Conflict: How to Minimize It

Every business owner I’ve worked with has had some form of conflict amongst employees.  It happens in every business, but is particularly prevalent in family businesses where even non-family members become like family.  And we all know how challenging family relationships can be.

If you hear constant bickering, nitpicking, and negativity, it wears on you and causes frustration at the very least and down-right anger at its worst.  You end up feeling like you have to walk around on eggshells to try to keep the peace while asking yourself why you have to put up with it.  Truth is, you don’t have to, but that’s easier said than done.

Most conflict arises from a lack of trust between individuals, sometimes caused by jealousy, competition, or a poor self-image.  Differing personalities and temperaments can cause cliques to form, where a lack of respect and professionalism becomes the norm.  Peoples’ insecurities get the worst of them and these come out in forms that are damaging to relationships.  Everyone in the business is affected by the stress-causing conflict.

The two major causes of conflict stem from poor communication (or even a total lack of it) or differing expectations.  Poor communication arises from mixed messages, unclear or double standards, behind-the-back gossiping, or language unbefitting the workplace.  Differing expectations arise from a lack of clear principles, values, and mutual accountability; a lack of acceptable behavior and professionalism; and a lack of clear, consistent, and decisive leadership in the firm.

So if conflict is present in virtually every team, how do we combat it?  Owners, leaders, and managers must insist on proper behavior amongst all employees, and must set the right example themselves.  Openness, candor, vulnerability, and introspection are all key elements that create positive results.  When people embrace their diversity and leverage their combined strengths, teams are at their highest performance.  This should be the goal of every leader in minimizing conflict in the workplace.

Here are a few Business & Life Tips to think about….

Business Tips:

• If you want to build the culture of your company, your department, or your team, lead your people with passion and purpose.
• When leaders with complimentary skills support each other, it produces synergy. When they fight with one another, chaos reigns.
• Have your children work somewhere else before they work for you. Let them make some mistakes away from you. They’ll also bring more good ideas to your business.

Life Tips:

• Deal with conflicts when they cross your path. They simply tend to worsen as time goes on. Work things out with dignity.
• Submitting to authority is not a sign of weakness, but rather one of strength. It simply shows that you respect those around you.
• The next time someone gets on your nerves, approach him/her with sincere communication. Be firm and clear, but be thoughtful.

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