Do you believe that all conflict is bad?

In many ways, it depends on what you consider a conflict to be. Within an office environment however this could be two or more people disagreeing on something and allowing that disagreement to interfere with work, a misunderstanding that spirals out of control a little, or it could be a major argument which pulls other people into the issue. 

Put simply, conflict in the workplace can be very damaging when allowed to grow and become something much larger than the actual core cause of the problem. However, when you look at conflict in a positive light, when you see it as a learning curve and a way to actually understand how to do something better next time, conflict can actually be quite beneficial. 

Why Positivity is Vital 

It’s important to try and instil a positive workplace feel in any case because positivity breeds even more positivity! This makes your office a more pleasant place to work, somewhere which is going to be brimming with ideas in brainstorming sessions around the boardroom tables and it’s going to mean that morale remains high. 

Everyone knows that when morale is high, so it productivity. When productivity is high, profits are high too.

It’s a very positive cycle and when it continues, the success and future growth of the business also looks super-positive too!

There are many things which can threaten the positivity of an office environment and conflict is certainly one of them. If you have two or more employees who are sitting at their office desks, disagreeing and regularly having problems between themselves, it’s quickly going to spread throughout the office. When that happens, you’re looking at a disaster on the horizon if you don’t intervene quickly. 

So, how can you handle conflict in a positive way?

• Avoid blame games - It’s important to avoid propositioning blame at anyone’s feet. If you do this, you’re going to give negativity free rein to run free. Instead, keep everything neutral and look for ways to handle the problem, rather than blaming anyone for it in the first place. 
• Look for lessons to be learnt - Conflicts are ideal opportunities to learn lessons. Identify the core reason for the conflict in the first place and assess how things can be done differently in the future, to avoid these problems and make life better for your employees. 
• Listen to your employees for feedback - Part of conflict resolution is listening to your employees and asking for ways they believe the problem can be fixed best. They’re the ones who are working within that environment, so their ideas are likely to be more practical than yours. In that case, ask for their suggestions and work together to implement ways to avoid problems in the future. By doing this, you’re increasing morale because your employees feel supported, valued and listened to. 

There are always going to be bad moods, occasional disagreements and misunderstandings in an office. This is a space where many people are working together for many hours at a time, so the odd spat is bound to occur. However, strengthening working relationships and handling conflict in a positive way helps to reduce the number of times this actually happens, whilst also ensuring that the space is much more positive overall. 

Managers should also be trained in conflict resolution to help them deal with the problem as they arise, in a quick and fair manner. By doing this, you’re helping to avoid the issue turning into an avalanche of serious negativity, which does nothing for morale or productivity. By approaching conflict in a positive way and looking for opportunities to learn and improve, you’re working towards a brighter future for not only your employees but also for your customers and clients, who are directly impacted by any negative changes in your business set up.