Benefits & Detriments of Workplace Conflict
Workplace conflict can take the form of criticism, mockery, arguments and extreme competitiveness. It can escalate to threats or violence, which can cause stress and interfere with productivity. It can be caused by personal animosity, difficult workplace conditions or dissatisfaction with a colleague's professional performance. But professional conflict, designed not to cause problems but solve them, can lead to self-examination and open discussion that can lead to positive change. Learning how to deal with conflict can help people grow, personally as well as professionally.
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Benefits
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Writing in the Oct. 30, 2007, issue of Entrepreneur magazine, David G. Javitch, Ph.D., an organizational psychologist and consultant, said that disagreements are not always inherently damaging. On the contrary, a total lack of conflict may indicate a manager's lack of interest and, therefore, lack of communication with workers, an attitude that may spread through the ranks; this can stifle cooperation and creativity. But, lively, thought-provoking discussions - even arguments - can cause managers and employees to "challenge each other, refute thoughts, offer innovative alternatives and problem solve," he explains.
A diverse staff - people with different backgrounds, viewpoints and expertise - can provide many new ideas and solutions to problems, notes Karen A. Jehn, an associate professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (See Reference 2). Spirited discussions help these varying points of view surface, leading to effective brainstorming. It encourages outside-the-box thinking and lets staff members teach and learn from each other. She advises managers to discourage employees from arguing with each other over personal issues. But, Jenn views as productive professional or "task-related" conflict, which, she writes, is best played out by forming employees into teams to debate and tackle challenges and problems.
These discussions also help employees to get to know each other and forge strong working relationships, writes professional business coach Irene Leonard in the April/May 2009 of the Benefits of Workplace Conflict newsletter (See Reference 3).
Detriments
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Conflict that is designed to personally question, insult, demoralize or dominate an employee creates ill will, lowers self-esteem and reduces productivity. It can hurt employee retention and cause staff members to waste time complaining about each other and lobbying others for sympathy and support. It also raises stress levels, lowers morale, increases absenteeism, and can even lead to mental-health-related workman's compensation claims, writes Mary Rau-Foster, RN BS ARM JD on the workplace issues.com website (See Reference 4).
But some negative conflicts are triggered by conditions in the workplace, Rau-Foster adds. She cites as examples people whose working styles don't mesh but are forced to collaborate on tasks or projects. Assigning a procrastinator to work with someone who doesn't like the pressure of working feverishly down to the wire can cause stress and animosity between the two, she points out. Even something as simple as having to compete with someone else for use of a piece of equipment, such as the office printer, can cause frustration which can, if not resolved, lead to deep-seated resentment, Rau-Foster writes.
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Solutions/Prevention
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Managers can defuse and prevent unproductive workplace conflicts by getting to know employees, communicating openly with them and identifying and helping to solve logistical problems, involving others, that may make it hard for them to do their jobs.
They can also lead by example, providing opportunities for productive conflict and engaging in these thought-provoking conversations, Javitch writes (Reference 1).
Above all, managers should let employees see how they welcome productive, even if heated, debate over professional topics; it can teach them how to participate without giving or taking offense.
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References
- Photo Credit Deers. Deers fighting. Conflict. Anger image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
