What To Do When Employees Are Butting Heads

When you are working with a large group of people, there will inevitably be some conflict. This is true, even in a workplace environment where everyone seems to get along. Unfortunately, not everyone can get along all of the time. It is important to know how to manage conflict when it arises to make your workplace enjoyable for all and keep things running smoothing.

Actively minimize room for conflict

One of the most important things you can do to help resolve disputes is to ensure that disputes are minimized. It is impossible to stop them altogether, but you can create an environment where employees get along for the most part and work together well. In the hiring process, hire people who you sense will get along with the rest of the team. Avoid fostering competition between employees and assure everyone that their work is equally important for furthering the company’s mission. Encourage an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration.

Act quickly

When conflict arises, it is important to handle the situation in a timely manner. Failing to get a handle on the tension will make it grow and it will be harder to settle. Be aware of what is going on and if you sense tension brewing, step in. Figure out a tactic that will work for each person. Each person and situation is different, but you know your employees enough to know what will calm them down.

Listen to those involved

Tension and conflict can be upsetting, even beyond the initial reasoning behind it. When you are talking to the upset employees, talk to them individually and cater the conversation to who they are. Avoid lecturing and scolding as this will leave them feeling even more upset and can lead to resentment down the line. Acknowledge the concerns they have and work together to come up with a solution that will work for everyone.

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Revisit core values

When employees are butting heads over a project or a task, it can be difficult for them to remember the purpose of the task and the core values of the company. Remind them of these things when you talk to them. It can be difficult to see the bigger picture when caught up in conflict so reminding them of their purpose and the “why” behind what they are doing is important. You may even want to bring them up regularly, even before conflict arises so that everyone is on the same page.

Listen to both sides

It is important to listen to both sides of the argument to get a clear idea of what is going on. Only listening to one side will make it appear that you are playing favorites and will give you a bias of getting half the story. Listening to both people in an argument gives you two perspectives of what the argument is about. This will give you insight as to how to move forward and handle the situation as you will have clarity on the thinking of both sides.

Get HR involved

Human resources is a great third party to have step in. They are aware of the policies and procedures for handling conflict and can help solve the issues at hand. Contact them before meeting with your employees to be sure that you are handling the dispute in compliance with HR standards and policies. In the long run, this will help you avoid being in trouble for mishandling the situation and will ensure that the proper avenues were taken.

Keep things private

The conflict is between employees and needs to stay between them and you. As best you can, mitigate any gossip and speculation that may arise from other employees. These things will make the situation worse and may add to disputes down the line. It is best to have the employees who are arguing avoid talking bad about each other to coworkers and maintain professionalism among other employees. Keeping things between you and the employees in question will help save the reputation of the employees. They deserve dignity and respect, so it is important to respect their right to privacy and to avoid unnecessary workplace drama moving forward.

Document everything

No matter what happens, be sure to get everything in writing. This will help you in case things have to escalate further. Talk to each person about what happened and document it in writing. Have each person sign their document so you know they are “approving” your report and that the information you wrote is accurate. Also, be sure to document any steps you took to aid in resolving the situation. If you have to get HR involved beyond the initial inquiry of policy, you will have things in writing to know the story and to know what steps were already taken.

Employees butting heads is a difficult situation for everyone, but knowing how to resolve the issue can help things improve for those involved.