Conflict management: causes and resolutions

The emergence of conflicts and critical issues in the workplace is a normal phenomenon, which should not lead to panic but on the contrary be addressed with the right tools. Only by recognising conflict, the causes from which it arises and the ways to resolve it will it be possible to overcome problems, feel better about oneself and others and contribute to the success and prosperity of the company in which one works.

The ‘Conflict Management’ program was created with the aim of delving into the topic of conflict, first of all learning how to recognise it and secondly how to transform it from a critical issue into an opportunity, finding a solution that satisfies all those involved.

The course, which is aimed at entrepreneurs, freelancers, team managers and area managers, is divided into several stages, starting with the definition of conflict, which according to psychological science is the state of tension in which individuals are subjected to conflicting impulses, motivations and needs due to situations created by them or by third parties. This is followed by a module on how to recognise conflict and turn it into an opportunity, and then by a focus on the actors of conflict and, finally, on ways and means of managing it.

If conflict arises because of conflicting wills, there is a tendency to determine the causes in order to attribute the consequent responsibilities, but rarely does one delve into its aims and potential.

Identifying the origin of a conflict in the workplace is, however, important in order to become aware of it and, by means of the most suitable tools, to cooperate synergistically to find a suitable solution for everyone.

The causes of a conflict in a company can be very diverse, ranging from poor communication between colleagues to unclear professional roles, to having been treated unfairly – which can also include serious situations such as bullying, harassment and discrimination of various kinds – to inadequate training and sudden changes in products, organisation charts, appraisals or pay systems.

However, those listed above are not the only possible causes of conflict in the workplace. For instance, one of the most frequent is related to clashes between different personalities within the same team. Unrealistic demands and expectations on the part of employers towards employees can also lead to conflict or, again, the perceived lack of clarity regarding company policy and the values promoted by the organisation. Sometimes, finally, conflict is generated by increased workload, which employees may find unmanageable.

In order to achieve conflict resolution, one must first of all change perspective, seeing it not as a limitation, but on the contrary as a positive resource: conflict is in fact an important opportunity for confrontation and enrichment. Confrontation because the actors in the conflict propose different interests and visions, and all this could be absolutely positive if it were not for the fact that the problem arises because everyone tries to make his or her own position prevail. Consequently, conflict is not a pathological phenomenon to be repressed but must be seen as a normal form of interaction between different people whose destructive drifts, however, must be rationally managed.

Within the conflict management program, the topic of relationships is a very important element, since problems arise precisely because of relational difficulties between the people involved. It is precisely for this reason that one of the modules of the course deals specifically with the actors of the conflict, delving into their roles, experiences and perceptions, with the aim of understanding which steps, in the different individual paths, have led to the emergence of a critical relationship problem.

The resolution of a conflict in the workplace can therefore only be possible through better communication between people, which translates first of all into the ability to address problems in an immediate and direct manner, without allowing frustrations and resentment to simmer, and in adopting realistic expectations. Recognising and respecting differences within one’s work team and exercising empathy is equally important, as is active listening, a form of present, attentive and focused listening that differs on the one hand from hearing, understood as a purely mechanical activity of the auditory apparatus, and on the other hand from listening, i.e. making what is heard intelligible. Active listening, on the other hand, is listening with the heart, and the role of a figure such as the mediator is precisely to use listening to help the people involved in a conflict to find a solution, spurring them to formulate reflections and reasoning that they would never come to on their own precisely because they are firm on their position.