Our work in supporting people to perform well at work has shown that some conflict between colleagues is so long-standing and deeply entrenched that there is simply no way back over the mountain of hurt, shame, indignation and thoughts of revenge to reach a place of resolution. At best there might be an accommodation of the situation but in most of these long-standing situations some practical actions are needed to get everyone functioning effectively.
While we remain committed to working with our clients towards resolving issues, some pragmatic alternatives are needed. If these alternative actions are used, then an explicit commitment to taking a constructive, co-operative and healthy approach to communication at work is necessary to ensure their success (in other words there is no point putting these actions in place if, instead of the direct conflict being managed, a skirmish breaks out on the sidelines instead).
For teams, some useful actions include:
- New supervisor or changed reporting structures with clear communication and information sharing protocols.
- Team planning that focuses on the future for the team and which supports individual success and team achievement.
- Clear expectations covering behaviour and conduct at work as well as on a strong focus on achievement of results on key projects.
- Team building activities that focus on what each team member brings to the team and encourages a less narrow view of team members (both in terms of their abilities and of them as individuals).
- Wellness programs which are practical and have as a goal healthy personal and professional development.
- Whole team development activities, designed and led by team members, which focus on professional/technical development, process improvement, project planning and evaluation of project results or service standards.
For individuals, some actions include:
- Commitment to appropriate behaviour in all circumstances which is discussed and reviewed in detail to ensure that required behaviour is explicit and understood.
- New and challenging projects to re-engage and energise.
- Ensuring clear and specific individual work goals are in place.
- Praise for genuine achievements, progress and behaving consistently with values that the team want to see (such as actively supporting or developing others).
- Assigning a coach or mentor to assist in building work and professional development focus.
If there is no ‘win-win’, there sometimes needs to be ‘lose-lose’.
Win-win is the motto of conflict resolution but to move forward in intractable situations there sometimes needs to be a ‘lose-lose’ view of the situation. What this means is that those involved in the conflict have to recognise that they have contributed to the situation (not everyone contributes equally but in long-standing situations everyone has played some part), that the current situation is not sustainable and that everyone needs to make some changes to their behaviour. This can then result in a negotiated way forward using some of the actions listed above.
We have successfully worked with managers and team members to improve communication and conflict resolution skills and to get teams working effectively again.