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Every workplace will experience conflicts between fellow workers or between team members and their leaders. This is normal due to the variety of personalities and roles. No conflict should be taken lightly, because if not addressed properly, it will lead to reduced teamwork, decreased morale, and lower productivity. Conflict in the workplace must be resolved immediately so as not to hinder work and change the office atmosphere. This time we will provide some tips to handle employee conflicts and create a healthier work environment. What are the most common causes of employee conflicts in the workplace? Common causes of employee conflicts are poor communication and personality clashes. Every employee has different work habits, skills, values, and temperaments. Clashing egos between employees or competitive sides create conflict at work and create tension. Or if an organization lacks transparency and unclear instructions, it will lead to misunderstandings and employees will make their own conclusions. Unresolved conflicts will cause stress and frustration. This is bad for the environment, and managers or employers must immediately resolve any conflicts effectively. How can managers identify early signs of employee conflicts? Managers can identify early signs of conflicts by any changes in workplace behaviors and communication patterns. The most obvious way is to see visible frustration toward colleagues by looking for dismissive body language such as sighing or frequent eye-rolling. The next step is to see how employees communicate or collaborate.  If conflict exists, employees avoid communicating with each other. If managers do not immediately handle employee conflicts, team discussions will not run smoothly, increasing the possibility of mistakes in tasks, lower work quality, missed deadlines, and other bad things. If employees don't show any difference in their behavior, watch for their avoidance or absenteeism. Sometimes employees take longer breaks or are absent for sick days to avoid confrontation. Or someone will avoid meetings and not participate much in group projects. Do organization need conflict management skills? Yes, every organization needs conflict management skills, especially leaders. Handle employee conflicts effectively to ensure that every employee remains productive and has a healthy work environment. Conflict management skills are abilities to identify, address, and resolve problems in a constructive manner. These skills will help organizations prevent conflicts and turn disagreements into positive communication and opportunities for growth. 6 Simple Strategies to Turn Conflict into Team Advantage If team leaders show that they have good conflict management skills, each team member will feel at ease with the condition of their organization, ensuring that any conflicts will not continue to occur, finding the best way to reach agreements. We have prepared several ways to resolve conflict at workplace below. Tips to handle employee conflicts Every conflict has its own difficulties, depending on how complex the problem is. But if you have a surefire way to handle conflict, then no matter what the problem is, you will be ready to solve it. Are you ready for some conflict resolution strategies? Let's read it out. Learn to listen The most important key to communication is learning to listen. Sometimes people just want their opinions to be heard by others, without giving others the opportunity to speak or express their opinions. Teach each of your employees to have active listening skills, not interrupting others when they are talking, absorbing all information from the other person. If each employee learns to listen to people closely, they will learn to respond in a more understanding way. This will bring a positive work culture by not prioritizing emotions when communicating, because it is necessary to listen to the opinions of each employee. Do not underestimate small conflicts Sometimes leaders will ignore small conflicts because they think they don't have much impact on the work. This will continue to escalate if left unresolved. Starting from small things, employees who are at odds will start to show dislike for coworkers and can change their thinking from being objective to subjective because of small unresolved problems.  Encourage employees to speak up any problems before they become serious. The most common thing that happens is that some people think a joke doesn't need to be taken seriously, but there are some people who take jokes seriously or take it personally. If this is not straightened out, it will lead to many things in the future. Open communication Create a work culture where employees can freely express their concerns. Sometimes employees feel stressed at work because they feel their voices are not heard. Once each employee has active listening skills, open communication will ensure that each team member feels heard and understood.  Create a special meeting time to discuss whether or not there is conflict within the team. At that time, each employee can provide suggestions or criticisms to coworkers, and do not forget to provide solutions to become constructive critics. This will lead to respecting each other's opinions, improving individual values ​​according to coworkers' assessments, and finding problem points more easily. Neutral third party Sometimes a problem requires direct resolution or needs to be resolved respectfully with each other. But if employees do not resolve the issues themselves and there is a heated discussion, a neutral third party such as HR or a manager needs to step into the conversation. The third party will facilitate constructive discussions, note down any problems conveyed by both parties, and help both sides reach an agreement.  After the discussion is over, the third party gives employees time to shake hands and apologize to each other to avoid any hurt feelings and foster respect. By handling conflicts effectively, organizations can strengthen teamwork, improve employee satisfaction, and create a positive work environment. Hopefully, you can use all of the tips from SMEBrother, whether you do them one by one according to your needs, or combine some of these tips to be implemented directly to your team.  Do you still need other information about SME? Immediately check the SMEBrother website and get all the information about business licensing, tips for leveling up your business, opening a new business, etc.

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Conflict in engineering teams is inevitable, but it doesn't have to be destructive. As an engineering manager (EM), your role is to foster well-being, a positive atmosphere, and effective collaboration.