Know The Signs: How to Avoid Disagreements Before They Start

Joe Weinlick
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Although conflicts in the workplace are rather common, many are completely avoidable. By taking a few preparatory steps, employers can help prevent workplace disagreements before they happen. Use these simple conflict avoidance techniques to maintain a peaceful environment in the workplace and enjoy a reduction in workplace stress and a boost in employee productivity.

In a survey conducted by Workfront — formerly AtTask — 64 percent of respondents consider confusion about roles and responsibilities to be a major cause of workplace conflict. Managers can prevent disagreements by providing the clarity that employees crave. Whenever a new member joins a department or team, managers should ensure that everyone understands the new person's role. This prevents disagreements from arising when people try to load responsibilities onto the new person or begin to feel resentful because they don't understand what the new member is doing.

It's a good idea to have a written document that explicitly defines each employee's role. Putting vital information down in writing reduces the risk of arguments arising over who should be completing that overdue report or chasing up those missing accounts.

Similarly, using project management software can reduce confusion over deadlines. Program this software to automatically remind employees of upcoming deadlines, reducing the potential for arguments about overdue work.

Even when all employees are clear about their roles in the workplace and the tasks they need to complete, potential exists for disagreements to arise. When workers spend several hours a day together, week after week, personalities might clash. Even tiny disagreements, such as one employee being irritated by his neighbor eating loudly at her desk, can escalate into huge conflicts if the people involved don't deal with the situation promptly. The solution is to put a conflict resolution process in place so that employees can resolve their disagreements quickly and easily.

Training managers to mediate minor disagreements is a big part of keeping the workplace free from conflict. Employers should consider sending managers on training courses to teach them to become effective listeners and negotiators. These skills are essential for conflict resolution. Managers must listen to all parties involved in the disagreement and encourage them to work together to find a solution that satisfies everyone.

Employees should feel comfortable raising problems with their supervisors. Companies can set up regular meeting times to give employees a chance to share their concerns before they develop into deep resentments. The sooner managers and human resources staff members take action to resolve employee concerns, the less likely those concerns are to turn into long-lasting conflicts.

Supervisors and managers must treat everyone in the organization equally and fairly. Almost everyone has some unconscious biases, even those who are openly committed to equality. Employers must train their supervisors to recognize and address common stereotypes, such as those about gender or race, to help ward off lazy patterns of thinking — for instance, assuming that women are more argumentative than men. Such assumptions can sometimes lead to supervisors unfairly taking sides in conflict resolution scenarios.

In particular, all managers need to undergo sexual harassment training. Sexual harassment is a big problem in many workplaces in all types of industries, so it's vital that managers have a clear understanding of how to effectively deal with both misunderstandings and actual abuse of this nature. In fact, in California, Maine and Connecticut, state law obliges employers to provide supervisors with specific training of this nature.

With a little effort and preparation, employers can prevent disagreements at work before they occur. To maintain a harmonious atmosphere in the workplace, employers should train managers in conflict resolution and create an environment in which employees feel confident about and comfortable with sharing their concerns. Using project management software and written documents to clarify employees' roles, responsibilities and deadlines can also help to prevent arguments. When conflicts do arise, the best approach is to deal with them quickly and efficiently, resolving them before they develop into long-lasting disputes.

Photo Courtesy of franky242 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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  • Erica  T.
    Erica T.

    I think conflicts are easier to manage in smaller companies than in larger ones with many departments. I've worked on-site with a few large companies and it never fails that one department is at odds with another. It's not competitive, it's more like one department blames another for project delays or failing to keep everyone on the loop about specific details. Throw in the pressure of meeting client deadlines and people get very angry, very quickly.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Emma thanks for your comment. I think that only you can decide how to achieve the right balance depending upon your nature. Some people thrive in workplaces rift with conflict while others will end up leaving the company to avoid it. If the workplace is toxic, it needs to be addressed immediately. Who wants to go to work in a place where you are almost afraid to breathe? Sometimes the boat needs to be rocked in order to throw the negativity overboard.

  • Emma Rochekins
    Emma Rochekins

    Unresolved and unproductive conflict can become toxic, true. But disagreements, differences of opinion and conflict will develop and aren't necessarily negative in all instances. Avoidance of all conflict can be as bad or worse when the fear of rocking the boat means employees remain silent about an idea or don't speak up about an issue. How does one find the right balance between the two extremes?

  • Shaday Stewart
    Shaday Stewart

    In my experience, "confusion about roles and responsibilities" isn't really the problem. People know what's in their job description, but they are often confused about what to prioritize if they don't receive strong guidance from management. If you give someone a load of work, they can complete it more efficiently if they know what tasks are most important and which tasks reap the most benefits/consequences for the team. Left to their own devices, many people choose the tasks they enjoy most or know how to do well, or they focus on what they think is most important to management without really being sure. Then when something goes wrong (because everyone is making individual decisions, instead of using a collaborative mindset), people lash out at one another and are reluctant to take sole responsibility for a problem that really involves a team breakdown. This is especially true when teammates have to make decisions without guidance, as many people lean towards the solutions suited to their own skills, rather than thinking about the big picture.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Duncan I agree that project management software can really help out when conflicts arise. Keeping track of who is supposed to what helps to establish those lines so that everyone knows what to do - what is expected. This way, instead of my coworker asking where I am on a project, I can just update the software and then everyone on the project knows. I would rather do it this way, too, than to have a fellow coworker tell me. @Mike, in my experience, the job description is simply a guideline and is never all inclusive. During my military days, I would have a "billet description" for every position. Always, the last line on it would be something to the effect of - "And anything else not covered by this billet description." That meant that anything goes. I have always approached a job with that perspective in mind. While it is true that some will throw the job description in your face and say - hey I wasn't hired to do x, y and z - that is the person who is going to have a less than stellar review and that is the person who will be last when raises are given out.

  • Duncan  Maranga
    Duncan Maranga

    The strategy of using a project management software to relay information on upcoming deadlines to team members sounds impressive to me. Most of the conflicts that arise in the work place are usually related to communication on who is supposed to deliver certain work pieces at a stipulated time line. When this information comes from a fellow worker, it raises feelings of harassment to the receiver. A software notification, on the other hand, sounds formal and professional.

  • Jane H.
    Jane H.

    At the risk of seeming argumentative, I'm going to have to disagree about project management software being a solution to arguments in the workplace. It's easy to say that for anything a person needs to do at work there's an app for that, but the reality is, in my experience, that managers need to focus more on what their employees need. I've seen so many managers who think of their corner office as the department throne room. As a female manager, I discovered that a more personable approach and really listening and then following through on employee suggestions was much more effective for maintaining workplace harmony. Constant reminders about deadlines are quickly perceived as nagging.

  • Mike Van de Water
    Mike Van de Water

    Isn't it possible that setting out clearly defined job descriptions could spectacularly backfire if an employee is asked to do something that goes "above and beyond?" I agree with Catherine, it seems unlikely that an employee would break out such a description, but there is a fairly significant section of the workforce that will take such a description as an excuse to do only what's listed.

  • CATHERINE S.
    CATHERINE S.

    I had no idea that most conflicts in the workplace arise from confusion or misunderstanding about people's roles within the organization. Besides having a written document that explicitly defines one's role, do you have any other suggestions for avoiding these conflicts. It seems unlikely that workers would bring out their written job description and show it to other people when there is a conflict about roles and who is responsible for what.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks for the comments. Workplace disagreements certainly can escalate into out and out brawls with no winner. If the supervisor isn't going to step in @Shannon, then you may need to go over his head. I always hate doing that but if the problem is getting worse and he is hiding his head in the sand, jump over him and escalate the issue up the chain of command. @Abbey so very true that we all need to establish boundaries and firm sets of rules to keep these issues out of workplace.

  • Shannon Philpott
    Shannon Philpott

    Unfortunately, even small disagreements can taint the dynamic of the work environment and make it awkward for everyone involved, especially when a supervisor is not proactive or willing to solve disputes. What would you recommend employees do if their supervisor is not willing to prevent or mediate disagreements among co-workers?

  • Jay Bowyer
    Jay Bowyer

    Arguments are unpleasant and waste precious time, so it's important to resolve differences and overcome disagreements to avoid all-out fighting in the office. Astute managers can recognize potential trouble signs — and truly talented individuals can intervene and solve issues. Perhaps one of the best ways to avoid difficult situations is to ensure all staff members know the rules of engagement in advance.

  • Abbey Boyd
    Abbey Boyd

    I think that clarity about roles is an absolute must in any organization. Employees who know their roles are much more likely to function cohesively in a group than those who aren't as sure. When roles and rules are clearly defined, that leaves a lot of gray space, which can be challenging for different types of people. Avoid the confusion by establishing firm rules and roles from the beginning.

  • William Browning
    William Browning

    I doubt regular group meetings hold the key to avoiding disagreements and arguments at the office. I think disagreements among employees should be solved one-on-one among the parties involved, the supervisors involved and then HR. Have a huge huddle with everyone, regardless of whether employees are involved in the disagreement, seems a bit like overkill.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Leigh it is tough as a manager to try to keep everything close to the chest. But that's a manager's job. You can keep the lines of communication open without divulging sensitive information. Sadly some things you just can't be transparent about - not if you, as a manager, expect to still be a manager when the dust settles.

  • Leigh Morgan
    Leigh Morgan

    Great tips. I do have a question, though. I think most managers want to be as transparent as possible, but we cannot always share information on upcoming layoffs, mergers and the like. What would you recommend to a manager who wants to keep the lines of communication open without sharing sensitive information?

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