How to Manage Personality Clashes Among Employees

Personality differences are inevitable, but clearing the air will help resolve disputes.

Ignoring employee conflicts won't make the bickering disappear, and keeping parties apart at the workplace often proves impractical. As the supervisor, try to alleviate friction among workers as soon as problems come to your attention. The tension can lead to unacceptable and unprofessional behaviors, including name-calling, gossiping and backstabbing. Ongoing personal conflicts can produce a difficult work environment and lead to reduced productivity; fortunately, basic conflict-management strategies will help nip clashes in the bud.

Instructions

1. Interview each employee involved in the infighting separately. Determine the heart of the conflict. Your goal is to determine if two parties are the center of the dispute, as you want to avoid mediating with extraneous employees. Sum up and document your findings.

2. Bring the parties together in a private room to discuss the conflict. Allow each person to speak without interruption, and then ask each employee to sum up the other party's words. Keep a positive demeanor as you lead the discussion.

3. Empower the parties to develop a mutually agreeable solution. Put the agreement in writing. Include any ground rules, such as avoiding slander at work.

4. Meet again in one week to discuss adherence to the agreement and tweak the plan if necessary. Remind the employees that they must follow the terms to avoid disciplinary action, warnings or possible termination.

5. Reward the parties for obeying the terms of the agreement, and take disciplinary action if a violation occurs. Interview witnesses if applicable. Write up a warning if a neutral third party observes behaviors that violate the conditions or when other evidence comes to light. After two warnings, remind the employee that further infractions may result in termination.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid taking sides during mediation sessions; focus on the problem, not the people.

• Refer parties to a dispute resolution service if you're unable to mediate the conflict in a fair, impartial manner. Your human resources department might have a trained mediator on staff.

• Discrimination, sexual harassment and threats of violence are not personality clashes; they are serious offenses that involve a victim and a perpetrator. Deal with harassment by following the disciplinary guidelines in the employee handbook.

References

• "Organizational Behavior"; Robert Kreitner, et al.; 2010
• Management Sciences for Health; Managing Conflict; 2006
• "The MHEDA Journal"; Managing Problem Employees; Christine Corelli; April 2009