Level 1: EMPLOYERS' BASIC CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGY

As an employer you do not really feel the financial effects of conflict until it reaches Level 3 or higher.  Unfortunately, by the time it gets to that level, it rises exponentially! Using the credo 'an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure', the smart employer proactively tackle conflict by following the steps below.

Step 1: We have already explored the causes of conflict in prior posts

Step 2: Our review of the Workplace Conflict Scale extensively outlined the positive correlation between the escalation conflict and the loss in time and money for the employer.

Step 3: Here you will find information on the Types of Conflict Generally Found In The Workplace and also a step by step guide for you to identify the types of conflict specifically found in your workplace.

Step 4: There are two parts to this step: first you get information on how to diffuse existing conflicts; and second, how to begin to create a culture of zen in the workplace.

Step 5: The internet is vast and there is an inordinate amount of information available to those who have the time to look.  Here at Zen Workplace we presume that your primary focus will be on running your business. As such, we try to keep the content we provide to you as concise as possible.  And, we present it in a visual manner so that you can easily decide if the information disseminated is of interest to you.

Step 6: At Zen Workplace, we provide the content you need to educate your staff free of charge.  We also provide a blog roll of other websites that we believe will be of interest to you.  If you need additional information from us with respect to education and training, please feel free to contact us at anytime and we will quickly respond to you.

~Here is to Zen in the Workplace!

Level 1 - EMPLOYER: Basic Techniques for Handling Existing Conflict

Before you are able to properly implement a culture of zen in your workplace, you may be faced with current and ongoing conflicts.  One of the most basic techniques you can ask your employees (especially your managers and supervisors) to utilize is 'Active Listening'.


 Active Listening

This approach help employees show more understanding and empathy attitude toward each other. This enhanced communication will also serve to dampen any escalation of conflict. As a bonus, learning active listening is not particularly difficult.  Employees just need to start paying attention to the feelings of their colleagues. 

As such, when listening to their co-worker discuss their views on a particular conflict, employees should try to pinpoint what exactly is it that is driving their colleague's feelings of dissatisfaction.  Once that occurs, the employee should then attempt to restate the issues and feelings their co-worker was trying to convey.  It is important to use non-confrontational words when doing this.  Finally, the employee should check in with the co-worker to see if they have correctly gleaned his/her viewpoint.  This active listening will then be reciprocated to the employee by the co-worker.


Whether there is eventual agreement, engaging in active listening allows employees to show each other that least made the attempt at understanding their colleagues perspectives was made. That, in and of itself, is a good thing.

Conflict De-escalation

Next employers have to learn to get your employees in the habit of quickly bringing level 1 issues out in the open for resolution before they are allowed to escalate. This will allow managers and supervisors, in the face of a task conflict, quickly pinpoint the task issue(s) that are the source of the workplace unrest. The the next step, of course, is to get the parties together at the table to help them  brainstorm possible solutions that will work for them both. 

The common view in the business world is that personal clashes in the workplace are “unwinnable.” This is because there is “no substantive, identifiable, or meaningful issue to be resolved.” The only solutions offered in these situations are to either “put aside their personal conflict for the good of the team” or “to transfer one or both, or even separate them from the company.” This reasoning explains why 85% of all terminations are due to this type of dispute.

However, the entire Zen Workplaces site is dedicated to showing you that personal clashes are indeed winnable. Along with enhancing your managers' basic conflict resolution skill-set, simply point your employees to some of the techniques on this site that give them step by step instruction of how to react appropriately in the face of conflict. 

The goal here is to get your employees in the habit of diffusing conflict as before it takes root. As they say, “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure”.

~Here is to Zen in the Workplace!

Level 1 EMPLOYER: Identifying The Types of Conflict Occurring Specifically In Your Workplace

Now that you understand the types of conflicts that generally occur at the workplace, how to identify the types of conflicts that are occurring in your specific organization?  Taking the time to do this is necessary if you want to solve the problem by utilizing the appropriate conflict resolution techniques. So, how do you do this?


Though it will not be difficult, it will require some time and effort to compile the information needed to get a clear picture of 'conflict health'. It is similar to putting together a balance sheet for your financials. The steps are as follows:

1. Use your data gathering skills to try to figure out whether or not most of the conflict in your organization is based on task or personal disputes.

1. Gather data by having as many managers and employees fill out the workplace conflict questionnaire.
2. If you have a system of keeping track of informal disputes within your organization, try to answer the following questions:
• Are the most common disputes very emotional or not?
• What characteristics do people who most often find themselves in conflict have in common?
• How frequently do disputes and complaints occur?
• Has there always been the same amount and frequency of disputes and complaints in your workplace?
• If not, since when did the frequency start to rise or drop?
• Do you foresee regulatory, organizational, or legal changes that will affect the frequency of disputes?
• What is your view on the cause of conflict?

Though it is important for you to get an overview of the disputes that commonly occur in your organization, you still have to mindful of dealing with the workplace conflict issues that you are currently facing. Use your observational skills to find out what is really the driving force behind the dispute.  

·         Are the emotional reactions of the participants on par with the seriousness of the situation?

·         Do both parties want to win only at the other’s expense? 

·         Are the participants displaying a lack of trust or respect for each other? 

Answering the above three questions in the affirmative is usually a clear sign that you are dealing with a personal dispute instead of a task conflict.


Once you figure out the types of conflicts your organization is dealing with, it is time to look at the types of solutions you have at your disposal. At Zen Workplace we are committed to providing you with as many tools as possible for this.  So let's start with the most basic conflict diffusion techniques. As a bonus, they are also easy to implement.


~Here is to Zen In The Workplace!

The TYPES OF CONFLICT Generally Found In The Workplace

Though they may be divided into different sub-groups, the types of conflict generally found in the workplace are basically: 'Task Conflicts' and 'Personal Conflicts'. 

Task Conflicts


Task conflicts are based on substantive workplace issues.  These include: interdependence disputes, differences in style disputes and leadership disputes. 

• Interdependence Disputes are those wherein one employee has to rely on his/her colleagues cooperating to get the job done.

• Differences in Style Disputes are those involving employees who have different ways of approaching the completion of a task.

• Leadership Style Disputes are those caused by the different managerial style of different managers and supervisors within the organization.

As individuals, employees not only have different backgrounds, values and beliefs, they also have different approaches to how they do things.  As such task conflicts will always be present in the workplace.  Though they may seem to be a cause for great concern on the surface, the innovative solutions gained from resolving task conflicts can sometimes lead to a more efficient and positive workplace.

Personal Conflicts

Did you know that personal conflicts, account for 85% of all employment terminations in the U.S.? That is a daunting statistic. As you have also seen before differences in educational backgrounds, ethnic heritage, gender, political preferences, can, in and of themselves, serve as the cause of conflict.


Not only that, each characteristics can also color an employee's perception of existing conflict. As such, the employee's view of the motives and character of the colleagues with whom he/she is in dispute will be distorted to the point where he/she automatically views all the actions of the other as problematic regardless of whether or not this is objectively true. These personality clashes are commonly dismissed as simply 'office politics' or 'bad chemistry'. However, if they are allowed to continue unchecked, you have already seen how they can usually escalate into so much more.

As an employer, there is no reason to fear what you cannot eliminate. Task and Personal Conflicts will naturally occur in the workplace. Basic training along with simple, common sense techniques are all that is needed to achieve workplace harmony. 


~Here is to Zen In The Workplace!