Five small ways to address large employee conflicts

Despite how great an organization, its culture, and its people are, conflict is still an inevitable outcome. In the past, CMA has highlighted some ways to address conflict when you are in the midst of it all. However, today, we wanted to provide some insight into the role that managers can play with conflict resolution.

Small Business Trends highlighted some options, with five of the key ones being:

• • Address the situation immediately
• • Adopt a proactive approach
• • Take the company’s side
• • Look at what the books say
• • Tell it to the judge

Regarding the latter point, they explain:

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Treat a conflict resolution between employees like a court case. Let each employee produce a brief written statement and evidence to support their side of the story. Review them impartially, and make a swift and just decision. Make sure that the losing party doesn’t receive a punishment too severe, and put all parties back to work.

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For other ways to address your team’s conflict, please see Small Business Trends.