Conflict in the workplace is inevitable. When individuals with diverse backgrounds, personalities, and working styles come together, friction is bound to arise. However, how that conflict is addressed can either impede or enhance a team's performance and morale. In this blog, we’ll explore the root causes of workplace conflict, examine its consequences, and offer practical solutions for HR professionals to manage and mitigate disputes effectively. Common Causes of Workplace Conflict
The Impact of Unresolved Conflict When workplace conflict is left unaddressed, the consequences can be far-reaching:
Practical Solutions for HR and Leadership To create a healthier, more productive work environment, HR professionals and managers can take proactive steps to manage and prevent conflict:
Key Takeaways
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Trust is the glue that holds great leaders and their teams together. It forms the bedrock upon which effective communication, collaboration and innovation thrive. This blog discusses the definition of trust, its importance and how to build and sustain trust with your staff. What is Trust and Why is it Important? Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. It is the basis of almost everything we do as humans. When we trust someone, we choose to risk making something we value vulnerable to another person’s actions. At work this may look like bringing up concerns about your workload with your manager, bringing up new ideas for a key project or discussing an impactful disagreement with a co-worker. For leaders, trust is one of the most essential forms of capital that you have and it has a substantial impact on the commitment and satisfaction of your team. Trust is easily lost and not easily gained. With this in mind, it’s important to build a strong foundation of trust from day one with your staff and when trust is broken, do all that you can to rebuild that trust as soon as possible. How to Build & Sustain Trust with your Staff Creating a strong bond of trust with your staff is like nurturing a plant – it takes time, care and the right ingredients. Feltman (2009) identifies four distinctions of trust, which describe how leaders can develop trust with their staff. 1. Sincerity
2. Competence
3. Reliability
4. Care
It can be helpful to reflect critically on past situations through the lens of the four distinctions above to identify where trust was broken. This will help give you insight into where you need to develop your relationships with your staff. Along the way, we’re destined to break other’s trust and when we do we want to work at rebuilding it as soon as possible. Reina’s Trust and Betrayal Model provides some guidance on how to heal from betrayal. When trust is broken, you can support your team members through the 7 steps below. 1. Observe and acknowledge what has happened: Own up and admit when you’ve done or said something that may break trust with an individual or your team. Talk with those whose trust has been broken to fully acknowledge what has happened. 2. Allow feelings to surface: Allow your team to express their feelings about the betrayal of trust and listen to what they are saying with empathy and curiosity. 3. Get support: Moving through betrayal can be difficult on one’s own. Encourage your team to lean on their support system and talk about what has happened. 4. Reframe the experience: Use reframing questions to support your team to make meaning about what has happened. Also ask them of yourself to gain a better understanding. Ask questions like, ‘Why did this happen?’ ‘What can I take from this experience? What lessons do I need to learn?’, ‘What options do I have for responding to this situation?’ or ‘What would I do differently next time?’. 5. Take responsibility: Explore your role in the betrayal and take responsibility for your actions. 6. Forgive yourself and others: Forgive yourself and others who may have played a role in the betrayal occurring. 7. Let go and move on: When you’re able to reflect on the betrayal and experience peace about the situation, it is time to move on and continue to build up trust with your team. Summary Trust is a vital force that binds great leaders and their teams. It serves as the foundation upon which effective communication, seamless collaboration, and innovative thinking flourish. Throughout this exploration, we've delved into the heart of trust – its essence, significance, and the art of cultivating it within your staff. Trust, simply put, is the unwavering belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. It underpins the decisions we make, the actions we take, and the relationships we form. Trust at work can be as simple as sharing your workload concerns with your manager, suggesting novel ideas for a critical project, or candidly addressing disagreements with colleagues. For leaders, trust becomes an invaluable currency that shapes the dedication and contentment of their teams. Yet, trust is delicate. Easily shattered, it demands diligent care and effort to rebuild once compromised. Establishing a bedrock of trust from the outset with your staff is a strategic imperative. When trust falters, swift action to mend it becomes a priority. So, how can you construct and sustain this essential trust with your staff? Feltman's four dimensions of trust – sincerity, competence, reliability, and care – offer a roadmap. Honest communication, demonstrated ability, consistency in meeting commitments, and genuine concern for others' interests are the cornerstones to cultivate. Stumbles are inevitable, leading to broken trust. When this occurs, Reina's Trust and Betrayal Model illuminates a path to recovery. Acknowledge the transgression, allow emotions to surface, seek support, reframe the experience, shoulder responsibility, extend forgiveness to yourself and others, and finally, let go and move forward. Healing and rebuilding are possible. In the grand narrative of leadership, trust isn't just a buzzword; it's the essence that propels teams towards success. With trust as your compass, the potential to inspire, uplift, and create enduring impact knows no bounds. So, as we conclude this discussion, remember that trust is more than just an element of leadership – it's the heartbeat that sustains its rhythm, propelling leaders and teams toward shared aspirations and boundless horizons. Resources
Feltman, C. (2021, July 15). The Thin Book of Trust Frei, F. X. (2021, August 31). Everything Starts with Trust. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/05/begin-with-trust Lewis, A. (2022, October 26). Good Leadership? It All Starts With Trust. Harvard Business Publishing. https://www.harvardbusiness.org/good-leadership-it-all-starts-with-trust/ Reina, D., & Reina, M. (2015, February 2). Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace. National Geographic Books. Empowering your team to develop effective conflict management skills has far-reaching impacts on your employees’ experience at work and the overall success of your business. In this blog, we will discuss 10 conflict management skills that will help your team communicate better and avoid destructive conflict. The following 10 skills are important for every employee to have in their toolkit, to resolve conflict, communicate with one another and solve complex problems.
By honing these conflict management skills, employees can contribute to a more harmonious and productive work environment, fostering better teamwork and communication across the organization.
You can help your team to develop these skills through training and workshops aimed at supporting staff to develop confidence, improve skills, increase self-awareness and perspective taking. Interested in supporting your team to improve their skills in these areas? Contact us today for custom training solutions! In today's workplaces, many organizations are trading the traditional 9-to-5 for a more flexible approach. Flexible work arrangements reimagine the boundaries of a traditional office setting by considering the diverse needs of employees. This includes the where and when of employees' work. In this week's blog, we'll discuss the benefits and challenges of flexible work environments. We will then outline how organizations can put in place flexible work arrangements for their employees. Benefits Organizations and employees can benefit from flexible work arrangements in several ways: Can lead to increased job satisfaction and employee morale as it enables individuals to better balance professional and personal lives
Challenges While flexible work arrangements offer many benefits, they are not without their share of challenges. Here are several that top the list: Maintaining clear lines of communication and collaboration among team members who may be working different hours or remotely
Monitoring and ensuring productivity can become more complex, as traditional methods of supervision may be less effective in a flexible work set up. Boundaries between work and personal life can blur. Although flexible work environments can foster diversity, if not managed effectively, they may also pose a challenge as some employees may have limited access to the necessary technology or conducive work environments to fully engage in flexible arrangements. Strategies for Implementing Flexible Work Arrangements for your Organization Implementing a successful flexible work arrangement requires careful planning, clear communication, and a commitment to addressing potential challenges. Consider the following strategies when implementing a flexible work arrangement for your organization:
Over the past several years, the landscape of work has undergone and continues to undergo a profound transformation. Flexible work arrangements bring benefits such as improved job satisfaction and productivity to enhanced diversity and inclusion. While there are challenges in implementing flexible work arrangements, organizations can combat these by fostering a culture of trust, clear communication and accountability.
By embracing this flexibility, organizations can empower their employees to achieve a balance between professional and personal pursuits, while still contributing their best to collective goals. More and more teams and companies are transitioning to fully remote or hybrid teams. These groups are often more prone to unproductive, damaging conflict, as the sources of conflict are many and the options for resolution are few. The following blog will explore the causes of conflict for virtual teams and offer several strategies for virtual managers and employers to use with their team to mitigate the negative effects of conflict. Causes of Conflict on Virtual Teams Communication Barriers
4 Strategies for Reducing Conflict on Virtual Teams 1. Improve Communication
2. Team Chartering Team chartering is a great tool for any team, but especially for virtual teams. It is the process of collaboratively defining and establishing the fundamental guidelines, goals, roles and expectations for a team. It helps create a shared understanding among team members, fostering a sense of cohesion, accountability, and alignment toward achieving common goals. A well-crafted team charter lays the foundation for effective communication, collaboration and successful project outcomes. Chartering can happen at the beginning of projects or on a semi-regular basis to stay connected with your team. 3. Utilize Online Dispute Resolution Services When conflict does arise, it is important to engage in productive conflict management strategies early. Many conflict management practitioners offer online versions of their dispute resolution services, such as mediation, arbitration, coaching and facilitation. Contact us to see how we might be able to support you with these services. 4. Create Opportunities for Your Team to Build Rapport and Trust For virtual teams, the classic ‘water cooler’ chats are less likely to happen. By creating opportunities for your team to connect with one another on a personal level, you can help them begin to develop rapport and trust amongst themselves and with management. Check out this article for how to create a virtual office water cooler. Virtual teams face additional challenges related to communication, trust and expectations. These challenges create environments ripe for conflict. However, by utilizing proactive strategies for prevention and resolution, organizations can help create positive, safe, productive work environments.
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AuthorErin Rennison Archives
May 2025
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