Conflict isn’t necessarily a positive or a negative for your company – it’s how you make the most of it. When handled well, it can infuse diverse ideas and positive energy into your business, inspiring teamwork, commitment and personal growth. On the flip side, negative conflict may not only be a distraction but also hurt the bottom line.
Research has determined that the average employee loses more than 2.5 hours per week of productivity because of conflict. The total cost is pegged at $359 billion per year. Sometimes the pain of conflict is subtle, like the “bad blood” between a pair of reluctant co-workers that lingers on for years, or conflict related absenteeism. Other times the cost can be felt front and center, for example where it causes a direct disruption to productivity.
Experts stress that conflict is a source of energy, that when channeled effectively, can help you find innovative solutions to problems in your company. To quote two TEDx speakers, the important thing with conflict is to “use it” rather than “diffuse it.” Here are some key tips about conflict management from various thought leaders:
Focus on keeping your brain calm
A conflict situation can cause the brain to release “a cascade of chemicals in the body,” wrote Diane Musho Hamilton in Harvard Business Review. “Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol flood our system,” she added, “immediately preparing us for fight or flight.”
When in a conflict situation, Hamilton advises those people involved to stay in the present, to be aware of the sensations they are feeling, and to focus on deep breathing. Also, she recommends to break the anger or anxiety feedback loop by letting go of the back story – the judgements and understanding of events that fuel a person’s emotional response during a conflict. Try to begin the conversation with a clean slate.
Seek to understand first
Aside from the fact that our first take on a situation can fuel a negative emotional response, there is a real possibility that we may not know the full story behind a disagreement. And we might have some of the facts wrong. It is crucial to set aside assumptions and listen actively. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood,” wrote Stephen Covey, noted business author.
Understand that the conflict at the surface might not be the real issue
Have you ever addressed an issue that was bothering an employee or a team, only to find that as soon as you resolved it, a new problem seemed to surface? In seeking to understand, be aware that the issue being raised might not be at the heart of an employee’s frustration. As such, it is important to dig deep to achieve a lasting resolution.
“Conflicts are a lot like icebergs,” observed Clair Canfield of Utah State University in a 2018 TEDx Talk. He used the metaphor to stress that stated conflicts might not be the root cause of a person’s frustration. “What we see on the surface may seem small, but what’s underneath can send boats like the Titanic to the bottom of the ocean.”
Have a plan for when conflicts gets stuck
Does your organization have a process for dealing with conflict? While a dialogue between team members or between a team member and a supervisor is an important first step, does your company have a “next step” if that process gets stuck? The conflict resolution process may be escalation to a higher managerial level to provide a fresh perspective.
Another useful approach is to utilize a “parallel” structure within your organization. For example, groups such as work improvement committees or the plant lean team can provide a fresh evaluation of an idea’s merits if the source of the conflict is related to how the work is done. When a group process objectively evaluates and debates the pros and cons of any idea, it models a proactive and objective approach to looking at new ideas. In other situations, a sympathetic ear from a plant chaplain or an HR manager, for example, can prove useful in understanding underlying issues in a conflict situation.
Use frequent check-ins and coaching conversations to uncover avoided conflicts
Avoided conflicts – the ones that frustrate people but that they don’t talk about can be just as damaging to the bottom line as incendiary ones. Employees with lower self-esteem are more likely to grin and bear concerns rather than bringing them forward. Frequent conversations between front line supervisors and team members are useful in building trust and surfacing such avoided conflicts.
Use powerful leadership to channel the positive energy of conflict
While situational frontline conflict management is crucial, it is aided by leadership actions such as the creation of parallel structures (lean teams, chaplain programs, etc.) as well as through the overall focus of the company. When an organization has a clear mission, employees are more likely to be aligned toward it and be engaged in its achievement. In such companies, conflicts are more likely to be channeled for positive results. According to a 2019 review of conflict management research, “Collectivist values have been found in experiments to strengthen cooperative relationships that in turn promote open-minded discussion.”
Bottom line, successful conflict management is best served by strongly led companies and frontline teams skilled at leveraging conflict to build teamwork and put fresh ideas into action. When it comes to conflict, don’t diffuse it… use it!
