Arguments are inevitable in office environments, after all, as reported by Magenta Associates (2023), 64% of workers have witnessed workplace conflicts, with 15% of those people seeking a new job as a direct result. So, when a heated conflict does break out it’s important to resolve it as quickly as possible.
That’s why the office experts at Londonoffices.com have compiled ten simple steps that will help to diffuse and solve any office grievances.
Among the best ways an employee can handle a workplace disagreement are to clearly identify the differences between colleagues, try to fix the issue as quickly as possible, and stay calm when talking.
Some of the other suggested tips to stop an argument from getting out of hand are to always listen to what the other side has to say, to never point the finger at someone and to address issues instead of the individuals involved.
Chris Meredith, of Londonoffices.com says, “Frustratingly, conflicts are inevitable in any workplace with driven employees, so when one does crop up its vital to make sure its solved quickly and amicably.
“Regardless of whether you are involved in the conflict or not, there are plenty of ways that you can help to diffuse any heated arguments before they escalate and get out of hand.
“Communication is key when trying to diffuse an angry exchange in the workplace, so if a conflict starts to boil over the best solution is to make sure that everyone remains calm and that they get a chance to air their issues.
“Try to use any office conflicts or arguments for something that is eventually beneficial, and if you handle it professionally there’s no reason the end result can’t be a positive one for the whole office.”
These are ten of the best tips to help manage an office conflict, according to Londonoffices.com.
> See also: Managing workplace conflict: Are you ready to mediate?
Stay calm
Conflicts at work can be heated and if not handled properly become quickly detrimental to office morale. If you are at the centre of any arguments at work it’s vital to stay calm, as this is the only way to help defuse the situation.
Putting it into practice: If a debate sparks and begins to detrimentally impact proceedings put the breaks on and take a breather away from the situation. Even a two-minute break can help you and your colleagues regain a better headspace.
Talk to the person
Unsurprisingly, communication is the key factor to making sure that conflicts are resolved quickly and professionally. The only way you’re going to solve any grievances is through talking it out, so articulate your points clearly and serenely so that your issues are made known.
Putting it into practice: If you find yourself in a position where grievances have become apparent, take the time to set up a call or meeting with the person/people necessary to air out any issues.
Listen to what they have to say
Just as it’s important to calmly air your grievances in a conflict, so it is equally important that you listen to the other side and try to understand their issues to clear any likelihood of a misunderstanding.
Putting it into practice: Once you’ve set aside time to air your grievances, make sure to be as active of a listener as you are a speaker. There are always two sides to every story, so allow your colleagues to raise their concerns in the same way you’d expect to raise yours.
Act as a mediator
If you are not directly involved in a work-related conflict, but still find yourself at the centre of it, acting as a mediator can help control the situation and prevent any further escalations.
Putting it into practice: Sit in on a call between other members of staff to offer your non-biased perspective. Sometimes, having a third party who isn’t emotionally invested in the issue can help shed light on the best way to resolve a problem.
Identify the differences
Setting out the differences between colleagues allows you to address the situation head-on, and make sure that any issues are clearly identified. Once this is done, it will be far easier to address the root of a problem.
Putting it into practice: Ask each individual involved in the conflict to write down their concerns in a document. This will help you to compare the differences in people’s opinions and address the most important issues in the most effective way.
Address the issue, not an individual
If you try resolving a workplace conflict, make sure that any discussions firmly revolve around the issues and not the individuals involved. It will be far easier to solve the problem if everyone involved shoulders the blame, rather than just an individual.
Putting it into practice: Remind yourself it is you and your colleagues against the problem, not against each other. Keeping this in mind should help you to keep conflicts strictly professional.
> See also: Meshing young creativity with experienced heads in the workplace
Don’t point the finger
Pinning the blame for a conflict on someone doesn’t help move it closer to a happy resolution. Always keep discussions about specific issues and not someone’s personality, otherwise you risk alienating employees by appearing to take sides in an argument.
Putting it into practice: Again, remind yourself it’s you and your colleagues against the problem, not against each other.
Seek a solution
Once all issues have been established and both sides of the conflict have had a chance to calmly air their grievances, you can finally begin to seek an amicable solution that will hopefully satisfy both sides of the arguments.
Putting it into practice: When conflicts have become heated or they’ve gone on for a while, it can become easy to lose sight of the end goal. Keep your conversations solution-oriented and avoid going over points that don’t help you reach that goal.
Solve the issue quickly
The longer a conflict drags on for the harder it will be to resolve. When a problem erupts in the office deal with it quickly, otherwise it could end in permanent damage being done to workplace morale.
Putting it into practice: There’s no need to drag out conversations unnecessarily as this just breeds a negative working environment. Condense conversations to discussions around the most important points so they stay short and sweet.
Use it to create a positive reaction
If properly resolved, a workplace conflict can be used as an opportunity to turn an issue at work into something beneficial. If a grievance occurs, it’s often because of a fault within the company, so fixing this could result in a more positive working environment.
Putting it into practice: The end goal should always be to restore a positive attitude within the workplace and resolving conflicts effectively and fairly is a great way to ensure employees and colleagues feel happy in the office.
