Resolving conflict at work is essential

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Dear Professor Bruce: I run a small business with a handful of employees. Lately, there seems to be a great deal of tension in the office as two of these employees are engaged in an ongoing battle. I fear it is starting to affect our customer service. What can I do to bring peace back in the office?Answer: All too often, the workplace environment sets the tone for how employees behave. As small business owners, we try to create a comfortable and rewarding experience for our employees, but sometimes this casual approach backfires. Once an employee becomes too comfortable, he or she can be lulled in to a false sense of security and complacency. This can lead to the kind of inappropriate behavior to which you are referring.Since this battle is having an adverse effect on your business, it is time for you to act. The most productive ways to resolve conflict are compromise and collaboration. By utilizing these tactics you'll shift this situation from winner-loser to one where everyone is working together for the best possible solution.According to Danielle Weinstock, author of "Can This Elephant Curtsy on Cue? Life Lessons Learned on a Film Set for Women in Business," "Arriving at a positive outcome is the bottom line goal".In resolving conflict, it is important that you do the following:Start by speaking privately with every individual. Provide them with a list of expectations so they have the framework to succeed.Let them know you are aware of the conflict and its causes, while acknowledging that each employee will have a different view of the situation.Provide specific examples of how their behavior is hurting the company.Remind them that the workplace is not the appropriate environment to work out personal problems.If the ongoing battle stems from a work related problem, communicate with each individual specifically as to why and how you want the conflict resolved.Make sure all discussion is done face-to-face. Written communication (emails, memos, etc.) is not the appropriate method to resolve differences.Emotions may run high, so take a time-out if necessary. Let the situation cool down and revisit it at a scheduled time. And finally, some may think that avoiding conflict will be the easiest way to deal with it. On the contrary, this creates a false sense of reality. It may temporarily resolve the problem, but it will resurface in a new, more virulent form. If you choose to actively resolve the conflict when it occurs, you'll establish a positive work environment for everyone.For further information, please visit www.danielleweinstock.com.(Bruce Freeman is president of ProLine Communications, a marketing and public relations firm in Livingston, NJ and author of Birthing the Elephant (Ten Speed Press). E-mail questions to Bruce(at)SmallBusinessProf.com.)