Conflict is a natural element of productive relationships when employees with different backgrounds, cultures, and working styles come together. Conflict is not inherently good or bad despite its negative connotations. A certain amount of conflict is vital to an organization’s success. Workplace cultures that foster safe spaces for disagreement are the most effective environments because they encourage innovation, diversified thinking, and healthy decision-making. Researchers on conflict prevention have observed that task-related conflicts benefit a business, whereas relationship conflicts regarding individual judgments and antagonism can be detrimental.
Conflict manifests in many ways, from noncooperation to verbal harassment. The roots of conflicts are just as myriad, from project disorganization to differing priorities. There are many consequences to unresolved professional conflict, including decreased productivity, absenteeism, work disruptions, damaged relationships, increased stress, and high employee turnover. The price of unresolved conflicts is situational and financial. According to a study by the Center for Public Policy (CPP), US workers spend 2.8 hours each week on average, amounting to $359 billion, resolving workplace conflicts.
Organizations are more diverse than they have ever been. While diversity and inclusion are vital to an organization’s success, exploring how business diverseness relates to conflict is crucial. The belief that diversity produces positive results is valid, with the important distinction that this is true under the right circumstances. Research studies reflect that a well-managed team will see transformative benefits with increased diversity, whereas superficial diversity efforts will lead to higher conflicts.
Increases in workplace diversity signify a shift in the organizational structuring of businesses.
Historically, companies operated on a hierarchical structure focusing on distinctions of power and status. The ‘boss is right’ mentality inhibited communication, criticism, and career growth. With an increasingly global workforce, many organizations have shifted to team-based structures, seeing the benefit of multi-disciplinary, multi-purpose groups. These adaptive frameworks have changed the professional landscape, creating new relationships between individuals of varying skills, levels, and cultural backgrounds.
Diversified teams of various life experiences face more communication challenges. When we lack prior knowledge of an individual’s background, there is more potential for misunderstandings. Our personal histories influence our world experience and how we approach different situations. We create the grounds for progress in workplace disputes when we acknowledge the need for skills to facilitate learning and understanding. Conflict is only a failure when not managed appropriately.
Communication is one of the most essential building blocks in effective conflict resolution. It is critical to understand that communicating with another person is more than just ‘talking.’ When employees learn to communicate effectively, the practice becomes an organizational strategy integrated into every element of the company. How does one build and nurture communication skills? The first step is to practice active listening. It is one thing to hear what a coworker is saying and another to absorb what they are genuinely communicating. By encouraging active listening, you foster a community environment where people focus on understanding before being understood. When you process what a person is saying before responding or taking action, fewer misunderstandings arise. Active listening promotes an open mind to other people’s viewpoints and allows you to interpret the underlying motivations in disputes.
Vocabulary is a subtle but significant part of effective communication and conflict resolution. The language we use implicitly and explicitly contains respect and tone. ‘Appropriate language’ can vary depending on cultural background. Promoting neutral language and having open word-choice discussions helps avoid conflict. Vocabulary encompasses specific words, but it also indicates styles of communication. Workplaces can encourage nonviolent communication and promote diverse lines of inquiry when conflicts arise to discover the source of disputes better. Body language is equally essential in workplace communication. The way a person says something is different than what they are saying. Pairing thoughtful word choice with open body language reflects your respect for another and desire to participate in receptive dialogue.
Recognizing personal differences empowers productive discussions on diversity. Research indicates that companies adopting a ‘colorblind’ outlook on diversity, where they don’t acknowledge individuals’ unique viewpoints, are more prone to conflict. Creating space for honest discussion regarding workplace diversity helps avoid stereotyping and comprehensively treat the root of misunderstandings. Barbara Mitchell, author of The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook, said in an interview with Business News Daily, “Each of us sees the world differently using our values, individual diversity, and culture. We interpret what we’ve heard or seen, give it meaning, and draw conclusions based on our experiences. Recognizing that differences exist makes it easier to begin having discussions.” Frank conversations about identity can be sensitive, but you can lay the groundwork for long-term solutions by directly addressing the issue.
A proactive mindset is critical to effective conflict communication. Taking steps to prevent conflict is as influential as handling it when disputes arise. When you adopt widespread communication practices in your organization, from regular check-ins to group feedback sessions, you change how your employees think about conflict and create a safe space where they feel heard and cared for. When conflict does occur with team members, take immediate action to address the issue instead of hoping it might go away on its own. There can be concerns that treating a minor conflict with seriousness will aggravate the situation by painting it as a big deal. On the contrary, treating disputes seriously with proactive communication reflects a genuine interest in employees’ well-being and helps deescalate disagreements. Assertive communication helps prevent further issues and improves working relationships, shifting from shame and avoidant mindsets to focus on shared values and teamwork.
I work with employers and managers to teach communication techniques that allow them to resolve conflicts efficiently and confidently. As employers, educating yourselves and your teams is a two-way street. With new teamwork structures and increased diversity, organizations require a new form of management communication to realize their potential. To reap the benefits of a diverse workforce, managers should receive the tools to communicate successfully with staff. Specific training can ensure supervisors understand the organization’s dispute resolution systems and can explain them to staff. Holistic communication training broadens a company’s communication tools, giving managers the knowledge to effectively share information, provide assignments, and offer constructive feedback.
Each business is unique, and your strategy for improving communication will depend on your culture to determine which approach is most effective. Investing in the communications expertise of your managers will have a knock-on effect, changing habits within the whole company. The more supervisors and team leaders grow skills in varied communication styles, the more they can develop trust and encourage employees to embrace differences, leave their comfort zones, and improve collective unity.
Communication is a life skill one can always continue learning, especially regarding conflict resolution. Although my career centers around conflict mediation, I must always practice what I preach and continually hone my communication skills. I remind myself regularly that communication is inward as much as outward. The better we understand ourselves and are willing to reflect on our needs, the better we can share with others and resolve conflicts from a place of care and openness. Check out the EVOCrh website to learn how I can help your organization build vital communication skills for effective conflict resolution.
