Human resources professional: Dealing with workplace conflicts — and finding positive solutions — is possible

Conflict in the workplace is often inevitable and while it's usually thought of as something to be avoided, it can often lead to something positive, when handled correctly.

That was the message last week at the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce's Women's Impact Network (WIN) luncheon.

More than 100 businesswomen from the Cape Girardeau and Jackson area turned out to hear the program presented by Taylor Kirn, a human resources professional with Delta Companies, a highway construction and asphalt production firm headquartered in Cape Girardeau.

"Conflict can occur anytime, anywhere with anyone," Kirn said, adding she typically deals with conflict in the workplace at least once or twice a week. In fact, a recent study by the Washington Business Journal found the typical manager spends 25% to 40% of his or her time dealing with workplace conflicts. That's one to two days of every workweek.

"And in a 2016 study of workplace conflict, 85% of employees say they deal with conflict at some level," Kirn said. "That study also found that 70% believe managing conflict is a critically important leadership skill, and 54% of employees believe managers could handle disputes more effectively if they had the skills to do so."

The causes of workplace conflict can be based on disagreements over work procedures, clashes of personalities, opposing needs or interests, "or a range of other circumstances that lead to confrontations," Kirn said.

When it's not handled properly, conflict in the workplace can have a variety of negative results such as reduced productivity, lower morale, increased absenteeism and turnover, and the potential of spreading the conflict to other employees and departments, ultimately creating a toxic work environment throughout an office or business.

"And then there's also an increased risk of violence, a really important concern especially in today's world," Kirn told the group. "It's a scary thing to think that conflict can turn into a violent situation, but if you have the skills to manage conflict efficiently and correctly, you could be the person for avoiding a violent situation at your workplace or your home."

Kirn said there are five basic ways to handle conflict. The first way, she said, is evasion.

"But that's not a good option. Avoiding the situation will not make it go away; it will actually make it worse," she said.

The second technique is surrender, or giving in to the other party.

"That's not a good option, either," Kirn explained, "because it puts you in a win-lose situation and you don't want to be in that."

Option three is competition, or pitting employee ideas and arguments against each other.

"But having employees compete with one another to see who dominates is not a situation you want to put yourself in because it's another win-lose situation."

The fourth option is compromise, getting employees to negotiate, with each one giving up something in order to arrive at a common ground.

But the best option, Kirn said, is collaboration.

"When you can get employees to work together to come to a conclusion, that can turn into a legitimate win-win situation," she said.

Not all workplace conflict is bad, Kirn explained.

"Constructive conflict can actually lead to growth opportunities," she said. "When conflict is managed well, it can spark creativity, it can provide a level of healthy competition without being adversarial, it can contribute to innovation and an atmosphere of diversity in which employees from different backgrounds can present and promote their ideas and viewpoints."

For more information about appropriate management of conflict in the workplace, Kirn recommended several resources including the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), "The Power of Positive Confrontation" by Barbara Pachter, "The New One Minute Manager" by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, and "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable," by Patrick Lencioni.

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