Tips for Reducing Employee Conflict on Your Team

As a manager, you are responsible for overseeing the work and interactions of your employees. Because your staff members have different personalities, they will not always agree on everything. This is why you need a plan to help them listen to and learn from each other. Such actions can lead to greater productivity and team cohesion.

Implement these tips to lower the amount of conflict on your accounting and finance team.

Talk About Conflict Resolution

Let your team know they are expected to professionally resolve their disagreements. For instance, clarify how you will and will not get involved with conflicts. Also, explain that you are available to coach your employees through a disagreement, but they need to resolve it together. Further, encourage discussion about your staff members’ working styles and communication preferences. Understanding and respecting these characteristics can resolve potential problems in the future.

Encourage Independent Discussions

Let your employees resolve their issues as much as possible. Otherwise, they will expect you to step in as a referee. If a conflict becomes noticeable but is not being recognized or solved by the involved staff members, you should step in. For instance, separately and privately let them know their conflict is noticeable and affects the workplace. Then, think about how you can serve as a source of support and coaching without becoming overly involved in the resolution. This may involve helping both employees develop empathy for each other. For instance, consider asking what they think could be going on with their teammate and what they might want from the situation. Then, help each staff member brainstorm potential solutions to the problem. Keep in mind that if harassment, lying about work, or another inappropriate action is involved, you must discuss why the behavior cannot recur.

Hire Solution-Oriented Employees

Bringing aboard diverse staff members who focus on resolving problems helps keep the peace among your team. During interviews, you may want to ask candidates to describe a conflict they had with a coworker and how they resolved it. This provides insight into how potential hires think about conflict and move past it.

Partner with a Recruiter

Because conflicts will happen among your team members, you need a plan to resolve them. Although it is best for the involved parties to resolve the issues, you may have to step in at times to coach them through the process. Setting expectations for professional conflict resolution is an effective way to reduce the number of disagreements among your team.

When you need help hiring solution-oriented accounting and finance professionals, turn to Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Get started with us today.

What Are the Best Ways to Deal with Co-Workers Who Annoy You?

You may try hard to get along with everyone at the office but there will always be at least one co-worker who you can’t stand to work with. The good news is you’re not alone. Many people end up working at jobs where they can’t stand a co-worker’s work habits or have difficulty communicating with certain people. While you might not be able to change jobs to get away from these people, there are some things you can do to make your days at the office more manageable. Here are some of the best ways to deal with co-workers who annoy you.

Ask Yourself What Really Ticks You Off

Sometimes it’s just a personality trait, quirk, or even way of speaking that makes you feel annoyed. Maybe that person reminds you of somebody you dislike or didn’t get along with in the past. It could be something as simple as this but you simply aren’t aware of it when you interact with this person. When you identify where these feelings are coming from, it may be easier to deal with that annoying co-worker. Taking a step back to determine what is causing your frustration makes it easier to find a resolution.

Don’t Be in Reactive Mode

If you find yourself spending a good portion of your day getting irritated by something a co-worker says or does, you may be stuck in reactive mode. Some self-awareness will make you realize that you have a knee-jerk reaction to this person. If you can make an effort to recognize a trigger and simply not react right away, your days at work may be a lot more tolerable. As soon as you hear that trigger, remember they probably aren’t pressing your buttons on purpose and it’s just part of who they are. (You may be doing the same thing to someone else!)

Be Comfortable with Not Liking Everybody

You don’t have to be best friends with everyone at the office but you do need to find ways to simply get along. Get comfortable with the idea that you are not supposed to like everybody — and they aren’t supposed to like you, either. You can maintain a professional relationship even if you don’t personally like someone. Just keep a friendly distance and stay focused on your work and more positive relationships.

Is it time to change jobs because of annoying co-workers? Consider working with an award-winning financial staffing firm like Casey Accounting & Finance Resources to find a job and workplace that is the right fit for you.

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