Most of us spend a large portion of our waking hours at work, so the quality of our working environment and relationships has a significant impact on our wellbeing. In any workplace there will be many different experiences and perspectives: we each see the world in a different way. This means we react in our own way to situations at work, which will affect the relationships we have with those around us. This diversity of experience and thinking is a good thing, but it can sometimes lead to misunderstanding and conflict between people. Some conflict can be positive, such as a healthy amount of competition between team members to reach goals. But negative conflict, like bullying or personality clashes, can harm individuals and undermine teamworking.
As a manager, you need to be at the forefront when workplace conflict occurs. If you don’t tackle this conflict head on at an early stage, it’s likely to escalate. Our report, Managing Conflict in the Modern Workplace, also reveals that managers themselves can often be the cause of conflict. It is therefore essential you reflect on your own management style and the impact your behaviour has on others.
This guide will help you proactively identify and manage conflict at work. It covers the people management skills you need to become part of the solution to resolving workplace conflict – not the problem. It focuses on how to handle workplace conflict at an early, informal stage – before issues escalate into serious disputes that require the use of formal procedures.
What does workplace conflict look like?
The first defence: prevention is better than cure
Using performance management to prevent workplace conflict
Encouraging informal ways to resolve workplace conflict
The last resort: using formal procedures to resolve workplace conflict
Key takeaways
CIPD Trust
Tackling barriers to work today whilst creating inclusive workplaces of tomorrow.
Bullying
and harassment
Discover our practice guidance and recommendations to tackle bullying and harassment in the workplace.
Employers need to be ready to protect employees from sexual harassment under a new statutory obligation
Explore the CIPD’s point of view on bullying and harassment, including recommendations for employers
How might role ambiguity lead to workplace bullying and what is the impact of leadership support in negating this effect?
Explore our collection of resources around bullying and harassment in the workplace
Practical advice on how to use this approach as part of your wider conflict management strategy
Practical guidance to help you identify and implement good atypical working practices
What this practice is, why you should avoid it, and how to approach it if no other options are available