Workplace conflicts are inevitable and unavoidable, whether it is a large corporate or a small business concern. As a leader, you cannot ignore conflicts. You cannot escape from them. You cannot pretend they do not exist. You have to deal with them, better sooner than later. So it is in your best interest to learn how to resolve workplace conflicts effectively.

1. Wong Yew Yip
yewyip@gmail.com
Resolving
Workplace
Conflicts

2. Contents - 1 of 2
1. What is Conflict & Workplace Conflict?
2. Leadership & Conflict
3. Consequences of Conflict
4. 4 Types of Conflicts at Work
5. Signs of Conflict
6. Symptoms of Conflict
7. Causes of Conflict
8. Types of Behaviour during Conflicts

3. 9. How do you respond to Conflicts
10. 3 Ways to resolve Conflicts
11. How to prevent future Conflicts
12. 6-Step Conflict Resolution Process
13. Tips to Resolve Conflicts Effectively
14. Conflicts Resolution Tool
15. Individual Action Learning Project
Contents - 2 of 2

4. What is Conflict?
Conflict can be
considered as a real or
perceived expression of
hostility, unfriendliness,
negative attitude,
antagonism, aggression,
rivalry or
misunderstanding

5. What is Workplace Conflict?
A condition between
or among workers
whose jobs are inter-dependent,
who feel angry,
who perceive the other(s)
as being at fault,
and who act in ways
that cause a business problem

6. Leadership & Conflict
“Leadership and conflict go hand-in-hand and
if you cannot or will not address conflict in a
healthy, productive fashion, you should not be
in a leadership role” ~ Mike Myatt, Forbes Contributor

7. Leadership & Conflict
 Conflict in the workplace is
unavoidable
 It will find you whether you
look for it or not
 The ability to recognize
conflict, understand the
nature of conflict, and to be
able to bring swift and just
resolution to conflict will serve
you well as a leader
 The inability to do so may well
be your downfall

8. Consequences of Conflict
Positive Consequences
1. Opens up discussion and
encourages dialogue
2. Fosters creativity and results
in positive change
3. Improved solutions to
problems
4. Increases individual
involvement and interest
5. Better understand one
another
6. Forces people to clarify their
views
Negative Consequences
1. Decreased productivity
2. Creates feelings of
dissatisfaction, resentment
or anger
3. Act of violence or personal
attacks
4. Contributes to insecurity and
uncooperativeness
5. Sickness and absence from
work

9. 4 Types of Conflicts at Work
3
Conflict
between
Employee
and Boss
2
Conflict
between
Teams
4
Conflict
between
Employees &
Management
1
Conflict
between
Individuals
Conflicts

10. Conflict between Individuals
 Everybody will, at some time,
have problems or concerns with
someone else at work
 An individual might feel angry or
upset about a colleague
 There may be a clash of
personalities, strong differences
of opinion over work or an
personal issues outside work
 Conflict between work
colleagues can often lead to
accusations of bullying or
harassment
1

11. Conflict between Teams
 Rivalry between colleagues in different teams
 Disagreements over a team’s goals or shared values
 Resentment that one team is not pulling its weight
2

12. Conflict between Employee & Boss
 An employee may talk to you
about how they feel or they
may suddenly confront you
with a list of grievances
 Your management style is
too authoritarian or too weak
 You favour other work
colleagues when you assign
tasks
2

13. Conflict between Employees & Management
 Often characterised by the
classic ‘us and them’ mentality
 A general resentment or anger
towards senior management
 Poor morale and low levels of
motivation
 Conflict may become focused
on specific issues, e.g. health
and safety, rates of pay
4

14. Signs of Conflict
Some signs of conflict will be very
visible, e.g.
 a heated exchange between
colleagues
 always disagree with or counter
the same person
 stand-off during meeting
 Complaints about each other

15. Symptoms of Conflict
1. Motivation drops
2. Fewer people volunteer to take
on new tasks
3. Little employee input at team
meetings or briefings
4. Behaviour changes
5. People start to make derogatory
remarks towards each other
6. Fewer social events organised

16. Symptoms of Conflict
7. Productivity falls
8. People are not cooperating
with each other
9. Sickness absence increases
10. Unhappiness may lead to
depression or stress
11. Responses to staff attitude
surveys indicate underlying
dissatisfaction

17. Causes of Conflict
Poor leadership or
management
1
Lack of equal
opportunities
6
Unclear job roles
2
Bullying and
harassment
7
Inadequate training
3
Changing needs &
expectations
8
Unfair treatment
4
Poor treatment
5
Unresolved problems
from the past
10
Ignoring common
values
9

18. Causes of Conflict
Increase in workload
11
Sub-standard
performance
16
Poor work
environment
12
Competition for
resources
17
Personality
clashes/egos
13
Non-compliance with
policies, procedures
18
Stress
14
Differences in
beliefs/lifestyles
15
Aggressive/passive
behaviors
20
Unclear
responsibility/authority
19

19. Causes of Conflict
Resistance to
change
21
Cultural
differences
26
Inconsistency
22
Negative
attitude
27
Professional
disrespect
23
Poor
supervision
28
Inner conflict
24
Lack of
recognition
25
Real or perceived
discrimination
30
Unfair work
distribution
29

20. Types of Behaviour during Conflict
• Avoiding personal contact
• Writing memos instead of talking
• Withholding needed information
• Not returning messages
• Delaying giving required support
• Getting others to take sides
• Shouting
• Pre-empting (getting there first)
• Threatening
• Undermining the opponent’s
reputation
• Sweaty palms
• Nervous gestures
• Closed body gestures
• Tense facial
expression
• Crying

21. How do you respond to Conflict
Conflict
1. You react in a
challenging
way, shouting
or losing
your temper
2. You turn your
back on what’s
going on by
ignoring and
hope it will go
away
3. You are not sure
how to react and
become very
passive
4. You approach a
conflict in a calm
and rational way
with a planned
approach

22. 3 Ways to Resolve Conflict
 Rights Contests
 Power Contests
 Interest Reconciliation

23. How to prevent future Conflicts
1. Establish formal procedures for
dispute resolution, grievances
and disciplinary issues
2. Explain plans, link individual
performance targets to business
plans so everyone feels involved
3. Involve employees in decision-
making
4. Reward fairly - pay is seldom far
from people’s minds
5. Work safely - think about over
use of computers, stress, noise &
chemicals

24. How to prevent future Conflicts
6. Develop relationships
7. Value employees and
treat fairly
8. Develop individuals and
skills
9. Improve the work-life
balance of employees
10. Work together and build
trust between employees
and management

25. 6-Step Conflict Resolution Process
Discuss conflict in respectful
manner with disputants1
Identify the cause(s) of the
conflict2
Discuss how the conflict
impacts you, team or project3
Get each disputant’s views
on how to resolve conflict4
Identify solution both
disputants can support5
Agree on the action to be
taken6

26. Tips to Resolve Conflicts Effectively
Tips to
Resolve
Conflicts
Effectively
Tackle the issue
after both parties
have calmed down
1
Listen to understand
for what is felt as
well as said
2
Maintain a positive
outlook and stay
calm
3
Find commonalities
or create them,
between you and
the other person
4
Attack the issue, not
the person
9
Avoid the blame
game
10
If conflict is going
nowhere, choose to
disengage and
move on
11
View Conflict as
opportunity to learn
and make things
better
12
Make conflict
resolution the
priority not winning
or "being right."
5
Focus on the
present situation not
past grudges or
resentments
6
Pick your battles –
is it worth your time
and energy?
7
Resolving conflict is
impossible if you
are unwilling or
unable to forgive
8

27. 1
Discuss conflict in
respectful manner with
disputants
2
Identify the cause of the
conflict
3
Discuss how the conflict
impacts you, team or
project
4
Get each disputant’s views
on how to resolve conflict
5
Identify solution both
disputants can support
6
Agree on the action to be
taken
Conflict Resolution Tool

28. Individual Action Learning Project
1. Select a conflict that you
are facing in your work
2. Use the 6-Step Conflict
Resolution Tool to
resolve the problem

29. Thank You
yewyip@gmail.com