What are 5 common types of workplace conflict?

The workplace has it hierarchical settings amongst employers and employees with different duties at every point in time. At a workplace, clashes are inevitable because they all have one goal and vision; however, one individual might notice inefficiency on the part of the other, which will serve as the inciting cause of misunderstanding; this result into conflict.

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Conflict at a workplace can be defined as a potential difference of opinion that takes place. It can begin from just a simple difference of suggestion or opinion, at times, it comes as a result of complaints, depression, job dissatisfaction and change of leadership. 

However, this reoccurrence is time-consuming and always affect the employee productivity at workplace. Always have it in mind that the way every individual personality handles the situation, implement the solution to problems, and accomplish his/her goal is so different from another. As this is justifiable, it can later result in conflict.   

Below are some of the types of conflicts that are common and inevitable.  

1. The “Interdependence” at Workplace Conflicts

The efficient implementation and completion of task and duties at the workplace are interdependent on one individual or another for the clarity of their roles and functionality after one task is done before or after theirs. 

When there is a failure of one’s accountability to another, conflict occurs at workplace. Frequently, employees depend on another employee for the input and output of their task and duties. 

2. The “Differences in Style” at Workplace Conflict

Every individual employee at the workplace has his/her different styles of working; some are super fast, while others take their time to produce the same result, just the difference in the artistic style or more. 

The lack of understanding of each individual personality often results in this type of conflict. Appropriate training with the full understanding of every individual style will not result in this type of conflict.  

3. The “Differences in Background/Gender” at Workplace Conflicts

Culture simply defines one's practices, beliefs, traditions, experiences, educational background, and set of values, race, ethnicity, gender, and religion. Generally, employees from different culture and backgrounds do experience conflict. This difference result into conflict, in order to settle this, it is highly essential to implement balance at the workplace.

4. The “Differences in Leadership” at Workplace Conflicts

 Leaders at workplaces have their different styles of leadership in the implementation of power; some are direct while others may be dictatorial. This becomes critical for the team members at the workplace and often time result into conflict especially when there is a change in the leadership position. 

However, employees still have to work under different leaders as there are different leadership hierarchies at the workplace. Therefore every worker has to understand every leader at every level to avoid conflict. 

5. The “Differences in Personality” at Workplace

The different types of conflicts at the workplace are incomplete without making mention of the differences in personality. It is, however, challenging as it does deal with every individual emotions, perceptions, character, attitude, and habit at times.  Generally, one’s output and actions simply classify his/her personality.

An Increased volume of interactions alongside a lack of open communication often results in what prompt conflict at a workplace.

Although conflicts themselves are common – effective resolution of those conflicts tends not to be. Even though it may not always be possible to avoid conflict completely, It’s important to be able to recognize common causes of workplace conflict to help stifle them early on.

Here are some common causes of workplace conflict and some tips on how to avoid them

1.    Resistance to Change

People get stuck in their habits because they are familiar and easy to follow. With change comes fear of the unknown that not everyone is ready to embrace. Change can be stressful and often results in conflict between a team member and management.

It’s helpful to remember that some employees will naturally go through denial, anger, and confusion on their way to embracing change. It’s a common human reaction to resist the unknown and it’s not uncommon for this resistance to turn to hostility.

Considering these factors and guiding team members through the process of change will result in an easier and healthier transition:

• Communicate the reasons behind change
• Involve your team members in the process so they know that they are a part of it
• Train the team members in their new job responsibilities

When your team is calm, relaxed, and open to change and growth, they are less likely to get involved in a change-related conflict.

Article: How to Resolve Workplace Conflicts - A Guide For Managers

2.    Unclear Job Expectations

A job description with an overview of responsibilities always comes with a new position. But it’s extremely difficult for team members to become top performer without training and coaching. Every position has a learning curve that plays a big role in the future success of the employee.

Some people stay at their jobs for years trying to guess what their manager’s expectations are. Others quit and move on. If someone is unsure of how they need to perform, they might lose confidence and get defensive. Wouldn’t it be easier to state what you expect of the team member from the get-go and avoid frustration that oftentimes turns into a conflict?

• Communicate the “non-negotiable activities” - direct responsibilities that your team member has to perform in order to be successful at their job.
• Describe the company culture so the team member knows what kind of work environment they will be a part of.
• Clarify the reporting procedure that the team member will have to follow.

Avoid conflicts by making your team members aware of what’s expected of them, so they can perform with confidence.

3.    Poor Communication

Communicating is involved in almost every activity that we do in the workplace. Everyone thinks they’re a great communicator, yet so many conflicts happen because of poor communication.

Let’s look at the process of communicating:

• “Sender” decides to convey a message
• “Sender” codes the message
• “Receiver” decodes the message
• “Receiver” interprets the message and makes assumptions

There is so much room for misunderstanding at every stage of this process, which makes for many opportunities for a conflict to arise.

Here are some quick communication tips to help avoid miscommunication-stemmed conflict:

• Be clear and concise; don’t leave your team members assuming or guessing.
• Listen to hear your team members’ new ideas or learn about their concerns.
• Deliver messages designed for your team members; if they understand what you expect of them, they are set for success.
• Manage your nonverbal behaviors and learn to read others’.

4.    Toxic Work Environment

The way people feel about themselves and others in the workplace greatly affects their productivity. Loving your job doesn’t just mean enjoying your everyday tasks, but also involves being a part of a happy work community. Some companies go the extra mile and design their offices to have ping pong tables, bowling alleys, dog friendly areas, libraries, beer stations, etc. to ensure that their employees feel at home and can perform at their best.

Adding bells and whistles to the office space is not always in the budget, nor is it the only way to create a healthy work environment. Here are some of the things you can do to ensure your team is thriving, and avoid a toxic work environment:

• Encourage communication. Don’t let conflicts escalate, let your team members know that you are open to hearing them out.
• Focus only on facts in assessing you team members’ behavior and never take sides.
• Implement procedures. Everyone should know what responsibilities they have, how to perform them, and what they are accountable for.
• Organize team building events where people can spend time together out of work.
• Offer training to teach team members essential skills of communicating.

5.    Differences in Personality

Any workplace unites people with different backgrounds, temperaments, experiences, and preferences. We don’t become friends with everyone we meet – so we should’t expect all team members to get along perfectly either. Although it’s not necessary for all coworkers to be friends, a level of mutual respect is crucial for a healthy workplace culture.

It’s a manager’s responsibility to set the tone for healthy relationships within a team. If you, as a manager, are always unbiased, your team members will more likely seek your help in resolving conflicts.

Try to be proactive as well by recognizing disagreements between team members and addressing them immediately:

• Consider both points of view in a conflict.
• Focus on factual information, avoid commenting on people’s attitudes and characters.
• Ask for team members’ ideas on how to best resolve the conflict.
• Follow up with a meeting to check on employees’ progress.

6.    Poor Work Habits

Many habits that people demonstrate at work are harmless and even helpful for their personal work performance. Even seemingly unusual ones like getting up few times a day to do sit ups or drinking 3 cups of coffee before lunch can hardly be disruptive to others.

However, certain habits can affect the whole team, cause irritation, and spark conflict. These are some of the poor work habits that a manager needs to address:

• A team member is often late to work or distracted at work. Some other team members might fall into similar patterns thinking that this is a norm.
• A team member expresses negativity, anger or gossips about others. This behavior might spread among other employees and undermine the team morale.
• A team member is disorganized and misses deadlines, which can result in the work not being accomplished and reflect on the team’s image.

Once you’ve identified the poor work habit, talk to the team member privately, ask them for reasons why the habit occurs, and guide them to come up with a solution.

Once you’ve identified the causes of conflicts in your team, be prepared for action. Deal with conflicts quickly, always follow up to track progress of your team members, and express confidence in their success. After all, a united harmonious team is key to the growth of your organization!