Mention conflict, and everybody’s got a story: A co-worker or boss, a family member, even the guy who cut you off in traffic. When groups of humans interact, there will be conflict. And while it can be buried in the mazes and cubes of big companies, in smaller businesses, conflict tends to be more obvious.
Most of us are unskilled in handling conflict. But would you believe that it can be a powerful tool, whose energy can be harnessed to enrich the workplace and the people in it? (Seriously.)
Conflicts usually means a disagreement or argument, even incompatibility. Psychology Today says that conflict is perceived as fighting, but isn’t necessarily. It can send a lot of us into defense or retreat mode. But really, conflict at its most basic is just disagreement. People disagree when facts, desires or fears cause them to hold different positions or move in different directions. And most of us, apparently, haven’t acquired the skills to be able to mine the richness that resides in conflict.
From a small business perspective, conflict is just plain unavoidable. The worst you can do as a business owner is dismiss it—or leave issues unresolved. If you do, you’ll eventually start to see the results emerge, in the form of turnover, absenteeism or worse. Familiar with going postal? This is the extreme, but began with conflict left untended. The following, according to YFS Magazine, are five types of conflict every small business owner will encounter (at least), especially as the business grows:
- Leadership conflict. Informal reporting relationships and different leadership styles can cause conflict and confusion.
- Interdependency-based conflict. If roles and responsibilities aren’t clear, conflict results.
- Work style differences. These are almost limitless—for example, team oriented vs. independent. Conflict is inherent.
- Cultural-based conflict. Different backgrounds and cultures mean that conflict is inevitable.
- Personality clashes. These usually come from perceptions about someone else’s character or motives—left unclarified or corrected.
In a small business, you can’t avoid conflict, and trying to can actually create more conflict! But you can understand that successful resolution requires a problem-solving, win-win approach—and a light touch. It also requires an understanding that conflict can be good for an organization, a catalyst to better things, not something that drags the people and the business down. Small Business Chron describes some of the ways your business can benefit from conflict:
- It’s a stimulus. Different points of view encourage new thinking.
- It raises questions that lead to new solutions and breakthroughs that are usually better than the old!
- It builds relationships by fostering listening, understanding and respect.
- It fosters creativity and innovation by opening minds to new possibilities.
- It beats stagnation. How boring and awful would every day be with cookie-cutter ideas, styles and personalities?
The Leadership Success Institute (LSI) website says that businesses benefit from conflict when owners know how to manage it. Some insights for doing that:
- Foster a healthy level of conflict by encouraging questioning and challenging.
- Minimize unhealthy conflict that creates discomfort and is destructive.
- Understand and encourage style differences.
- Create a supportive environment by giving your people room to express ideas, experiment and make mistakes.
- Foster open communication.
- Know when it’s time to move on—and let everyone else know it’s time to do the same.
Image courtesy of jesadaphorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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