Business Managers: 4 Subtle Signs That You Can Benefit From Conflict Resolution Training
It is the wish of every manager for employees to cooperate harmoniously. However, when people work and interact within the same environment, it's normal for them to not always get along. Different working styles, personalities, and beliefs can eventually lead to disagreements among employees.
Workplace conflict won't always manifest as employees storming out of meetings or even getting physical. Contrary to this common belief, most unhealthy conflicts in business environments simmer under the surface and gradually affect your employees' peace, productivity, and morale. Here are warning signs that you need conflict resolution training.
1. Resentment Amongst Your Workers
Bitter workers won't only demoralize other staff members, but also diminish the organizational goals. Several factors can cause worker resentment, such as: rehashing issues, lack of recognition or promotion, or jealousy. Resentful employees tend to be more reluctant to work together with certain people or take on new tasks. However, through conflict resolution training, you will understand the issues better, drive actual change, and transform negative relationships into healthy ones.
2. Declining Staff Morale
It's easy to note low employee morale – increased absenteeism, conflicts, customer complaints, and a general lack of enthusiasm. When you note low morale amongst your employees, your first thought is to identify new ways to establish a positive workplace – like employee recognition and offer employee growth. While these are good initiatives to drive employee morale up, you may not realize that declining employee morale is a defensive strategy. Employee conflict resolution training will enlighten you about critical employee defensive tactics and help you choose the most appropriate strategies to boost employee morale.
3. High Staff Resignation
Employee turnover is an issue that most businesses experience. Offering your employees competitive benefits, setting clear expectations, avoiding micromanaging, and hiring qualified employees can improve retention. However, effective conflict resolution may be a better solution to help create a workplace where your workers can feel safe and comfortable. Therefore, if you have noted a high employee turnover, conflict resolution training can significantly impact employee retention.
4. Trust Issues Amongst Workers
This is a common problem in most workplaces. However, trust is vital in any work environment, both between workers, and between workers and management. According to Harvard Business Review, teams with a higher level of trust tend to perform highly. To effectively address trust issues in your workplace, you should highly consider conflict resolution training.
As a manager, it's essential that you identify and resolve unhealthy conflict. Through conflict resolution training, you will significantly improve the engagement and effectiveness of your employees.