- Innovative environments and solutions
Create the conditions for opposing views to "meet" and for new and innovative solutions to emerge. Encourage the acceptance of different points of view, and you will create opportunities for creative ideas to flourish and develop problem-solving skills in your company.
- Staff personal development
Resolve conflicts directly and indirectly! This will help employees and teams develop better communication skills, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution abilities.
- Stronger relationships
Resolve conflict situations in a way that promotes trust and understanding between team members. This will create more resilient and cohesive teams.
- Better decision-making
Discuss opposing views openly and respectfully. This will give you the opportunity to make more informed and considered management decisions.
How to break the stigma that conflicts within a company should be avoided and not openly discussed?
I propose to start from a different perspective: instead of seeing conflict as a threat, it should be seen as an opportunity for growth.
Promote open communication, active listening, and empathy in your company and team. Create a company culture where conflict is seen as a normal and valuable part of the growth process. Have a clear conflict resolution policy and encourage employees to resolve conflicts constructively.
For conflict prevention, consider using a professional mediator and a negotiation expert in a team training process or to resolve a conflict that is already brewing. Mediation is a valuable tool that can help the parties to a dispute find common ground, promote understanding and work towards win-win solutions. It offers a structured and impartial process for resolving disputes, encouraging open dialogue and cooperation.
Find out more about my experience and approach to mediation on mediation page.
An initial question that can help a manager identify conflict in his or her company
Ask yourself a question that at first seems simple and based on feelings:
"Do I feel that there are unresolved tensions, disagreements or concerns within the team or the company that are affecting performance or working relationships?"
Pay attention to each aspect represented in this question. This will help you to orient yourself initially and ultimately answer the question. It is important to note that while this question may reveal the existence of a conflict, further questions and discussion with colleagues would be necessary to understand the nature, depth, and specifics of the conflict. For additional questions based on my professional experience, please read my next article.