Conflict Management

Since shouting matches take two, you need to be alert to the hot buttons that can anger you—that can make you a party to a shouting match. What situations or individuals trigger feelings of vulnerability or helplessness, or the desire to defend yourself against them and others? What individuals or situations ruin your day, add [...]

No. Sometimes, controlled anger can make clear how important an issue is. I know a manager who doesn’t get angry at any of his employees when they make a mistake. Rather, she focuses on the situation itself, shouting about the problem the mistake has caused, demonstrating how important the error is and thereby encouraging more [...]

Don’t get angry yourself. This may be difficult to do but it is absolutely essential if you’re going to calm the other person down. Don’t interrupt. Let the individual vent his or her feelings. Once the individual has his or her say, the person may be more prepared to listen to you and your side [...]

Here are some suggestions: Be self-introspective. Accentuate the positive. Talk to the individual. Keep communication channels open. Treat everyone alike. Agree to disagree. Tell Me More Be self-introspective. Step outside of yourself to see what is the root cause of the personality conflict. As a manager, you aren’t immune from errors, so you may have [...]

Conflicts can arise from misunderstandings or from different view-points on how to resolve a real operating problem. Conflicts from communication gaffes can be put to an end when the confusion with the message is clarified. Work-related differences tend to disappear when the problem disappears. While one or the other party may still think he or [...]

There will be occasions when you and your boss won’t agree. The key to surviving these situations is not to let them "get to you" personally. Your goal should be to maintain a harmonious working relationship with your manager, even in moments of high stress or confusion about your authority. What if your boss is [...]

There are some circumstances in which you really should seek help. For example, if there is a threat of violence, if you’ve tried to mediate and failed, or if a major corporate issue is involved. Tell Me More If you are to resolve conflicts between your employees, you need to have the trust of the [...]

Seek out the person and ask him or her about the rumor. If the individual denies the rumor, there is nothing more you can do. On the other hand, if the person acknowledges that he or she is angry with something you said or did, then you need to get the person to elucidate. You [...]

Team members must be able to work together effectively. Working effectively, however, means seeking the best solution to a problem under discussion. This can trigger disagreements. As a good manager, you don’t want disagreements to escalate into unpleasant conflicts. On the other hand, you don’t want your team’s members to fail to pursue different solutions [...]

Your first goal should be to avoid such conflicts. But should differences arise, your second objective should be to resolve the problem before it escalates and impairs your ability to work together. The problems usually fall into four categories: communications, turf and territory, professionalism, and interpersonal issues. Conflicts can arise between you and another manager [...]

If an individual has a predisposition to aggressiveness and perceives the workplace as a hostile environment, experiencing stress from a disagreement can trigger violent behavior. Become sensitive to the levels of stress your employees are under, recognize danger signs, and address issues of stress and anxiety before they become dangerous to you and coworkers. Intervene [...]

Conflicts don’t arise without cause, and they usually don’t disappear until that cause is addressed. If the conflict isn’t resolved, or at least its effects aren’t tempered, then the conflict can return and even escalate. Consequently, to get things back on track, you have to attempt to put the conflict behind you, which means putting [...]

You have to step in as a mediator when the confrontation not only keeps the two parties from working well together but also creates disruption in your department. Mediation is a five-step process: Identify the source of the conflict. Look beyond the incident. Look for solutions. Identify answers that both parties can support. Reach agreement. [...]

So long as the individuals collaborate or cooperate with one another, there is no reason to intervene. If you must step in during the early stage of a disagreement, your intent may be only to remind the two parties how their behavior can easily escalate into angry words that will make it more difficult for [...]

Conflict is a natural consequence of human interaction. Put two or more people in a room for any amount of time, and disputes are likely. When individuals clash, combatants can become so concerned with defending their turf that they cease communicating. Mutual distrust can build and working relationships may be irreparably damaged. However, managers can [...]