Companies are always coordinated work environments, which has its ups and downs. 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 individuals.

That is why it is crucial for the leaders of any organization to develop conflict management skills. In the face of this kind of problem, the solution is never as simple as making everything work perfectly or taking decisive action unilaterally.

How to improve conflict management in organizations

Each organization is unique and has its own work climate, but that does not mean that there are no basic rules of conflict management that should always be taken into account.
In the following lines we will see different key ideas for managing conflicts in the company, and advice 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 emerge through flesh-and-blood human beings with their own motivations and emotions. This is why it is necessary to prevent the possibility of taking advantage of present conflicts to revive old grudges, somewhat more frequent than it seems even in a professional environment .

That is why we must stop the changes in the subject at its root and insist that everyone focuses on the current problem, since 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 position oneself explicitly in favor of one of the parties, since the simple fact of doing so can nullify our ability to mediate .

We must ensure that what we do through mediation is seen in the context of the common interest, which goes beyond individualities.

3. Claiming the value of intermediate solutions

Often, the solutions proposed do not convince anyone because they do not become exactly what one wanted. However, you have to be able to get across 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 valuable.

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

4. No one wants to be “the loser”

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

5. We have to start from the values of the company

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 demands cooperation and rejects individualism, there is no point in solving something behind closed doors, talking to only a few representatives of the parties involved in the conflict, for example. Otherwise, uncertainty is fed and the company is communicated as 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 concerns the resolution of conflicts in words only, without this being translated into concrete measures. Doing so means falling into the error of letting these problems be resolved unofficially through informal channels, which damages the work climate.

How to gain experience in this field?

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

A good example of this is the various courses and masters offered by universities in this field, 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 in practice the knowledge shared by the experts organizing the course and to solve this kind of problems in the most satisfactory way, taking into account the values of the company in which you are working, as well as the fundamental tools of mediation.

Are there professionals who facilitate crisis and conflict management in the company?

In many cases, the companies do not have ‘in-house’ professionals specialized in this type of crisis and conflict management . At Por2Razones we specialize in these situations, combining experience in group psychology with knowledge of business administration.

If you think we can help you to solve any situation that has occurred in your company, you can contact us through our professional profile.