prepare better.

Pick up cases for next week. These cases are somewhat controversial. Can you find a classmate, or someone else quite different from you , to read the cases together with you, and help prepare for the class discussion?

Remember the double class (6 hours) next week with pizza. 10 Investigation, Arbitration and Exceptionally Difficult People (Double Class, 6 hours) Write: In your journal - and try for a separate page? By now you are totally exhausted with the semester, but the colleagues you write about will (probably) be grateful - and you need all the practice you can get in evaluating Others.

_The last journal (covering the period Session 6 through today) and separate pages, are due after this class, any time later this week. _ Class: Certified Public Accountants, Inc. (Theft); Discussion of Cases Distributed in Class (Drugs, Whistleblowers, and a Convicted Employee).

Cases: Please prepare to discuss the cases. If you possibly can, prepare by asking people outside the class – preferably ask someone who is not of your own background – what should happen in any of these cases. There is no role-play preparation. 11 More Negotiating with Difficult People Hand in: Your journal (covering the period since Session 6) and separate pages are due today if you did not send them in during this past week.

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Managing Workplace Conflict

Overview Background Business Case The Employer's Role A Framework to Minimize Conflict Communication Metrics and Reporting Additional Resources

Workplace conflict is inevitable when employees of various backgrounds and different work styles are brought together for a shared business purpose. Conflict can—and should—be managed and resolved. With tensions and anxietieDefiits at an all-time high due to the current political divide and racial inequity discussions at work, the chances for workplace conflict have increased. This toolkit examines the causes and effects of workplace conflict and the reasons why employers should act to address conflict.

This toolkit also explores the various roles employers play in managing workplace conflict, ways to communicate an organization's conflict-resolution procedures and how to measure the effectiveness of those procedures. The toolkit does not examine the details of procedures for settling conflicts.

Conflict can occur in any organization when employees with different backgrounds and priorities work together. Conflict can be expressed in numerous ways such as insults, noncooperation, bullying and anger. Its causes can range from personality clashes and misunderstood communication to organizational mismanagement. The negative effects of workplace conflict can include work disruptions, decreased productivity, project failure, absenteeism, turnover and termination. Emotional stress can be both a cause and an effect of workplace conflict.

Although conflict is generally regarded as having a negative effect in the workplace, a degree of conflict is actually normal and healthy. In fact, many believe it's a vital ingredient to organizational success. The most effective teams are those in which members feel safe enough to disagree with one another. A culture where dissent is allowed, or even encouraged, can spur innovation, diversity of thought and better decision-making.

Alternatively, conflict becomes unhealthy when it becomes personal and emotional, often resulting in clouded judgment. By contrast, good conflict can lead to higher levels of trust. If people see that it's OK to challenge their manager, they can question the status quo, which is better for the company.

Difference is at the heart of conflict, so it's important to explore areas where people often don't align. Common causes of workplace conflict include:

• Conflicting priorities. Some fights are over resources such as budgets; others erupt from incompatible goals or reactions to structural change in the company.
• Conflicting perspectives. In an increasingly global and diverse workplace, sometimes the heart of the problem is that people differ from each other in age, gender, ethnicity, religion, political views or personality type, among other characteristics.
• Conflicting assumptions. One of the biggest drivers of conflict is when people misinterpret others' intentions. We each view the world through a framework based on our life experiences and might assume others experience things the same way we do. Employees working remotely also can increase the chance of miscommunication which should be addressed.  See  Settling Conflicts in a Remote-Work World .
• Conflicting tolerances. Employees have differing levels of comfort with addressing conflict. Too often, discomfort causes conflicts to be avoided entirely which can lead to real blowups when one person can't hold it in any longer. See  Working with People Who Avoid Conflict .

Signs of conflict include:

• Burnout. This might be signaled by workers who constantly call in sick or often talk about how overwhelmed they are with work demands. Talk to them—and really listen.
• Complaints. A clear sign of conflict, employers should get to the root of the problem to timely address complaints.
• Confusion. Confusion can lead to resistance of new policies or procedures. Quickly address the confusion by being transparent and answering questions, such as sharing with employees the factors that went into making a decision.

See  How to Identify and Address Conflict in the Workplace , Addressing the Six Sources of Workplace Cultural Conflicts and Bringing Political Civility into the Workplace .

Employers can manage workplace conflict by creating an organizational culture designed to preclude conflict as much as possible and by dealing promptly and equitably with conflict that employees cannot resolve among themselves. To manage conflict, employers should consider the following:

• Make certain that policies and communication are clear and consistent and make the rationale for decisions transparent.
• Ensure that all employees—not just managers—are accountable for resolving conflict.
• Do not ignore conflict, and do not avoid taking steps to prevent it.
• Seek to understand the underlying emotions of the employees in conflict.
• Keep in mind that approaches to resolving conflict may depend on the circumstances of the conflict.

Business Case

A well-functioning work environment is one in which employees communicate with respectful, inoffensive language; show tolerance and acceptance of differences among each other; and demonstrate respect for all individuals in the organization regardless of position, status or tenure.

If an employer has mechanisms in place to resolve conflict at its early stages, employees will generally see their employer as fair in their dealings with them and will likely be more satisfied with their jobs. Reductions in employee conflict can lead to increased employee productivity, greater motivation and loyalty, lower medical costs, fewer workers' compensation claims, and reduced litigation costs.

Unresolved issues of interpersonal tension and conflict can create emotional stress for employees, politicize the workplace and divert attention from the organization's mission. If employers do not act, conflicts will escalate into larger problems, discrimination and harassment complaints may increase, and the employer's reputation could be damaged. Other possible consequences of failing to manage workplace conflict include:

• Absenteeism. Unscheduled absences drive up employers' costs through benefits outlays, the use of replacement workers, higher stress levels among employees and a decrease in overall employee performance.
• Turnover. When employees mistrust management or perceive the organization as acting unfairly, turnover may increase. This can lead to recruiting and training expenses for new hires and the costs attributable to a slippage of performance until new employees become fully proficient in their jobs.
• Unionization. When employees perceive their employers as unfair, they are more inclined to seek outside resources such as a union to help protect them and to negotiate on their behalf on matters such as employment, compensation and benefits.
• Litigation. An employee who cannot achieve a resolution of a workplace conflict may seek outside legal help, which can cause an organization to mount a costly defense or agree to an expensive settlement. Lawsuits resolved in an employee's favor can result in significant financial penalties for the employer and can even produce criminal or civil sanctions.

Employers should also take steps to manage the growing trends of incivility and bullying in the workplace. Employers are well-advised to treat such types of power conflicts seriously and to seek to address them proactively.

The Employer's Role

The employer has a responsibility to develop and implement workplace conflict policies and procedures and to create and manage conflict-resolution programs. This responsibility is grounded in the development of a workplace culture designed to prevent conflict among employees to the extent possible. The basis for such a culture is strong employee relations, namely, fairness, trust and mutual respect at all levels. See  Understanding and Developing Workplace Culture .

Additionally, resolving workplace conflicts does not always require top-down interventions. Organizations need people who can handle day-to-day issues on their own, think independently, analyze problems, come up with solutions and take steps to implement them. This includes both task-related and people-related problems.

Below are some tips for building trust, encouraging good conflict, and preventing or addressing  destructive conflict:

• Survey employees. Conduct annual engagement surveys and have conversations with employees in the interim. Survey employees about how well conflict is being handled. The results will identify departments that have widespread problems so the employer knows where training and intervention are needed.
• Catch people doing things right. Have managers seek out opportunities to acknowledge and praise employees. Doing so creates an environment where people feel comfortable bringing up problems.
• Welcome dissent. Managers should encourage dissent that's focused on tasks, strategies and mission. Sometimes a retreat with an outside facilitator is the best way to get beyond surface conversations.
• Create diverse teams. Create work teams whose members have diverse expertise, ways of thinking and backgrounds. Appointing a rotating devil's advocate is a good way to stir up productive conflict.
• Create accountability. This is a conflict preventative, since many fights arise from a lack of clarity over who has the final authority to make a decision. Making sure that roles are well-established and communicated prevents problems from arising.
• Encourage people to manage their own conflicts. Tell employees to work out conflict at the level it happens, instead of pushing it up the organizational chain. Doing so will give people confidence that they are capable of handling these issues on their own.
• Provide training. Employers can help people learn the skills they need to handle conflict by sending them to courses or recommending helpful books. Conflicts tend to become emotionally fraught when someone chooses not to focus on the issue at hand but rather to question another person's competency, autonomy or integrity.

Developing Strong Employee Relations

When it occurs, conflict must be resolved equitably and quickly. It is also important, though, to try to prevent it—that is, to create an environment in which corrosive conflict is less likely to occur in the first place. The foundation of such a culture is employee relations, the process of building strong relationships between managers and employees based on fairness, trust and mutual respect. It takes time, effort and money to create such a work environment, but a good employee relations climate supports motivation, loyalty and high performance among employees, and it encourages them to try to achieve the best results possible for their organization. See  Developing and Sustaining Employee Engagement.

Employers can use the following ingredients to create a strong employee relations strategy:

• Interactive communication. Communication that is clear and two-way can help build trust between employees and their managers.
• Trust. The absence of trust among employees and managers can compromise communication in either or both directions.
• Ethics. If employees do not perceive their manager as having good business ethics, they will indirectly question the manager's motives, which may cause stress and reduce performance.
• Fairness. All employees should be treated in a consistent manner under the same circumstances. Superior performance, however, should still be recognized and rewarded.
• Empathy. Managers need to be alert and sensitive to their employees' feelings, and showing empathy and awareness is central to establishing a trusting relationship with employees. See  6 Ways to Become a More Empathetic Organization .
• Perceptions and beliefs. Perceptions can be essential in employee relations. Employees respond positively when they believe the organization's policies and practices are fair and its communication is truthful. Frequent, honest communication helps ensure that employees' beliefs and perceptions are consistent with reality in the workplace.
• Clear expectations. Employees need to know what to expect from their managers. No one likes to be surprised with new or conflicting requirements, which can cause stress and distract employees from the job at hand.
• Conflict resolution. Although conflicts arise in every organization, the methods to handle them vary. Employers must deal with issues head-on and resolve disputes fairly and quickly.

If an organization is large enough to support an employee relations position, this can send a positive message to the workforce about the value the employer places on maintaining positive employee relationships. HR professionals are often trained to handle workplace conflict and to resolve problems among employees; however, a specialist in employee relations or an ombudsman dedicated to working with employees experiencing conflict or other dissatisfaction in the workplace can eliminate many issues before they escalate. See  Handling Employee Conflicts: When HR Should and Shouldn't Get Involved .

When Should You Seek Outside Help?

While it's better to address workplace conflicts as soon as possible and at a local level, sometimes you need outside help from a mediator, arbitrator or attorney. Experts say those situations include the following:

• When potential legal issues are involved, such as allegations of discrimination or harassment.
• When the HR department doesn't have the time or training to provide the conflict resolution assistance needed.
• When there are patterns of recurring issues.
• When the flare-ups are becoming abusive or resemble bullying.
• When a manager needs retraining that can't be done in-house.
• When the environment is so toxic it's time to get everyone offsite so the office doesn't trigger continuing negative responses.

A Framework to Minimize Conflict

There is no single strategy to create a positive workplace climate. A number of tools are used in various combinations to stimulate employee engagement and to minimize conflict. There are, however, several essential tools HR professionals can use to create a positive workplace climate.

Written Rules, Policies and Agreements

Employees should understand how workplace conflicts will be resolved. An organization communicates its expectations typically via an employee handbook, HR policies, and written contracts and agreements with certain high-level individuals.

Written HR policies are essential to provide guidance to managers and employees on how conflicts and other issues should be handled. Such policies include any formal mechanisms in place to help employees resolve differences and provisions to prohibit retaliation against employees who raise concerns.

Agreements and contracts with key executives are designed to ensure a common understanding about the employment relationship. Such contracts may include a requirement that binding arbitration—rather than potentially costlier litigation—be used for resolving employment-related disputes.

Effective Management

Conflicts have a better chance of being managed quickly and successfully when an organization has a strong leadership team in place. Leaders that allow poor behavior from employees or ignore workplace bullies will certainly experience damaged employee relations. An effective management team is imperative in preventing slippage in employee morale and increases in turnover. See  How to Handle Employee Conflict on Your Team , How to Deal with Conflict at Work as a Manager and Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution - Necessary skills for every organizational leader .

Careful Hiring

A key strategy to avoid employee relations problems is to make sure the organization's hiring process embodies good interviewing skills and selection procedures and pre-employment screening, including a background investigation. Asking open-ended relationship management interview questions can uncover the conflict resolution skills a candidate may or may not have.

Just as the requisite experience and education are key in hiring, so are demeanor and communication style, which can suggest whether a job candidate would be a "good fit" for the organization. A company's culture can have a significant impact on whether a candidate is likely to succeed within the organization.

Fair Grievance Processes

Organizations should have written policies and definitions pertaining to dispute mechanisms available in the organization that provide clear guidance for the employer and the employees. The policy should state the scope and limitations of each mechanism and spell out each method's terms, such as eligibility, frequency, decision process, and required sign-off and approvals for settling a matter.

Employers that implement a system through which parties can resolve conflict within the company create incentives for employees to avoid engaging in costly and time-consuming external litigation. Organizations typically have multiple ways for employees to work out interpersonal or organizational differences. The existence of a grievance system may also improve employee morale because employees feel they have options for pursuing conflict resolution.

Here are common steps to resolve workplace disputes:

• Open-door policy. This is a first step. It encourages employees to meet with their immediate supervisor to discuss and resolve work-related issues. Employees should know that there will be no negative repercussions for voicing a complaint.
• Management review. If the open-door approach does not resolve the conflict, the next step is to have the issue reviewed by the next-higher level of management.
• Peer review. The aggrieved employee presents his or her side of a dispute to a small panel of employees and supervisors selected from a pool of employees trained in dispute resolution. This method often succeeds because employees participate in decisions that affect them. Depending on the organization, a peer review may be binding on both parties. If it is not binding and the resolution is not satisfactory to the employee, the dispute may be submitted to mediation or arbitration.

The following are types of conflict resolution techniques available to organizations:

• Facilitation. A neutral employee in the organization—often an employee relations manager—acts as a facilitator, not to judge the merits of the dispute or to render a final decision, but to help both sides decide the best way to settle the dispute.
• Mediation. A mediator is a neutral third party who helps the conflicting parties explore innovative solutions to their dispute. Mediators can be internal employees trained in conflict management and mediation, or they can be trained external professionals who have no perceived conflict of interest with the employer. Resolving a dispute through mediation should be voluntary. See  How do we mediate a "cease fire" between employees?
• Arbitration. This is typically the most formal, costly and time-consuming method of resolving disputes. Witnesses may be presented and cross-examined, and an arbitrator issues a binding decision.

10 Steps to Resolving Conflict

Schedule a meeting to address the problem, preferably at a neutral place.

• Set ground rules. Ask all parties to treat each other with respect and to make an effort to listen and understand others' views.
• Ask each participant to describe the conflict, including desired changes. Direct participants to use "I" statements, not "you" statements. They should focus on specific behaviors and problems rather than people.
• Ask participants to restate what others have said.
• Summarize the conflict based on what you have heard and obtain agreement from participants.
• Brainstorm solutions. Discuss all of the options in a positive manner.
• Rule out any options that participants agree are unworkable.
• Summarize all possible options for a solution.
• Assign further analysis of each option to individual participants.
• Make sure all parties agree on the next steps.
• Close the meeting by asking participants to shake hands, apologize and thank each other for working to resolve the conflict.

Training for Managers

The employer must ensure that effective management training is provided regularly in the organization. Managers should also know how to spot issues and seek counsel from specialists before responding to a problem. This can ensure fair treatment of subordinates and can also protect the employer from being inadvertently exposed to legal issues.

HR must ensure that managers have skills and training in several additional areas, including:

• Conflict resolution. Managers should be trained to recognize problems, ask questions and devise solutions before the issues become time-wasters and legal risks. See  Conflict Resolution Training .
• Organization rules and expectations. Managers should understand what is expected of them, and they should know the organization's rules and policies. If a manager does not know how to enforce the rules, the result can be confusion and conflict.
• Laws and regulations. Managers must understand the basic laws and regulations of the employment relationship so they have at least a general knowledge of their employees' rights.
• Professionalism. Managers who commit themselves to high standards of professionalism and who follow stringent business ethics gain employees' respect, whereas managers who bend the rules are viewed with skepticism. Employees respect and do their best work for managers who are committed to doing what is right regardless of possible repercussions.
• Communication. A manager's ability to communicate effectively with staff is critical for building good relationships. Managers should be trained in how to give complete, specific assignments; listen carefully; provide constructive feedback; respond to employee suggestions; and deal with conflict. They should also know how to share information with employees—and how much to share—based on the organization's philosophy and preferences for sharing.
• Work assignments. Managers should be trained in how to assess their employees' abilities and to understand their employees' strengths and weaknesses to determine what assignments are reasonable for each employee. Employees are most productive when they feel that their work is significant and valued by management.
• Training and certification. Consider investing in a course or credential, such as SHRM's People Manager Qualification . The PMQ offers outstanding content and an active learning format to sharpen your communication, team leadership, performance management and situational judgment—the skills most in demand now.

Performance Management and Feedback

Performance reviews typically occur at least once a year; some are more frequent. During such reviews, goals and objectives are determined and agreed on, and managers can give candid feedback to employees. Managers who constructively and frankly communicate such information to employees tend to establish stronger workgroups and foster better individual performers. Without feedback, employees are left to wonder how they are doing and what their manager really thinks about them, which in turn can lead to dissatisfaction, misunderstandings and conflict. See  Managing Employee Performance .

Fair Termination Processes

Most workplace litigation arises because individuals feel they were not taken seriously or did not receive a fair hearing. HR should review disciplinary policies and procedures to ensure there is a fair process that protects employees from impulsive or ill-considered reactions by management. Employees are more likely to view a dispute-resolution system as fair and equitable if it allows them to correct problematic behavior before termination is considered. This perception of fairness can also help minimize emotions and disruptions by other employees when a co-worker must be terminated.

Communication

Supervisors and managers should be well-informed about all the organization's dispute resolution systems. They should know the rationale for each system and be able to explain how each works in practice. An employer's decision about how to communicate a dispute-resolution system's details to employees will depend on the culture of the organization and the various types of media that are available and that are most effective within the workforce.

Such media may include training, staff meetings, policy and procedure manuals, organization intranet, e-mail, newsletters, flyers, new-employee orientation training materials, and individual letters to employees. HR should regularly remind managers and supervisors about the importance of dealing with conflict early and about the options available to them to resolve such matters.

Metrics and Reporting

Experts suggest five employee relations metrics that employers should consider monitoring:

• Number of grievances per given period—month, quarter or year—using a constant measure, such as the number of grievances per 100 or 1,000 employees. This information can then be viewed according to manager, department, region or facility.
• Cost of grievances by calculating the time spent by managers, HR professionals and legal counsel in the investigation and resolution of complaints, the cost of lost productivity, and legal expenses.
• Root causes of grievances, such as supervisor errors, unclear policies and procedures, lack of management training, and poor hiring decisions.
• Average close time—similar to the time-to-fill measure used in recruiting. This is a measure of the efficiency of the grievance resolution process. It is based on how many days it takes to resolve an issue from the day it is identified as a problem.
• Return on investment (ROI) to determine how much money the employee relations program has saved the organization. For example, revenue per employee and profit per employee can be monitored to see if the implementation of an effective grievance resolution process has made any impact.

Additional Resources

Tools and Samples

Problem Resolution and Peer Review Procedures

Conflict Resolution Policy

Conflict Resolution Rules and Steps

Incident Report

Grievance Procedures: Non-Union

Available in the SHRM Store

Solve Employee Problems Before They Start: Resolving Conflict in the Real World

The Price of Pettiness: Bad Behavior in the Workplace and How to Stomp It Out

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Conflict Management with an example of Real Life Conflicting Situation

The aim of this report is to discuss Conflict Management with an example of real life conflicting situation. We describe conflict as a variance through which the parties concerned perceive a hazard to their wants, interests or concerns. It’s human character to have conflicts and it arises for any number of reasons, including: Misunderstandings, Personality clashes, Disagreements about the right way to approach a problem and Egos. Here also focus on Stages of conflict: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Intragroup, Intergroup etc. Finally analysis on Types of Conflict: Relationship Conflicts, Data Conflicts, Interest Conflicts, Structural Conflicts, Value Conflicts .

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8 Workplace Conflict Examples & Their Resolutions

There are many different examples of conflicts in the workplace. Conflicts at work can range from minor disagreements to dramatic blow-ups or outright hostility that can threaten company culture. There are times when workplace conflict is constructive and stimulates discussions and innovative ideas.

However, there are also times when conflict continues to intensify and spiral out of control if it isn’t addressed. When workplace conflict isn’t resolved, it can lead to an uncomfortable work environment and may cause staff members to consider changing jobs, undermining the company culture.

Free Consultation for Workplace Conflict

To help navigate these challenges, let’s explore common workplace conflicts that arise in the workplace and examine effective strategies for resolving them. This guide aims to equip you with the knowledge to maintain a positive and productive work environment.

Common Workplace Conflict Examples

Workplace conflicts arise for a myriad of reasons. Understanding the nature of these conflicts can help in addressing them effectively. Below, we outline some typical conflict scenarios and provide insights on how to resolve conflict, ensuring a healthier work atmosphere

1. Work Style Conflicts

Work style conflicts arise when people with different workstyles have to work closely together. Work style conflicts usually involve how tasks are approached or completed. A person who is a go-getter and wants to complete tasks quickly and efficiently may have a hard time collaborating with someone who is laid back and unmotivated to meet deadlines.

Someone who is very organized and likes to plan ahead may have a hard time working with someone who is more impulsive or tackles tasks at the last minute. An individual who likes to focus on projects alone may clash with one who tries to work together for every aspect of a project.

You find yourself increasingly at odds with a colleague over how to handle project tasks. You prefer to plan your work in advance, setting clear timelines and objectives, which helps you manage your workload efficiently.

On the other hand, your colleague thrives on last-minute bursts of creativity, often pushing deadlines to their limits, which you find stressful and counterproductive. This clash in working styles has led to a growing tension between you both, impacting the team’s overall morale and productivity.

To address the conflict, your manager decides to intervene by facilitating a conflict resolution session where both you and your colleague are encouraged to express your work preferences and concerns. During this session, it becomes clear that a compromise is necessary to harness the strengths of both approaches.

The manager proposes a new workflow where planning phases and creative brainstorming sessions are clearly defined, allowing each of you to work in your preferred style at different stages of the project.

Additionally, regular progress reviews are set up to ensure that both planning and adaptability are balanced, keeping the project on track while fostering a more harmonious working relationship.

2. Misunderstanding or Poor Communication Issues

When people have had life experiences that are much different than those of their coworkers, it’s not uncommon for there to be misunderstandings. Conflicts triggered by generational differences or different cultural expectations can lead to confusion or misinterpreting what someone else says or does.

In your diverse workplace, a younger colleague’s casual communication style, involving informal language and digital shorthand in emails, is misunderstood by an older colleague who interprets these communications as unprofessional and dismissive.

The misunderstanding escalates when the older colleague confronts the younger one, leading to a heated exchange where intentions and words are misinterpreted on both sides, creating a tense atmosphere within the team.

To resolve the growing tension, your supervisor steps in to mediate a discussion between the two colleagues. The supervisor initiates a communication workshop for the whole team, focusing on understanding different communication styles and cultural expressions.

During the mediation, both parties are encouraged to express their perspectives and feelings about the communication styles. They are guided to establish common ground on acceptable professional communication standards within the workplace.

By facilitating an open dialogue and providing communication training, the supervisor helps both colleagues understand each other’s viewpoints and agree on a more respectful and clear communication approach, thus restoring harmony in the team.

3. Bullying, Discrimination or Harassment

Bullying, discrimination and harassment are much more serious examples of conflict situations in the workplace. For instance, sexual harassment or discrimination complaints may center around gender , age, disability, religion or national origin.

If one staff member accuses another of this type of behavior, their claim needs to be taken seriously and investigated. If an employee approaches you with a complaint, treat them with empathy and respect as you listen to them.

A situation arises where an employee, Jane, feels that she has been repeatedly targeted and excluded by a group of her colleagues due to her religious beliefs. The group’s behavior includes making derogatory comments, sexual harassment, and excluding her from team meetings, which Jane perceives as both bullying and religious discrimination. Feeling increasingly isolated and stressed, Jane decides to report the issue to her supervisor.

Upon receiving the complaint, the supervisor acts promptly by treating Jane with empathy and respect, ensuring her concerns are heard without judgment. Recognizing the seriousness of the allegations, the supervisor escalates the issue to the HR department. HR conducts a thorough investigation, involving interviews with all parties involved and a review of company communication.

To address the findings and reinforce the company’s stance against such behaviors, HR requires all staff to undergo harassment training. They also implement clear anti-discrimination and sexual harassment policies with specified consequences for violations.

Jane is offered support and counseling to overcome the distress caused by the incidents, and the company commits to ongoing monitoring and culture audits to ensure a safe and respectful working environment for everyone.

4. Power Struggles

Examples of conflict situations in the workplace often involve power struggles. This may be triggered by lack of clarity on who’s responsible for what. If you’re in a leadership role and recognize that staff members have disagreements that seem to be related to roles, you’ll need to get involved and clearly communicate roles and responsibilities.

In your department, a recent promotion has intensified underlying tensions. Mike, a long-standing team member, was overlooked for a promotion in favor of Sarah, who is newer but brought significant recent successes to the team.

Mike feels his experience and loyalty to the company have been undervalued, leading to resentment towards Sarah. This resentment manifests in Mike challenging Sarah’s decisions publicly and undermining her authority in front of the team, creating a divisive atmosphere.

Recognizing the detrimental impact of this power struggle on team cohesion and productivity, you decide to intervene as their manager. First, you hold individual meetings with Mike and Sarah to understand their perspectives fully and validate their feelings. Next, you organize a team meeting to clarify roles and responsibilities, emphasizing the value of each team member’s contributions, regardless of their position.

To address the specific conflict, you propose a mentorship program where Mike can share his extensive knowledge with newer team members, including Sarah, which positions him as a respected senior team member and helps Sarah gain from his experience.

Additionally, you arrange for conflict resolution skills training for the whole team to improve communication and collaboration skills, ensuring everyone is equipped to handle similar issues in the future more constructively.

5. Resistance to Change

Conflicts can arise because some of your team or fellow managers do not want things to change. A good real-life example of workplace conflict concerns relocating to a new office. While the relocation might suit some team members, it elicits complaints in others, such as those about the commute or the size and style of the new “digs.”

Resistance to change can also occur because of unwanted rebranding efforts or new hires that make team members uncomfortable.

Your company has decided to relocate the main office to a more modern but distant location as part of a strategic effort to attract better talent and accommodate growth. While the new office boasts advanced facilities like a gym, kitchen, and meditation room, several long-term employees express dissatisfaction.

They are concerned about the longer commute and the unfamiliar new setting, fearing it might disrupt their work-life balance and daily routines.

As a manager, you acknowledge the concerns of your team and arrange a series of meetings to address the transition. You start by providing detailed explanations of the reasons behind the move, such as the need for more space and improved amenities, which are intended to enhance their working experience. You also outline the personal and professional benefits that the new office offers.

To involve the team in the transition process, you request their input on how the new space could be organized to better suit their needs and ask for suggestions regarding transportation solutions, like company-provided shuttles or carpool incentives.

By involving employees in decision-making and openly discussing the benefits and challenges, you help ease the transition and reduce resistance, fostering a more accepting and collaborative environment regarding the change.

6. Poor Work Habits

When you get a team of people together, it is unlikely that everyone’s work habits will mesh. Some employees learn and adapt quickly, while others struggle, causing tension. Still others simply have poor work habits that frustrate their ambitious, hard-working team members. They might always be late to work and leave early, have issues meeting deadlines, or spend more time gossiping than they do working.

In your team, one member, Alex, consistently arrives late, misses deadlines, and spends a considerable amount of time on personal calls and social media during work hours. This behavior has not only impacted his productivity but also frustrated other team members who are committed and hardworking. The growing resentment is palpable, and team morale has started to decline as other members feel they have to compensate for Alex’s lack of professionalism.

As a manager, you first attempt to address the issue by having a private, constructive conversation with Alex to discuss his work habits and the negative impact they are having on the team. You set clear expectations and specific, measurable goals for improvement, along with a timeline for achieving these goals. Despite these efforts, Alex’s performance does not improve.

After a fair trial period, and with continuous feedback, it becomes clear that his current role is not a good fit. You explore the possibility of reassigning Alex to a different role that might better align with his strengths.

However, if no suitable role is available or if his poor habits persist, you make the difficult decision to let him go to preserve the team’s productivity and morale. This decision, while tough, reaffirms the company’s commitment to maintaining a professional and respectful work environment.

7. Competition

While healthy competition in the workplace is usually a good thing because it inspires productivity, too much competition can prove detrimental. Dealing with one or several overly-competitive employees often results in arguments, gossip, and negative feelings.

In your sales department, an ongoing contest designed to boost numbers has resulted in increased tension among team members. Two particularly competitive employees, John and Lisa, have been at odds, each accusing the other of unfair tactics to win. Their rivalry has escalated to the point where it’s affecting the atmosphere of the entire team, leading to divisions and reduced cooperation.

Observing the negative impact of the heightened competition, you decide to intervene by temporarily halting the contest. As a conflict management strategy, you hold a team meeting to address the issues openly, discussing how the competition has evolved and its effects on team dynamics.

During this pause, you focus on team-building activities that emphasize collaboration over competition, such as group problem-solving challenges that require cooperation to succeed. When you reintroduce contests, you shift the focus to lighter, more inclusive competitions that encourage humor and creativity, like goofy photo captions or costume contests.

This approach helps to diffuse the tension, refocusing the team on enjoying their work and each other’s company, rather than solely on outperforming one another.

8. Personality Clashes

Having several distinct personalities in one workplace setting can easily result in conflicts. Some workers might feel that their fellow employees are abrasive, tactless, and offensive, or use words such as “mousey,” “wimpy,” or “annoyingly quiet” to characterize team members during off-hours. Perhaps some employees do not enjoy their coworkers discussing politics during lunch or how loud they are.

Within your project team, tensions have risen between two members, Tom and Sarah. Tom is outspoken and tends to dominate discussions, which Sarah, who is more reserved and prefers written communication, finds overbearing and rude.

Their differing personality styles have led to misunderstandings and resentment, with Sarah feeling undervalued and Tom feeling frustrated by what he perceives as Sarah’s lack of engagement.

To employ conflict management in this scenario, you arrange a mediation session where both Tom and Sarah can express their feelings and perspectives in a controlled, respectful setting. During the session, you emphasize the importance of professional decorum and the need to respect diverse personality types and communication styles.

You introduce guidelines for team interactions, such as structured meeting formats that allow equal time for each member to speak, and the use of a shared digital platform for project updates, which caters to both verbal and written communication preferences.

Resolving workplace conflict effectively is essential for maintaining a harmonious environment. Each type of conflict, whether it involves misunderstandings, power struggles, or personality clashes, requires a unique conflict resolution strategy that fosters communication and empathy.

Ready to Transform Your Workplace? Discover Our Conflict Resolution Solutions Today!

Explore our  conflict resolution services for personalized guidance on how to resolve conflicts. If you’re facing persistent workplace challenges, don’t hesitate to Contact Us for expert support. By resolving workplace conflicts constructively, you can transform challenges into opportunities for growth and enhance your team’s productivity.

Valerie Dansereau

Assignment on Conflict Management With real life Example - Doc

Added on   2020-01-07

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