If you’ve worked in management for any length of time, you’ll know that workplace conflict is inevitable.
People work under pressure. They have different personalities, different communication styles and different expectations. Disagreements are part of working life.
Yet after mediating workplace disputes across a wide range of organisations, one thing becomes clear.
The conflict itself is rarely the biggest problem.
More often than not, it’s what happens, or doesn’t happen, before anyone asks for help.
By the time an employer commissions workplace mediation or an independent investigation, the situation has usually been developing for weeks, months or, in some cases, years. Often even at the point of seeking help it can take an extended period of time to get things started, adding more stress and pressure to the situation.
The warning signs were there. They simply weren’t recognised or acted upon.
When organisations contact us, they’re often looking for support following a grievance, a relationship breakdown or allegations of bullying or inappropriate behaviour.
It’s easy to assume that a single event caused the problem. In reality, workplace conflict is usually much more gradual.
A misunderstood comment.
A meeting where someone felt ignored.
A decision that wasn’t properly explained.
An email interpreted differently from how it was intended.
None of these situations appear significant in isolation. However, left unaddressed, they begin to shape how people interpret each other’s behaviour. A lesson for employers is not to ignore the small signs of conflict as by the time things escalate trust is broken and people can be in a place of being upset or frustrated.
One of the most common themes in workplace mediation is not what people said. It’s what they didn’t say. Employees often avoid difficult conversations because they hope the issue will resolve itself. Managers delay raising concerns because they don’t want to make matters worse. Colleagues decide it’s easier to work around someone than address the underlying issue. For a while, this approach can appear successful, until it isn’t. Eventually, frustration reaches a point where the next disagreement isn’t about the issue itself, it’s about everything that came before it.
Grievances and workplace investigations are important organisational processes. They establish facts, ensure fairness and provide an appropriate framework where formal concerns need to be addressed. However, they are not designed to rebuild relationships and this is often something thats neglected when conflict arises. HR professions are trained to deal with the procedural issue and are then often not manage to deal with the aftermath of conflict. Often once formal procedures are completed individuals still need to work together and it’s hard to forget the conflict that they’ve been through.
Without an opportunity to rebuild communication, organisations can find themselves managing the same tensions long after the formal process has finished.
Experienced managers usually recognise when performance changes. What is sometimes more difficult is recognising that declining performance may be a symptom rather than the problem itself.
Reduced collaboration.
Increased sickness absence.
Defensive communication.
Withdrawal during meetings.
Avoidance between colleagues.
These behaviours are frequently viewed as isolated issues. In practice, they are often indicators that relationships have already begun to deteriorate. Understanding the difference allows organisations to intervene much earlier.
Every organisation experiences conflict. What distinguishes healthy organisations is not the absence of disagreement but the confidence to address it. They create environments where concerns are raised early. Managers are supported to have difficult conversations. Formal procedures are used appropriately rather than automatically. Mediation is viewed as a proactive investment rather than a last resort. Most importantly, they recognise that workplace relationships deserve the same attention as workplace processes.
At Resolution at Work, we support organisations through independent workplace mediation, facilitated conversations and workplace investigations. Our approach goes beyond resolving individual disputes, we help organisations build stronger working relationships, improve communication and create workplaces where conflict is managed constructively before it escalates.
If you’re looking for help with workplace conflict, get in contact with us here.
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If you've worked in management for any length of time, you'll know that workplace conflict is inevitable. People work under pressure. They have different personalities, different… Read more »
It is not uncommon for conflict to arise between different teams. This can have considerable impact on both individuals and performance. A number of approaches can be used in this sort of scenario, including neutral assessment, team facilitation and group mediation.
Agreement could not be reached to enter into mediation in this situation and therefore coaching was an alternative support provided to one of the parties. The relationship between a majority shareholder and a shareholder/director was causing conflict. The relationship would be ok at times but disagreements would flare up from time to time and this was beginning to impact on the business.