Managing people is one of the most difficult aspects of leadership. People make mistakes, and people place blame. To create an environment where people enjoy coming to work each day, you have to set a standard of equitable treatment. When conflict arises, your staff needs to know that they can count on you to manage the problem and find the optimal fix. Hurdling the obstacles in your workplace is essential to effective productivity, and we’ll show you how best to tackle conflict head-on.

Hear Both Sides

First, make sure the employees in conflict are separated. Hearing them out jointly is sure to cause more chaos. Set aside time for each of them to make their case or explain their perspective. Depending on the nature of the conflict, it may be more helpful to hear from other workers as well, to obtain a broader sense of the situation. Be wary of third-party stories, as too many opinions could make the truth murky.

Stay Neutral

It’s essential to be objective here: put all personal relationships aside when it comes to a workplace disagreement. This is vital because you want to be credible. Set a precedent and show your staff that you will listen fairly and make a decision that’s best for your whole team. If you show your employees that you can be calm and balanced, they’ll be more likely to come to you in a crisis, rather than trying to ignore or hide a conflict.

Find a Solution for Everyone

It’s not common to make everyone happy, but every scenario will have different outcomes. Perhaps someone feels micromanaged by their supervisor, and he/she wants more breathing room to complete their assignments. Talk to their supervisor to get at the root of the issue. Is this a personality clash, or does the micromanagement happen because the worker is missing deadlines? In the latter case, you could suggest to the supervisor that they set up a standing weekly one-on-one. This will allow the supervisor to review project deadlines and keep tabs on the employee while allowing the worker to work at their pace within the constraints of the shared timeline.

Diffuse the Chaos

If the conflict is between two colleagues that just don’t get along, perhaps the best way to address the matter is to separate them to prevent tension from building. Whether it’s moving them to a different area or a different floor, some egos just don’t mesh well. There’s no sense it trying to force people to like one another, but you can expect that your employees are civil.

Set Clear Guidelines

Your people need consistency. If workers don’t know what to expect, they’re likely to be disgruntled or slack off. When work conflict arrives, take responsibility and have a game plan so you and your team can be ready to take action every time. If you are great at mediating employee disputes but tend to sweep client criticism aside, your staff may lose faith in your ability to lead with confidence. Follow your plan each time there’s an issue within your organization, to assure your employees that you’re the right person for the job.

Work with a Top Chicago Staffing Agency

Looking for more advice on how to maximize office productivity and manage your team more effectively? Check out the resources provided by Davis Staffing. As a top Chicago staffing agency, Davis Staffing can help you build your ideal team while providing tips and tricks on how to be the best possible leader to manage them. Check out our website today!