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Resolve conflict like a champ

We’re hard-pressed to say conflict resolution is a fun or glamorous part of a Human Resources or leadership role, but it’s one of the most critical parts. How you mediate conflict impacts employee morale and retention, and also shows your leadership abilities and your willingness to tackle the tough stuff. Your conflict resolution skills can earn or lose you respect as well as employees. So learn to resolve conflict like a champ with these conflict resolution strategies.

Address the conflict

You can try to look the other way or offer a quick fix, but that conflict isn’t going anywhere on its own. it will only fester and drain the positivity from the work environment. Worse, the conflict can escalate if the parties feel that management or HR isn’t offering much help, and who else can they turn to? You’re often the one and only stop.

Bring everyone together

Bickering, finger-pointing, and paranoia: that’s what you’ll get if you meet with each party separately. Bringing the parties together keeps everyone on the same page out in the open and shows your commitment to reaching a fair solution. So start by explaining that you’re not there to choose sides; you’re there to find a resolution.

Resolve the conflict as a team

Team resolution means each party offers specific steps the other can take to work out the differences. This also means that leadership owns its part by researching what in the work environment or the leadership team contributed to the conflict.

Commit to the proposed resolution

All parties must agree and stick to the recommended changes. They should also do it civilly! As the conflict mediator, your job is to commit to follow-up. Regularly check in to see how things are going and to discuss any new or unresolved issues.

In conclusion

Skillful conflict resolution can paint you as a strong leader who cares about your employees’ success. And that success ties directly into your own as you build a work environment where everyone feels valued and respects your ability to run the show. So while conflict resolution may not be your favorite part of the job, it’s one of the most powerful skills you can bring to the team.

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Resolve conflict like a champ

We’re hard-pressed to say conflict resolution is a fun or glamorous part of a Human Resources or leadership role, but it’s one of the most critical parts. How you mediate conflict impacts employee morale and retention, and also shows your leadership abilities and your willingness to tackle the tough stuff. Your conflict resolution skills can […]

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