9 Major causes of workplace conflicts and how to resolve them

Every organisation faces conflicts now and then, even if rules and procedures are strictly in place. Miscommunication, misunderstanding, and disagreement happen. But when they are not resolved immediately, they lead to workplace conflicts.

When trivial issues turn into conflicts, they disturb the workplace and affect productivity. Workplace conflicts spread negative vibes in an organisation. Effective steps from the management must curb them in the initial stage and restore peace. Here are the causes of workplace conflicts that affect production and bring down the profit for the year.

Resistance to change

In the workplace, as days go, employees get used to their routine and start to feel comfortable with their assigned jobs. When, for a solid reason, the management restructures the office and enhances the nature of the job to the benefit of the employees, some employees show resistance to adapting to that change.

Now, it becomes the responsibility of the management to help employees understand the need for change and accept to follow for a new beginning.

Poor working habits

Employees must know how to work professionally once they are in their workplace. Some employees may be sloppy in their work or some may take extra care of their work. Training programmes will help employees to understand their roles in the office and act sensibly while completing their assigned jobs.

Talk in person with the team members or arrange for a meeting with the professional counselor to eliminate negative vibes and bring positive changes in the workplace.

No clarity in assigned jobs

Issues arise when there is no clarity while assigning job profiles to new employees. Frequently changing job expectations can also lead to confusion among employees. Even after having an adequate number of years in service, some employees fail to have a clear picture of their job responsibilities.

Though induction programmes clearly explain what the organisation expects from the employees, it is better to have regular training sessions to help employees understand their roles and responsibilities clearly. This will help to prevent workplace conflicts.

Poor communication

Lack of communication among teams and team members in the organisation leads to workplace conflicts. The management must exhibit transparency and give space for employees to approach them whenever they need clarification to clear their doubts.

Team leaders must communicate effectively with their team members so that every team member understands assignments and instructions thoroughly. Poor communication between peers and colleagues can also trigger problems.

It is better to check if everyone has received the information correctly. For it will help to build the morale of employees and move on smoothly with no issues.

Handling differences in personalities

Every organisation has employees from different cultures, backgrounds, experiences, preferences, and temperaments. Personality clashes among team members could lead to workplace conflicts.

When there are individual differences between team members, it leads to a lack of mutual respect among them. It will have a drastic impact on workplace relationships and affect productivity.

The managers or team leaders must understand the issue and resolve them in the beginning stage itself. As colleagues, every employee must understand the strengths and weaknesses of the other employee and behave accordingly.

Lack of supervision

The absence of good supervision in the workplace leads to workplace conflicts. The managers and team leaders must understand their supervisory roles not only to check the completion of assigned jobs but also if there is smooth interaction within the team.

They must be able to identify even trivial issues among team members and be ready to listen to everyone with an unbiased approach while handling issues.

Unacceptable Work Culture

An unhappy workplace has a toxic work culture that supports bullying and abusive behaviour among team members. When a trivial issue grows into a serious workplace conflict, the entire work environment turns hostile. It not only affects the productivity but also the mental strength of the employees.

As workplace conflicts have a direct impact on the productivity of an organisation, management must pay special attention to maintaining a happy work environment where everyone is happy and comfortable while doing their assigned jobs.

No understanding of workplace policies

Every organisation follows a set of policies and procedures to be professional while at the workplace. When some employees fail to follow them, there will be no effective implementation of the rules and policies. The management must make every employee understand that rules are there to benefit them and make their working hours peaceful and comfortable.

Following different values and work styles

Just like different personalities, employees have different workplace values. The workplace values supported by older workers may be different from young workers. Not accepting the difference between workplace values may lead to workplace conflicts.

When a difference of opinion leads to a workplace conflict, it may affect the harmony of the workplace and productivity as well. Similarly, it can lead to an unhealthy workplace competition that can affect teamwork and bring down the confidence level of employees.

Conclusion

Workplace conflicts should never go ignored. Even petty complaints can grow into bigger issues if they are not resolved as soon as possible. Managers and team leaders who supervise employees must know to identify workplace issues. They can approach expert mediators to get tips to resolve conflicts in their workplace.

Transparency and interaction with everyone in the organisation will help them know every employee in the organisation. Unbiased in their approach, they must take the correct decision at the right time.

If people in their supervisory roles don’t understand the problems faced by the employees, it will finally affect the organisation only. Maintaining a happy environment with positive vibes is the best way to prevent workplace conflicts.