Question

Think about and briefly summarize the various conflicts you witnessed among workers within an organization in which you worked as an employee or volunteer. Carefully examine each conflict scenario and determine if the root cause is the same as the generally perceived cause for the disagreements. What did you discover?

Answer 1

Conflict is sometimes an unavoidable part of our personal lives and our workplace is not immune to it. Yet workplace conflicts are not always easy to resolve. Here’s a look at a few common types of workplace conflicts that I have witnessed so far:

1. Leadership conflict

Every leader has his own way of leading a team. When you have co-founders the distinction in leadership styles becomes even more prominent. Dealing with different leadership styles, may cause irritation and confusion. For instance, one of your cofounders may take a direct approach to work, while you have a more inclusive and open style of communication. The best way to tackle these differences is to focus on developing a synergistic company culture and core values that guide your team. These principles must be strong enough to offer consistency in decision making and people’s overall involvement in the business

2. Interdependency-based conflict

Often times an employee has to rely on someone else’s co-operation, input or output to get their job done. This can cause dissension. For example, if a member of your sales team is regularly late to input monthly sales figures, then your accountant will definitely be late in submitting reports. This type of interdependency-based conflict can be resolved by clarifying roles and responsibilities while ensuring that each employee is held accountable for their tasks.

3. Work style differences

Everyone has a different style of working to complete assigned tasks. It is important to keep this in mind when training new employees and managing workload. For example, there are people who prefer to work with a team-oriented approach. On the other hand, there are those who are independent and task-oriented; they prefer to complete the work quickly without external input. If you understand that people have different styles of working, then you can better manage employee conflicts as they arise.

4. Personality clashes

Personality clashes at a workplace are generally fueled by perceptions about someone’s actions, character or motives. For instance, if a team leader verbally insults another member of your staff, they will easily view him or her as inappropriate and disrespectful. When left unchecked, that employee (and others) may harbor resentment. The best way to tackle this type of situation is to understand each other’s feelings and encourage team members to push their ego’s aside.

Avoiding these types of workplace disputes should be a preemptive part of your company culture. But when they do happen, actively resolving these conflicts can create a more positive and enriching work environment.