Conquering Conflict: Tips to Minimize Office Tension

If you spend a considerable amount of time dealing with staff disagreements, you’re not alone.  In an Accountemps survey, executives were asked, “What percentage of management time is wasted resolving staff personality conflicts?”  The mean response was 18 percent – almost a fifth – of managers’ time that executives felt is devoted to sorting out interpersonal issues between employees.  What can you do to reduce the amount of time you spend on these efforts?

The key to successfully resolving conflict is knowing when and how to step in. While you don’t want your accounting staff beckoning you every time a minor tiff occurs, you can’t afford to ignore friction once it starts damaging morale and productivity.  Following are tips on promoting camaraderie and mitigating conflict:

Hold a peace summit.  Call a meeting and listen objectively to the concerns of all parties involved.  Then, encourage those people to brainstorm solutions to straighten out the problem.  Although you should guide the discussion to identify the cause of the discord, make it clear that it is the individuals’ responsibility to clear the air and find ways to prevent future disputes.

Take corrective action quickly.  It’s important to act swiftly and assertively when a staff member exhibits negative behavior, such as constantly gossiping, failing to contribute to team initiatives or purposely undermining others.  Talk to the offending person privately and let him or her know that the ability to collaborate and get along with others is a critical job requirement.  Your ability and willingness to confront difficult employees will go a long way toward maintaining order and keeping adversarial personalities in check.

Focus on the positive.  Be aware of not only problem individuals but those who could be positive role models as well.  Publicly recognizing your office’s most affable and consummate team players also can help minimize friction in the office.  By doling out praise and choice assignments to individuals who contribute positively to the department, you’ll send a clear message that you and your organization value stellar people skills.

Left unchecked, differences in employees’ temperaments, abilities and work styles can lead to departmental disharmony.  But by being attuned to your accounting staff, proactively addressing problems, and fostering a friendly and collegial environment, you can tame office tension.