5 Conflict Communication Skills to Deal with Your Team

Dealing with conflict in the workplace is a very common experience. It does not necessarily have to be a negative experience. In fact, it does make sense that after spending countless hours in an office, people are bound to get annoyed with one another at some point. As a manager or employer, you want to look for effective conflict resolution communication tactics so that you can get your team back on track. Management is tricky; there are specific things you must do, while you also need to avoid other remote management mistakes.   

What Causes Conflict?

It may be easier to resolve conflict at the workplace if there was just one cause; however, this is not the case. Various factors lead to disagreements in the workplace, which all need to be dealt with differently for an effective outcome. A similarity that you can draw between the conflict is that it is often a result of poor communication. As an employer, your employees need to know that they have a voice and can communicate when things negatively impact them.

The primary causes of conflict in the office include:

• An unbearable workload
• Insufficient skills and training
• A negative work environment
• Clashes in personality types
• Poor management skills
• Unfair and unequal treatment
• Harassment
• Unrealistic goals and expectations

The Pros and Cons of Conflict Resolution communication Techniques

• It may save the business time and money.
• This improves relationships between team members.
• You can experience improved employee performance and productivity.
• There are higher employee retention rates.
• It leads to a more positive and motivating workplace culture.

• It affects work performance.
• Colleagues may not be willing to work with another.
• A negative atmosphere is created.

Five Conflict Communication Skills to Deal with Your Team

Our five effective conflict management communication strategies include:

1. Address the Reason for Conflict Immediately

The first conflict communication skill is to address the reasons for the conflict quickly. You need to take action quickly. People need to accept and address the issue immediately otherwise this leads to increased tension. You do not want people to build resentment to eventually use towards one another due to miscommunication. Addressing the situation allows the parties to understand the other’s thoughts and get to the root of the problem.

2. Manage the Expectations of All Team Members

If people know exactly what is expected from one another, there is less room for miscommunication which leads to conflict. Clear expectations result in effective virtual communication in case of working from home. If everything is clear and expressed correctly, there are fewer chances of having conflict arise.

With this conflict resolution communication strategy, employees are more comfortable and less tense if they know what is expected of them, which helps to reduce the tension that may result in conflict.

3. Work on Improving Everyone’s Listening Skills

Listening is a critical component of effective communication skill. You need to listen so that you truly understand what the other person is saying. When you actually listen to what someone says, you can have a good conversation and conflict communication skills that lead to innovative ideas. However, when you do not pay attention to what someone is saying, this results in conflict as both parties get frustrated with one another.

This is a skill that people do not value enough, as it has proven to be extremely beneficial. 

4. Remain Neutral in Situations

The worst thing a manager can do during a period of conflict is to pick a side. To achieve conflict management communication, try to understand all perspectives so that you can keep the situation under control. You want people to communicate in an agreeable and calm manner.

A neutral tone is essential because it helps to separate the issue from the person, which ensures that nobody feels attacked in the situation. Word choice and body language play a significant role in dealing with conflicts. Use open body language so that people let down their guard and are willing to resolve the issue. When all employees are satisfied with the answer, they can work well and boost productivity.

5. Respect and Recognize that People View Things Differently

Everyone is unique, which means that people view things from different perspectives. Create awareness around these differences so that people know they are not going to agree with one another on everything. 

Additionally, this means that we interpret things differently. Communicate your ideas so that others see your point of view.

People and Their Moods

Human beings are emotional creatures by nature; therefore, when one is in a bad mood, it is likely to affect other aspects of their life. This point is another major factor that contributes to conflict amongst colleagues. Did you know that as a manager, there are specific things you can implement to improve your staff's mood?

Investing in ergonomic office chairs and standing desks may significantly impact your employee's moods. Studies show that employees who utilize this furniture in the workplace have increased energy, productivity, and enjoyment levels. When people are in a good mood, they are less likely to experience conflict with others.  

As a manager, providing a smart office for your employees is an ideal way to get the results you want. By creating a positive atmosphere that boosts employee’s moods, they are less likely to experience conflict with one another. Instead, they are going to be focused on getting the tasks done and producing their desired outcome.

Autonomous provides a wide range of office equipment and furniture that can transform your workplace into a positive environment and positive work culture that is focused on solving problems through effective conflict communication skills. You are going to find that conflict is not a common occurrence when the atmosphere promotes positivity and high levels of energy.  

The Bottom Line

Conflict in the workplace is a serious matter that may result from various factors. Conflict communication skills are an excellent method to deal with this conflict as quickly as possible so that your team can get back to being motivated and productive.