5 Common Conflicts That You May Have And How To Handle It

As friendly and as great a workplace can be, it’s important to remember that the workplace can also be a space that ends up taking a significant portion of our lives. This checking in the morning and spending our entire day interacting with colleagues and working until the evening can often bring about clashes. 

Some of these conflicts can be affiliated to simple human nature where in other areas the workspace can also be to blame. Nevertheless, conflicts are a part of almost every workplace. We’ve listed down 5 of the most common workplace conflicts and how we can handle them. 

1. Hierarchy Conflicts 

Oftentimes, disagreements may start due to a boss ordering or requesting a task from their subordinate which they might not agree with. In most situations, managers and bosses are looked up to be problem solvers however in some scenarios they themselves can be the people causing problems. 

Settings where people are promoted to managerial or senior positions without careful consideration are some common places where these conflicts can occur. 

Be careful when hiring the people and when it comes to promotions, carefully consider the person. It’s also important to look into how much time the person has spent and their performance as well as talking to their team members and getting to know how they treat their colleagues. Such steps can be effective when promoting someone to senior positions.

2. Departmental Conflicts  

This type of conflict is more tilted towards mid-sized and larger corporations with established departments. 

The design department isn’t getting clearance from the finance department? Or the marketing department isn’t getting along with the product development? Such conflicts are common and they usually start because employees can often be too focused in their very own department that they stop considering the common goal. 

To solve this, leaders of every department should hold regular meetings with other heads of departments and communicate clearly. The main common goal of the project should also be revised by employees regularly so they all work together to achieve it. 

3. Different Personalities 

This one simply comes down to how people are. In almost every setting, difference of opinion and personality can get people into clashes and arguments, the workplace is no different. 

Different cultures, backgrounds, experience levels, mindsets and approach towards their work are some common factors that can lead to clashes. These clashes can ultimately disrupt the workplace and distract everyone else from the main goal and deadline. 

The best way to solve this is by teaching employees how to understand each other, empathize with one another and by setting out clear behavioral policies. Team bonding exercises can also help employees build a strong bond and work out their differences in a more rational way. 
 

4. Creativity Clashes 

Unlike a set rule of numbers or rules, creative departments don’t follow such structures. Since creativity can be subjective, this starts to open room for clashes. 

Arguments and debates can often be the birthplace of innovations however when these arguments start to become clashes is when a problem arises. Solving creativity-based issues can be slightly more challenging because there isn't a certain rulebook to go by. 

However, you can start by asking employees to have clear boundaries and respect one another’s opinions. Arguments that take place should also be professional and never become personal. 
 

5. Work-Style Clashes

It’s been established that people are different, and these differences also include how they want to work. Some people prefer to work alone whereas others work better in a team. Some like to work in the morning while others are not morning people. These are all examples of differences in working styles and can bring about issues. 

The best way to handle this is to establish some common ground rules by which all employees should operate by. These rules will be an even more important part when there is a project that requires a team effort. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, we’ve seen a number of factors that can bring about clashes and conflicts in the workplace. However it's important to remember that these conflicts are not just unique to workplaces and that human beings tend to disagree on many things. As long as there is mutual respect and understanding. 

Ground rules, and having employees interact with each other and engage in team building exercises can also help them understand their colleagues better and reduce conflicts. If you’re looking for a healthy place to work and have productive conversations and get work done, head down to Iconic Workspaces and check it out.