How Can a Supervisor Manage Conflict in a Workplace?
Conflict is often viewed as destructive, but conflict is also a normal part of relationships, and if dealt with appropriately can be healthy and produce positive results.
Conflict is destructive when it:
Where conflict is destructive within a team or organisation it can cause difficulties, such as low staff morale, high staff turnover, disruption within teams and so on.
If there is negative conflict, this may be something that you need to tackle by holding team meetings, team building exercises, speaking to the people involved in the conflict, and trying to find out what is going on and what solutions you can come up with.
As mentioned, if dealt with appropriately, conflict can also be a constructive force. Conflict is constructive when it:
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opens up and clarifies important issues and helps solve them
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increases involvement of individuals in important issues
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makes communication more authentic
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releases pent-up emotion, stress or anxiety
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helps build group cohesiveness
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helps individual growth, provided there is reflection on the conflict
Conflict can increase creativity and ideas. If there is a productive conflict between team members, they may have different ideas and suggestions which you can work on and perhaps come to an even better idea or alternative that staff can work towards together. Conflict can lead to an increase in team cohesiveness. In the four stages of team building - forming, storming, norming and performing - conflict can occur during the storming stage and lead the group to go back and reform or lead the group to go on and perform.
As a manager it is important to recognise that there will be times of conflict within your team or department and consider ways to deal with it.
Dealing With Conflict
How do you deal with conflict? In many conflict situations we can choose how to behave and how to respond.
Remember that:
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No one has the right to abuse another person, no one should accept this. Physical, emotional, verbal or psychological abuse is never OK.
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Physical violence against anyone is destructive and illegal.
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The responsibility for your communication lies with you alone. How a manager communicates and treats family, friends and staff will set an example and benchmark that reflects on staff and the workplace.
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No one can make you say or do something, you always have a choice of the way you act yourself and towards others.
In situations where you may be handling conflict:
Make sure you are listening and giving the other person a chance to talk, Show in your body language you are listening. Respect the other person’s point of view, even if it is different from yours. Look for ways you can compromise and work together to move forward. Be respectful in conversation and positive, avoiding put downs or insults and removing the personal aspects from the situation to be solved. If voices are raised and the discussion becomes heated, take a break and come back when everyone has cooled down and always keep it positive and constructive.
It is useful to be aware of different models of conflict handling for when you come into contact with conflict. When handling a conflict, the main styles are:
- competing
- accommodating
- soothing
- avoiding
- compromising
- joint problem solving
Who Is This Course For?
This course is suitable for different people including:
- Managers
- Supervisors
- Foremen
- Office staff
- Graduates
- Business owners
- Entrepreneurs
- Anyone wishing to move into a supervisory work role
Study with us to become a top supervisor.