How workplace conflict can be positive, even productive

When you think about conflict at work, a cheerful picture rarely comes to mind for most. Though it's unlikely you're imagining sunny skies and smiles, research suggests that workplace conflict, if managed correctly, can have very positive, even productive results.

An article at Human Resource Executive Online examined a new study by Psychometrics Canada that reveals how conflict in the workplace may benefit an organization if it is handled properly.

"The word conflict has such a negative connotation, but what we heard from HR leaders is it isn't always necessarily bad," says Shawn Bakker, a psychologist and researcher at Psychometrics Canada.

"Conflict is always going to be there. The idea of eliminating it from a workplace is impossible, and, from what we learned, probably not desirable."

The study found that conflict at work can help employees discover better solutions, spark major innovations, and boost motivation, among other workplace benefits.

More than 350 human resource professionals across Canada were surveyed to reveal that conflict can trigger:

• Better understanding of others (77 percent);
• Better solutions to problems and challenges (57 percent);
• Higher work-team performance (40 percent);
• Increased motivation (31 percent); and
• Major innovations (21 percent).

Another report on workplace conflict by CPP, Inc., found that U.S. companies spend an average of 2.8 hours each week dealing with conflict, which translates into nearly $359 billion in paid hours.

The CPP report also found that while conflict costs us time and money, it can result in positive outcomes if managers and employee have the right training.

“These figures should be a wake-up call to industry leaders,” said Jeff Hayes, CEO, CPP, Inc. “Companies are losing billions of dollars because of poorly managed conflict, and we expect that figure to grow in a down economy as stress and workload – two of the biggest causes of conflict – rise.”

Right now is the perfect time for that training, with most workplaces ripe for conflict. A mixture of layoffs, mounting financial stress and the pressure to cut spending is only adding fuel to the existing fire.

With successful conflict management training, your employees and managers can learn to deal with workplace disputes in a way that benefits everyone involved. Here are just a few ways conflict at work can be positive:

• The issues that a dispute stems from could reveal a new area of training that should be addressed.
• Conflict could open the doors to a new process that could improve the way employees get their jobs done.
• Arguments often occur when an employee feels like they’re not being heard. Employes who are given a chance to voice their opinions will feel valued and more engaged.
• Conflict may open your eyes to areas where managers require more training in handling heated situations.

No workplace will ever be void of conflict. Many times, it’s through conflict that we improve and find more effective ways to get things done at work.

Conflict may never be easy to deal with, but it can lead to growth and change. By training employees how to handle conflict, you'll be fostering a workplace culture that accepts differences and promotes new ideas.

How to improve the workplace, tips from Dilbert

Anyone who works for a big company can relate to the characters and story lines Scott Adams shares in his Dilbert comic strip. From a “dicey” start in the early years of his business career to the trials of owning two successful California restaurants, Adams has used real-life experiences in middle management to create America’s most lovable corporate drone.

In a recent interview with Fortune, Adams shared his thoughts on creating career stability and how the corporate workplace could use some improvements. For starters, corporations could stop worrying about employees’ every move and treat workers better when tough times roll around.

“One thing that's definitely worse is that employers have a much greater ability to monitor employees' every move. They can count the keystrokes on your computer, keep track of where you go on the Internet, and so on. It's creepy. But the big macro change now is, employers are a lot nicer when the economy is strong, because they know you have choices and can go elsewhere if they don't keep you happy. When times are bad, the gloves come off and employers are less nice. People become disposable.”

Though he doesn’t typically give advice, he wrote a book years ago called The Dilbert Principle, about how he thinks the ideal workplace should be organized. Here’s Adams’ advice for human resource professionals:

“If you don't have a lot of money to give people, then give them two other things. One is flexibility. Allow people to have a life outside of work. Does an employee have a reasonable chance of leaving the office on time, which I define as 5 p.m.? I mean, is that extra hour or two or three that people put in, in the evening, really necessary?

And second, give them at least half an hour every day to learn something they don't already know. Lots of surveys of employee happiness show that keeping people happy in their jobs really isn't so much about money anyway, it's about these other things that many companies don't think to offer. Work is like the rest of life. The best parts are free.”

And just for fun, here’s a Dilbert comic to get your Monday off to a great start

Handling conflict at work, what’s your EQ?

U.S. companies spend more than 2.8 hours each week dealing with workplace conflict, adding up to approximately $359 billion in 2008, according to a recent study by CPP Inc. (brought to our attention by HR Web Café).

More important than lost time and money, workplace conflict is putting employees’ safety at risk. About one third of employees (33%) said conflict at work has led to personal injury or attacks, and another 22% reported that it has led to illness or absence from work.

"These figures should be a wake-up call to industry leaders," said Jeff Hayes, CEO of CPP Inc. "Companies are losing billions of dollars because of poorly managed conflict, and we expect that figure to grow in a down economy as stress and workload -- two of the biggest causes of conflict -- rise."

While managers may think they know how to manage conflict, employees don’t agree. The survey revealed that just under one-third (31%) of managers felt that they’re skilled at handling conflict, while only 22% of employees said their managers deal with conflict well.

Positive conflict resolution and specialized training go hand in hand, according to researchers. The study found that employers with more incidents of conflict training had more positive outcomes, while organizations with less training opportunities reported lower numbers of positive outcomes.

"This research clearly shows the astounding amount of workplace debate, disagreement, and negotiation that take place in business," said Josh Bersin, president and CEO of Bersin & Associates, an analyst firm in enterprise learning and talent management. "If high performing business and human resource leaders are to turn conflict into positive business change, they must take the time to coach and train their employees to effectively deal with differences of opinion, style, and points of view."

Along with training, emotional intelligence (EQ) also makes a large contribution to your success in conflict management. Emotional intelligence is the ability to create positive outcomes in relationships with others and within ourselves through awareness, understanding and appropriate emotional expression, according to George Anderson, CEO of Anderson & Anderson, at Anger on my Mind.

“Understanding the powerful role of emotions in the workplace sets the best leaders apart from the rest not just in tangibles such as better results and the retention of talent, but also in the all-important intangibles, such as higher morale, motivation, and commitment.”

Emotional intelligence is a skill we develop and enhance throughout our lives, and plays an important role in every relationship we form. Having a high EQ will help you gain the trust and support from employees to help you lead effectively, especially when times are tough.

As businesses suffer and tensions are high, a focus on emotional intelligence may be exactly what we all need right now. Managers and employees with the skills to adapt and handle emotional situations are some of the most valuable assets a business may have.