Articles on how to resolve workplace conflict can be quite serious, but we’re taking a more lighthearted approach. Read on while watching scenes from sitcoms
![How to resolve workplace conflict [with funny video examples!]](https://cdn-res.keymedia.com/cdn-cgi/image/f=auto/https://cdn-res.keymedia.com/cms/images/us/037/0357_638779706726259227.png)
The Mystery Lunch Thief. The Thermostat Wars. Who Took My Chair? Are these sitcom episode titles? They could be, but they’re also common topics of dispute at workplaces everywhere. We all deal with workplace conflict in different degrees. What’s the best way to resolve workplace conflict?
In this article, we’ll cover different strategies to address this issue. We’ll also share ideas on what employees, managers, and company leaders can do to create a workplace where conflict is not shunned.
To break things up a bit, we’ll share some videos of how famous sitcom and movie characters resolve workplace conflict. Get ready – some of these scenes might be familiar!
Conflicts at work happen for many reasons. Here are a few examples:
If we had to narrow down the reasons for workplace conflicts, it’s that people are different. We all have different personalities, working styles, and annoying tics and habits. All made to mix and interact in the same space (whether physical or virtual) for eight hours a day, five days a week.
This brings us to the next point: conflicts at work are bound to happen – just look at the Nine Nine squad. As the HR trainer says, “there’s always conflict somewhere...”:
Of course, unlike a sitcom, workplace conflicts can’t be resolved in 22 minutes. Let’s look at how to handle them.
According to the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model, there are five strategies for resolving workplace conflict:
These strategies weigh the importance of the goal against the relationships of the people involved. Let’s take a closer look at each:
This strategy works if the relationship and the goal are not important. Here’s an example: in this scene from the movie The Other Guys, Allen avoids getting into further conflict with the explosive Terry. Allen takes the conversation in a completely unexpected direction:
Under this strategy, meeting the goal is more important than maintaining relationships. This may be required when leaders have to be more directive or need to make tough decisions.
It could also mean “pulling rank” just like Captain Holt does to Jake in this scene from Brooklyn Nine Nine. He orders Jake to help Hitchcock prepare for a testimony. Jake tries to get out of it, but Holt asserts his authority over Jake:
The third approach to resolve workplace conflict is to accommodate. Under this strategy, the relationship is more important than the goal. One could say that they’re picking their battles.
Taking this approach must be deliberate and intentional. Using it as the default could undermine one’s authority, especially if someone is in a leadership position.
Here’s an example from the movie Anger Management. It isn’t set in a workplace, but it’s a good example of what happens when someone keeps giving in to what the other person wants:
In this strategy, both the goal and the relationship are of moderate importance. Each party is willing to meet halfway to reach a resolution. This doesn’t mean abandoning the goal, it means being flexible about certain aspects of how the goal is achieved.
In this tongue-in-cheek video from Breaking Bad, Gus Fring of Los Pollos Hermanos appears in an instructional video on resolving workplace conflict. (Anyone who has seen Breaking Bad will agree that this is not how Gus Fring handles disputes.)
This is also called a win-win strategy. Both parties meet their goals while maintaining a good relationship. Collaboration is the ideal outcome in resolving workplace conflict.
In this video, Michael proposes a win-win (win) strategy in a conflict involving a bizarre baby poster. But is it really a win-win (win)?
Collaboration involves being courageous in having difficult conversations, an important step in creating a transparent workplace culture.
According to the Niagara Institute, collaborating was the conflict management strategy that professionals preferred using (60 percent). Compromising style was second at 24 percent. Accommodating was a far third (7 percent), then avoiding (5 percent). Competing came in last at 4 percent.
When dealing with conflict in the workplace, it would be best to empower your workforce to handle small disagreements on their own. They need not come to HR for every misunderstanding.
Think of it as a small fire in the office. People at work use the fire extinguisher first, then call in the fire department when they’re unable to deal with the fire.
A report on workplace conflict from CPP Global shows that 85 percent of employees deal with conflict. Almost half of them (49 percent) cite personality differences as the main cause. Stress comes second at 34 percent, while workloads come next at 33 percent.
Here are some steps your employees can take when trying to resolve disputes:
That sounds basic, but this is sometimes the hardest thing to do! Gossiping or courting sympathy from others is easier than talking to the person involved. Facing the issue head on is the quickest way to defuse the conflict.
Encourage employees not to focus on the personality, but on the action. For example, instead of saying, “You were very rude,” they can go with “you were raising your voice and kept interrupting me.” That focuses on the action and is a more factual approach.
Workplace conflict is one thing, but bullying is another issue. Find out how to spot bullies at work.
Many of us make the mistake of preparing counter-arguments in our head while the other person is talking. Encourage employees to really listen and hear where the other person is coming from.
Once each party has aired their side, they should work together to isolate and identify points of conflict. There’s a lot of emotion in these conversations; they’ll have to sift through that to get to the main points of the conflict.
If there’s more than one area of conflict, employees should choose which one to work on first. Ideally, it would be the issue that might have the biggest impact on the rest of the team. Once that’s been addressed, they can go through the smaller issues.
Both parties should be committed to the plan to help resolve workplace conflict. This means working together to find answers and solutions together.
Celebrate progress
Working closely with someone in conflict – think Holt vs. Wuntch, Dwight vs. Jim, the Nine Nine squad vs. The Vulture – is no mean feat. Any action made towards resolving conflict is a reason to celebrate! A pat on the back from the manager or kudos from their peers can help with motivation and positive reinforcement.
Team leaders and managers are often seen as in-house mediators in resolving workplace conflict. Ideally, though, employees approach them for help only when teams fail to address issues among themselves.
Here are some points for managers to remember when it comes to conflict resolution. These are from CPP Global’s Human Capital Report:
While collaborating (win-win) is the ideal approach when dealing with conflicts at work, this might not be the best solution every time. Team leads should decide: what’s the best and quickest way to solve the problem?
There is almost always an emotional side to disagreements and misunderstanding. It’s important for managers to recognize this. Sometimes, the root cause of the conflict is emotional in nature. For example, a colleague could be acting out because they feel that they’re treated unfairly.
In this case, acknowledging and addressing these emotions are an essential step in resolving the conflict.
Here’s a good example: watch how Leonard tries to make Sheldon understand how he feels about unresolved issues. It involves an overdue DVD and an itchy sweater (any Gen Z HR professionals reading this? A DVD is how we used to watch movies before Netflix came along):
There’s a concept called “competitive arousal” where the need to win at any cost trumps any efforts to resolve workplace conflict. This mentality turns conflicts into personal battles.
Friendly competition in the workplace is healthy, but taking it too far is destructive. Managers should promote teamwork and camaraderie; encourage employees to work together, not against each other.
Workplace conflict, when left to fester, can affect the entire organization. Before that happens, here are some tips from CPP Global that leaders and HR can take:
Disagreements happen when there’s confusion – whether that’s about roles, priorities, or reporting structures. Avoid conflict by having clear rules and guidelines for everyone to follow.
Employee handbooks are a living document, so HR must be transparent about changes being made. Share updates with the organization so that they can keep up with these changes.
Important decisions should be shared as soon as possible. Share the thinking behind these decisions.
Sponsor and conduct sessions on managing conflict:
Other points to consider when coming up with a training plan:
HR and the leadership team can help instill a culture of accountability among the entire workforce. Everyone is responsible for addressing and resolving conflicts at work. This is all about working together to find solutions and improve working relationships.
Regular training sessions and role plays can help employees develop skills around:
Developing EQ also means having empathy for others. In this scene from Superstore, Glenn the manager had the best intentions, but it was the wrong situation (so wrong) to use in a role play:
The proactive approach to resolving workplace conflict is to build a culture that works through conflict. Here are some ways to make that happen:
Employees should feel comfortable voicing concerns, sharing ideas, and admitting mistakes without fear of backlash. Managers can promote psychological safety by encouraging open dialogue, responding to feedback constructively, and addressing conflicts with fairness.
Constructive feedback, when delivered regularly and respectfully, prevents resentment from building up.
Employees don’t need to wait for the appraisal cycle to share feedback – they should be able to do that any time. Have efficient, easy-to-use tools to encourage uptake from employees. Here are some examples of the best workforce management software from Australia.
Set clear expectations for workplace behavior
Do you have a complete and well written employee handbook outlining acceptable behaviors, escalation processes, and anti-harassment policies? Make sure everyone knows where to find it. This will help employees understand what’s expected of them.
Promote the company’s handbook and code of conduct regularly:
Be prepared to take action in cases of inappropriate behavior as defined in your handbook.
When it comes to addressing conflict at work, it’s all hands on deck. It’s not just a problem for HR or management – it's everyone’s concern.
So, whether you work in an office, a university, a police precinct, or a superstore...empower your employees to resolve workplace conflict among themselves. Conduct conflict resolution training regularly. Share tools and strategies to allow employees to fix these problems at their level before coming to you for help. It’s the perfect ending – in sitcoms and real life.
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