6 Keys to Managing Conflicts in the Company

Companies are always environments based on coordinated work, which has good things and bad things. The good thing is that the coordination of teams and departments can create great things thanks to the synergies generated, and the bad thing is that the need for organization facilitates the appearance of conflicts between groups and people.

This is why it is crucial for leaders of any organization to develop conflict management skills. When faced with these types of problems, the solution is never as simple as pretending that everything works perfectly or taking decisive measures unilaterally.

How to improve conflict management in organizations

Each organization is unique and has its own work environment, but that does not mean that there are no basic conflict management rules that must always be taken into account. In the next lines we will see different key ideas for managing conflicts in the company, and tips on how to apply them

1. Do not rekindle old conflicts

Conflicts in the context of the company do not occur in the abstract, but rather emerge through flesh and blood human beings with their own motivations and emotions. That is why we must prevent the possibility of taking advantage of the current conflict to rekindle old grudges, something more common than it seems even in a professional environment

Therefore, topic changes must be stopped in the bud and insist that everyone focus on the current problem, given that its importance requires it.

2. Know how to mediate and adopt a position of neutrality

It is important to empathize and recognize the feelings experienced by the people involved, but it is important not to explicitly position yourself in favor of one of the parties, since Simply doing so can nullify our ability to mediate

We must ensure that what we do when mediating is seen within the framework of the common interest, which goes beyond individualities.

3. Claim the value of intermediate solutions

Many times, the proposed solutions do not convince anyone because they are not exactly what one wanted. However, we must know how to convey to everyone the idea that achieving an intermediate solution in which everyone gains a little and at the same time gives up a little is something valuable.

The reason is that this allows the unity of the team to be maintained without anyone owing anything to anyone, which in the long term has a positive impact on everyone

4. Nobody wants to be “the loser”

There are times when to resolve a conflict it is necessary to give compensation to all those involved, even if for some it is symbolic. This way the fear that this will be seen by everyone as a sign of weakness is alleviated that can set a precedent so that in the future your needs and objectives are not taken into account.

5. You have to start from the company’s values

If you do not want to convey an inconsistent image of what the organization is, it is crucial not to take actions that go against the values ​​of the organization

If a company advocates cooperation and rejects individualism, it makes no sense to solve something behind closed doors, speaking only with a few representatives of the parties involved in the conflict, for example. Otherwise, uncertainty is fueled and it is communicated that the company is an unstable environment in which it is better not to place too much hope.

6. It is necessary to take care of what you say and what you do

Another source of possible inconsistencies has to do with resolving conflicts only verbally, without this translating into concrete measures. Doing so means making the mistake of letting these problems be resolved unofficially through informal channels, which damages the work environment.

How to gain experience in this area?

As always happens in everything related to skills applied to the company, conflict management must be perfected mainly in day-to-day work in the organizational context. Fortunately, there are also training programs specifically aimed at training in this type of group intervention actions.

A good example of this are the different courses and master’s degrees offered by universities in this area, which can give you the skills to practice in human resources and conflict management.

This training offer is based on an experiential methodology to help apply the knowledge shared by the experts who organize the course into practice and solve these types of problems in the most satisfactory way possible, taking into account the values ​​of the company in which you work. , as well as the fundamental mediation tools.