P. 16 Preventing workplace conflict The key to preventing workplace conflict is to recognize that different people have different styles in dealing with situations as they occur. Each time an individual interacts with another, his or her perception of the interaction is unique. It’s also natural for an individual to respond both intellectually and emotionally. When this interaction results in conflict, most individuals will pinpoint the cause as being rooted in an action or an event that has occurred. But in reality the cause of the conflict is the individual’s interpretation of, or emotional response to, the action or event. As a manager or supervisor you can help prevent workplace conflict by helping members of your team clarify their individual perceptions and communicate more clearly with one another. Encourage your employees to: • Apply active listening to better understand a situation. This includes open questioning, gentle probing, paraphrasing to let the other person know they’re listening carefully and ‘checking in’ to see if they’ve understood correctly • Use I messages such as “I sense ” or “I feel ” and “I think,” rather than accusatory messages such as “You said” or “You never ” • Avoid assuming or attributing motives to another person, or interpreting disagreement as a personal attack • Reframe and summarize at the close of a conversation to clarify their understanding of what another person has said • Remember that only they have control over their feelings and emotions when interacting with others. If a conflict situation should arise between employees, remember to: • Contact your Human Resources department if you think that you need support managing the situation and to review the organization’s policy and procedure • Acknowledge the situation, don’t ignore it in the hope that it will go away on its own • Gather all the information you can from employees involved in the disagreement before you try to settle the dispute – you will need to understand all sides (and perceptions) of the situation • Focus on the issues, not the individuals • Refer individual employees to the EAP if you feel they could benefit from additional consultation and advice By understanding some of the key – and most problematic – sources of workplace conflict, you can intervene early and avoid more serious issues.