How to effectively resolve conflicts in a team? Guide from the HR Director

One colleague is always late for calls and meetings, another strives to get in with unsolicited advice on personal life, the boss constantly snaps at employees due to lack of sleep, and the manager always writes clumsy technical specifications? Any of these situations can lead to conflicts.

And effective ways to solve them are an important factor in the successful development of any company or team. They support productivity, turn the company into a dream job, reduce staff turnover, and raise the company's reputation in the HR market.

But is conflict so scary and can a company or project exist without disputes? Let's try to figure it out.

What is a conflict and why does it arise?

A conflict situation is a clash of interests, opinions, or values between two or more team members. Especially often they can occur in an environment where technologies, requirements and processes are constantly changing, for example, in IT.

In the context of team work, conflict can be defined as any discord or clash that interferes with the achievement of common goals. They can arise for various reasons: due to different professional views, personal ambitions of employees, or unclear roles and blurred areas of responsibility.

And, of course, conflicts can be constructive and destructive, depending on how the manager resolves them and what result they lead to. And it will not be possible to avoid conflicts completely.

Main types of conflicts

Constructive conflict is a catalyst for growth, development, and positive changes in the team. If your conflict is constructive, then you will notice the following signs:

• open discussion of problems;
• a space of trust, where each party has the opportunity to express its point of view;
• the participants in the conflict behave respectfully towards each other, accept the existence of a different position and are ready to listen to it;
• due to the difference in opinions and approaches, new creative solutions are formed;
• In the process of conflict, participants develop negotiation, active listening, empathy, and teamwork skills.

Destructive conflict harms the team and the company as a whole. Its main characteristics are:

• emotional tension, stress and deterioration of relations between the parties to the conflict;
• distrust, low morale and, as a result, a decrease in productivity;
• switching from discussing the problem itself to personal attacks and accusations, which only increases negativity and tension, but does not lead to a resolution of the conflict.

In order for the resolution of any conflict to lead to a result, and not a nervous breakdown, let's consider conflict schemes. They will help to quickly determine the cause of the dispute, which means that you can quickly come to a solution that suits all parties to the conflict.

Task conflicts

Arise from differences of opinion about tasks, projects, or methods of work. For example, developers may argue about which architecture or technology stack to choose for a new application.

Interpersonal conflicts (relationship conflicts)

Related to personal disagreements among team members, when colleagues have values, character traits, or needs. Such conflicts are often accompanied by strong emotions and can affect relationships between people. For example, one employee dresses neatly and carefully monitors the order on his desk, while the second does not care about appearance, may come in an old shabby T-shirt and work with a bunch of mugs on the table. In view of these personal differences alone, it is difficult to avoid conflict.

Conflicts of processes (processes)

This pattern of conflict arises from disagreements over processes, choice of tools, and ways of doing work. For example, a project manager and a developer cannot agree on a project management methodology (Agile vs Waterfall).

Tools and skills for conflict management

Let's take a look at what soft skills help you resolve disputes without stress.

Active listening

Listening carefully to your opponent without interrupting and showing that their opinion is important is a skill that needs to be learned to resolve conflict situations. When your opponent speaks, pay attention to your thoughts. If your head is spinning: "Blah blah blah, I started my song again," then you still need to analyze your listening skills. Otherwise, the conflict will turn into a destructive one.

How to develop the skills of an active listener:

• concentrate on the other person's opinion in the process of conversation, and do not come up with an answer in your head while he is talking;
• try to understand the person's emotions at the moment;
• retell what your interlocutor said before expressing your point of view;
• Clarify what is not clear in the course of the conversation, but do not interrupt the opponent abruptly, but ask questions after the end of his remark.

Once you learn to listen, you can grasp the essence of the request and resolve the conflict effectively for both of you.

Empathy and acceptance of different points of view

Understanding the feelings and experiences of other people will help to get as close as possible in resolving the conflict and create an atmosphere of trust. It will also help with the prevention of conflicts in the future.

And it is important not only to let the interlocutor speak out, but also to accept that his point of view also has a place. To do this:

• focus on the conversation – do not do other things in the process of communication;
• try to put yourself in the place of the person, imagine how you would feel in this situation on his part;
• treat the opinion of the interlocutor respectfully, without mockery;
• do not think: "Oh, everything is clear!". Often, our brain seeks to avoid the fear of uncertainty by defending itself with such thoughts;
• Perceive a person's words not only with your mind, but also with your heart. Any communication contains emotions and feelings that cannot be ignored.

Open and honest communication

This is the only direct path to a solution. We often resort to hidden manipulations to achieve the desired result, but colleagues read them unconsciously, which creates more discomfort and distances you from a constructive conflict.

For example, you don't need to stand with a disgruntled face at the desk of a colleague who constantly leaves smelling food or coffee at his workplace. It is better to approach him and gently ask him to clean up after himself the remains of lunch or offer him to dine together in another room.