Www.cipd.Co.uk Binaries Managing Conflict at Work 2008 Line Managers

8/21/2019 Www.cipd.Co.uk Binaries Managing Conflict at Work 2008 Line Managers

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Guide

Managingconflictatwork

Aguideforlinemanagers


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Contents

Introduction 2

Section1Managingconflictatwork:acompetencyframeworkforlinemanagers 4

Section2Strongmanagement,healthyconflictandthepreventionofbullying 15

Conclusion 19

Furtherreadingandreferences 20

Managingconflictatwork 1


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Introduction

Managingconflictatworkisbecominganincreasing

challengeforemployers.In2006–07thenumberof

individualemploymentdisputesthatresultedin

employmenttribunalapplicationsincreasedto132,577

comparedwith115,039forthepreviousyear.

Thehighnumberofclaimsispartlyexplainedbythe

public’sincreasedawarenessofemploymentrightsand

theirrecoursetolitigation.‘Nowin,nofee’lawyers

provideanavenuefordisgruntledemployeestolodge

claimsagainsttheiremployeratnocosttothemselves.

Inaddition,theintroductionofnewemployment

legislationinthelastfewyearshasaddedtothe

challengesfacedbyemployers.Since2003new

regulationhascomeintoforceprohibiting

discriminationonthebasisofage,sexualorientation

andreligionandbelief,addingtoexistinglaws

outlawingdiscriminationagainstpeopleforreasonof

theirrace,sexordisability.TheProtectionfrom

HarassmentAct1997isalsoincreasinglybeingseenas

anotheravenuebyemployeestomakeclaimsagainst

theiremployerforstressorbullying.

TheCIPDhaswelcomedtheevolvinglegalframework

asameansofpromotingfairtreatmentandequalityof

opportunityatwork.Organisationsthatembracethis

agendawillgainfromclearbusinessbenefitsinterms

oftheiremployerbrandandabilitytoattractandretaintalent.However,changingingrainedprejudices

andbehavioursisnoteasy,soit’sessentialthat

organisationsdevelopclearpoliciesandprocedures

underpinnedbyappropriatetrainingformanagersand

employees,outliningorganisationalvalues,andthe

rightsandresponsibilitiesofindividuals.

Thechallengesassociatedwithmanagingconflictat

workhavebeenexacerbatedbytheintroductionin

October2004oftheStatutoryDisputeResolution

Regulations,whichintroducedminimumstandard

three-stepdisciplinaryandgrievanceprocedures.The

principlebehindtheintroductionoftheRegulations–

toensurethatemployersandemployeesmadeevery

efforttoresolvedisputesintheworkplace–was

sound,butinpracticethestatutoryprocedureshave

ledtoaformalisationofhowconflictatworkis

managed.TheCIPD2007surveyreportManaging

Conflict at Work showsthatemployersbelievethatthe

Regulationshavegeneratedmoredisciplinaryand

grievanceprocedureswithoutreducingthenumberof

employmenttribunalapplicationsmadebydisgruntled

employees.Italsoshowsthatemployersaremore

likelytorelyonlegaladvicetoresolvedisputessince

theintroductionoftheRegulations.

TheCIPDsurveyfindsthatorganisationsare

increasinglyrelyingontheirHRdepartmentsto

manageconflictasmanagersshyawayfromtackling

disputesincasetheydoorsaysomethingthatmight

beheldagainstthemduringanyformalproceedings.

Thisapproachiscounterproductive,asbythetimea

disputehasescalatedtothepointwherethe

disciplinaryprocedurehasbeentriggeredoraformal

grievancelodged,opinionsareoftenhardenedand

confrontationalstancesonbothsideshavedeveloped

thatareveryhardtochange.

Topreventthis,itisessentialthatlinemanagershave

theskills,knowledgeandconfidencetoidentifyandmanageworkplacedisagreements,andbullyingand

harassmentatanearlystage.

Linemanagerscanbeboththesolutionto,aswellas

thecauseof,workplacedisputes.TheCIPD2004

Managing Conflict at Work surveyreportfoundthat

linemanagersaremostlikelytobethesourceof

bullyingwithinorganisations.Managementstyleisalso

thenumber-onecauseofstressatworkaccordingto

the2007CIPD Absence Management surveyreport.

Managersneedtohavetheappropriatepeople

managementskillstoensurethewaythatthey

2 Managingconflictatwork


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manageisnotaffectingthehealthandwell-beingof

theindividualswithintheirdepartmentorteam.

Thisguidedrawsonresearchtoidentifythebehaviours

thatwillhelplinemanagersidentifyandmanagedisputesatworkproactively.Italsocoversthepeople

managementskillsneededbylinemanagerssothey

don’tbecomepartoftheproblemratherthanthe

solutiontoworkplaceconflict.



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Section1Managingconflictatwork:acompetencyframeworkforlinemanagers

Thisguidemakesuseofpreviouslyunpublishedresearch

–jointlysponsoredbytheCIPDandtheHealthand

SafetyExecutive(HSE)–thatidentifiesthepositiveand

negativemanagementbehavioursthatmanageand

mitigateagainstconflictatwork.Itisanoffshootofa

jointCIPDandHSEprojectexploringthelinksbetween

linemanagementbehaviourandstressatwork.Intotal,

369managersandemployeesfromthehealthcare,

finance,educationandlocalandcentralgovernment

sectorswereinterviewedtoidentifythebehavioursthat

influencestressatwork.Thisledtothedevelopmentof

amanagementcompetencyframeworkforpreventing

andreducingstressatwork.

TheCIPDrecognisedthattherewassomeoverlap

betweenthisframeworkandthespecificcompetencies

neededbymanagerstomanageconflictatwork.Asa

result,the‘managingconflictatwork’competency

frameworkwasdeveloped.Thisisbasedon100

behaviouralindicatorsrelevanttomanagingconflictthat

wereidentifiedaspartofthestressmanagement

research(seeTable1).

Thisguidedrawsonthekeymanagementbehaviours

thatwereidentifiedbytheresearchasbeingmost

importantinhelpinglinemanagerspreventandmanage

conflictintheworkplace.

Dealing with issues

CIPDresearchintomanagingconflictatworkin2007

and2004emphasisestheimportanceoflinemanagers

havingtheknowledge,skillsandconfidencetobeable

tointerveneatanearlystagetonipdisputesinthebud

–beforetheyescalate.

ThisisalsoakeyfindingfromthejointCIPDand

HSEresearchintolinemanagementbehaviourand

conflictmanagement.

Intervening quickly in cases of conflict

Managersshouldbesensitivetowhenbanterbecomes

bickeringorwhenteasingstartstohaveahurtfuledge.

Theyshouldbepreparedtostepinandhaveaquiet

wordwiththeteammembersinvolved.Themanager

shouldinformthoseinvolvedthatwhilelivelyinteraction

isencouraged,it’simportantthatthereismutualrespect

andthatcertainstandardsofbehaviourareexpectedat

work.Themanagershouldhavenotedexamplesofthe

typesofbehaviourorlanguagethathavebeenused

thatareinappropriateatworksothatthoseinvolved

willunderstandwhatisunacceptable.

It’smucheasiertohavethisconversationassoonasa

managerstartstohaveconcernsaboutbehaviourorearly

signsofconflict–topreventhabitsfrombeingformed

andtoensurethatthemanageristakenseriously.It’s

muchmoredifficulttoberespectedifamanagerhas

appearedtogivecertainbehaviourstacitapprovalby

lettingasituationdriftonforweeksormonths.

Dealing with conflict head on

Takingactiontomanageconflictcanappearquite

dauntingtosomemanagers,butit’sacorepartoftheir

roleandresponsibilities.Ifmanagersignore

unacceptablebehaviour,problemswillescalateuntilthe

disciplinaryprocesshastobeusedoraformalgrievance

islodged,bywhichtimeitwillbemuchhardertoachieveasuccessfulresolution.

Somepotentialsourcesofconflictatworkareobvious,

suchas:

• excessivepersonaluseoftheInternetoremail

• poorattendanceandtime-keeping

• anyformofbullyingbehaviourorharassment

• anyformofdiscriminatorybehaviour

• unacceptablelanguage

• theft

• drinkordrugproblems.



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Table1:Managingconflictatwork:acompetencyframeworkforlinemanagers

Examplesofmanagerbehaviour

Competency Positive Negative

A

c t i o n o r i e n t a t i o n

Dealingwithissues

• interveningquicklyincasesof

conflict• dealingwithconflictheadon• protectingemployeesby

removingthemfromconflictsituations

• removingadisruptiveteam

memberwhennecessary• followinguponconflictsafter

resolution

• avoidingconfrontation

• leavingconflictsbetweenteammemberstosortthemselvesout

• notaddressingbullying

• allowingasituationtodevelopbeforeintervening

• steppingintointervenein

conflictswithoutunderstandingtheissues

• allowingadisruptiveteam

membertoreturntotheteam

Useofofficialprocesses

• communicatingproceduresandpoliciesavailabletoeachemployee

• useallavailableprocedurestoinvestigateincidentsofabuse

• usingofficialprocedurestoset

anexampleofhowseriouslycomplaintsaretaken

• escalatingissuestosenior

managementwhereappropriate

• makingacomplaintofficialbeforeseekingtoresolvelocally

• makingacomplaintofficial

againstthecomplainant’swishes• notfollowingcorrectprocedure

indealingwithaconflict• using‘redtape’associated

withproceduretodiscourageemployeesfrommakingofficialcomplaints

T e a m f

o c u s

Participative

approach

• actingasamediatorinconflictsituations

• speakingtoeachpartyindividually

• bringingbothsidestogetherto

communicate• supportingbothsidesina

complaintsprocedure

• gatherideasofhowtoaddresstheissuewiththeteam

• takingsides• notgivingequaltimetoeachside

oftheconflict

• speakingtoemployeesinaparent/childmanner

• notlisteningtoemployeecomplaints

Monitoringteam

relationships

• beingawareoftensionandkeepingitatalowlevel

• pickinguponsquabblesbefore

theyleadtoconflict• acknowledgingwhenateam

memberiscausingstressto

others

n/a

P e r s o n a l s t y l e

Actingasarolemodel

• maintainingprofessionalism• beingclearaboutexpectationsof

teamconduct• nottoleratingbackbitinginthe

team• showingnointerestinoffice

politicsorgossip

• losingtemperwithindiscussions• deliberatelycreatingconflictin

theteam• engaginginconflictwithother

managers

• engaginginconflictwithemployees

Integrity

• keepsemployeeissuesprivateandconfidential

• treatingallemployeeswiththesameimportance

• makingpublicwherecomplaintshavecomefrom

• bullyingemployees• threateningemployeesunfairly

withdisciplinaryaction



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However,frequentlyitisthemoresubtlebehaviours

thatovertime,ifnotconfronted,willleadto

workplacedisputes.

Examplesoflessobvioussourcesofdisputeinclude:

• takingcreditforotherpeople’sworkorideas

• talkingoverpeopleinmeetings

• notinvitingteammemberstoteamsocialevenings

orevents

• notcoveringforpeoplewhentheyareoffsick

• nottakingmessagesforpeople

• usingsomeoneelse’scontactsorcustomer/client

informationwithoutpermission

• notincludingpeopleinround-robinemails

• ignoringpeopleorbeingdiscourteous

• poorpersonalhygiene.

Managersshouldnotignoreunderlyingtensionsthat

aredevelopingintheirteams.It’svitalthatline

managershaveregularinformalone-to-one

conversationsandcatch-upswiththepeoplethey

managesothatthesekindsofissuescanbeairednaturallywherepossible.However,managersmustalso

bepreparedtobeproactiveandinitiateinformal

discussionsiftheythinkaproblemisbrewing.Conflict

atworkcanleadtoabsences,soreturn-to-work

interviewsarealsoagoodopportunityformanagersto

askquestionsaboutanyconflictissuesthatmightbe

botheringemployees.

Alocalgovernmentemployeeistalkingaboutasituationwhenanewtemporarymemberofstaffstarted

workintheinterviewee’soffice.Atthetime,anotherteammember,calledShirley,wasonannualleave.

‘I think one particular day I just sort of said to her, I prefer it if you didn’t sit at that desk because that’s

Shirley’s desk and she’s a bit funny about people using her desk. I said if you could sit at your own desk.

Anyhow she must have really taken offence to it. The next time I had my supervision, supervision fine,

brilliant, no problem but then my line manager’s manager came in at the end and said that somebody

had expressed the opinion that they thought I was bullying. She filled me in on what it was about and I

said, I asked her not to sit at that desk because I know that that person is quite protective of her own

environment. She just wanted her own desk, she’d got everything just so. I said I wasn’t really nasty

about it at all but she said well we’ve had it reported and we’ve got to mention it to you.’

Thecomplainantwasthenpreparedtoacceptanapologyandsoanapologywasmade.Theinterviewee

goesontodescribetheimpactofthesituationfollowingthis.

‘After that, because of what had been said previously, I was really really paranoid about saying anything

that might offend. When I had the next supervision, it was mentioned that I was very quiet and I wasn’t

talking to anybody, I wasn’t being part of the team and I said I really do feel uncomfortable. I was

disapointed that my line manager felt that she’d had to bring her line manager in to tell me something like

that when really if she had raised the matter with me I’d have just apologised for what I said.’

Thissituationcontinuedwithabadatmosphereintheofficeforthenexttwoorthreemonths.

Case study 1: an example of ineffective conflict management



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Protecting employees by removing them from thereisanychanceofmovingtheindividualtoa

conflict situations differentjobroleorteam,whichtheymaybemore

Managersalsoneedtounderstandwhattodoifa suitedto.Anychangewouldhavetofollowfull

conflictdoesblowupintoamajordisagreement.If consultationwiththeindividual.

someonelosestheirtemperthenitisimportantthatthattheyaretakenoutofthesituationorawayfrom Alternatively,ifanindividual’sbehaviourisconsistently

thepersonorpeoplethatthedisputeiswithuntilthey disruptiveanddoesnotimproveafterattemptshave

calmdown.Ifthisdoesnothappenthenthedangeris beenmadetoresolvemattersinformallythentheline

thatsomeonewilldoorsaysomethingintheheatof managerwillhavetoconsiderusingthedisciplinary

themomentthatcouldbecomeabiggersourceof process.Thedisciplinaryprocesswillensurethatthe

grievancethantheoriginalproblem. individualconcernedunderstandstheseriousnessofthe

situation.Thedisciplinarymeetingwillallowthe

Oncethedisputingpartieshavebeenseparateditwill managerandHRtosetoutclearlythestandardsof

thenbepossibletohaveacalmerandmorerational behaviourandperformancethatareexpectedgoing

conversationaboutwhatsparkedthedisagreementand forward.Ultimately,ifthereisnoimprovementover

starttoconsiderpossibleresolution. timethenharddecisionswillhavetobetakenregarding

possibledismissal–butonlyoncethedisciplinary

Removing a disruptive team member when procedurehasbeenfollowedconsistently.

necessary

Insomecircumstancestheremaybepersonalityclashes Recognisingthepointatwhichinformalapproachesto

thatarehardtoresolveandremainanongoingsource resolvingdisputeshavefailedandwhenformal

oftension,oraparticularmemberofstaffwho disciplinaryactionmustbetakenisanimportant

consistentlycausestensionsandconflict.Ifthisisthe judgementthatlinemanagershavetomake.HRcan

casethenthelinemanagershouldconsiderwhether provideusefuladviceatthispoint.

Acentralgovernmentmanagertalksaboutasituationofconflictemergingfollowinganewmemberof

staffbeingbroughtintotheteamfromanotherdepartment.

‘We knew that this person wasn’t very well thought of, there had been quite a lot of problems with this

person, he’d been caught going off site in the middle of the day, leaving early etc, etc, so we weren’t

very keen to have him. But we decided we would give him a try because it’s quite a nice team of people

that I work with and we thought we would perhaps be able to sort him out, get him motivated and

enjoying the work. But things didn’t work out at all, they just went from bad to worse and personnel

wouldn’t actually believe us that it wasn’t working out and that, you know there were serious problems.

This chap really was having a rough time, and so he was coming into the office looking as if he was

sleeping out of doors, it was really that bad. My senior manager said to me, “Do something about him,

tell him that he can’t dress like that in a public office.”

‘So when I did actually do that, because I felt as if I had to do it for everyone’s sake really, he actually

walked off site and refused to come back to work. He also threatened some of the staff, including me,

with harassment. So it was a horrible stressful thing to happen and in the end after about six months he

actually gave his notice in and so it all just went away.

‘But personnel were very worried that we would be sued and none of my line management supported

me, especially the one who said “do something about him”.’

Case study 2: an example of ineffective conflict management



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Following up on conflicts after resolution

It’sverytemptingforlinemanagerstohopethat

onceaconflicthasbeenresolved–eitherinformally

oronceadisciplinaryorgrievanceprocedurehasrun

itscourseandappropriatesanctionshavebeentaken–thattheproblemhasgoneawayforgood.

However,inmanycasesonepartyoranotherwillstill

feelaggrievedtoagreaterorlesserextent.Soit’s

importantthatlinemanagerstalktotheindividuals

involvedduringinformalone-to-onesorduring

discussionsarounddevelopmentorperformance

appraisalstofindoutwhethertheconflictreallyhas

beenresolvedorisbeingmanaged,orifthereare

renewedtensionsorunhappiness.Thedangerwith

oldconflictsisthatiftheydore-occurtherewillbe

noslowbuild-up,asanimosityandresentment

alreadyexists.Thisiswhyit’simportantthatline

managersuse‘temperaturechecks’throughregular

communicationtoensurethatolddisagreementsare

notbrewingagain.

Use of official processes

Ofcourse,althoughalleffortsshouldbemadetoresolve

workplaceconflictinformallyatanearlystage,therewill

bemanyinstanceswhereformaldisciplinaryaction

shouldbetaken.Linemanagersshouldnotshyaway

fromusingthedisciplinaryprocesswhereanindividual’s

misconductorunderperformancedemandsit.

Communicating procedures and policies available

to each employee

Linemanagersshouldensurethatallemployees

understandtheformaldisciplinaryandgrievance

proceduresthatareinplace.Linemanagersshouldalso

emphasisethatwheretherearedisagreements,efforts

shouldbemadetoresolvemattersinformally(wherever

possible)andemployeesshouldbeencouragedtodiscussanyproblemsthey’rehavingwiththeirjob,

colleaguesoroutsidework.

Use all available procedures to investigate

incidents

Whereseriousincidentsoccur–suchasalleged

harassment,bullyingorout-of-characteroutburstsof

verbalabuseorphysicalintimidation–theymustbe

dealtwithandtakenseriously.Anyformofgross

misconductmustbeproperlyinvestigatedanddealt

withusingtheformaldisciplinaryandgrievance

procedure.Linemanagersmustbewaryofsecond-

guessingtheresultsofanyinvestigationandmust

ensurethatothermembersoftheteamdon’teither.

Inmanycasesconflictscanbedefusedbyeffectiveearly

interventionbythemanager.However,therewillbesomesituationsthatwillblowupwithverylittlewarning,either

becauseofthepersonalitiesofthoseinvolvedorbecause

ofsomethinghappeninginsomeone’sdomesticlifethat

isputtingthemunderpressurethatthey’rehaving

problemsdealingwith.However,regardlessofthereason,

whereanindividual’sbehaviourleadstoserious

misconduct,theformaldisciplinaryorgrievanceprocedure

mustbeusedsothatthematterisinvestigatedfairlyand

decisionsarenotmadeintheheatofthemoment.

Using official procedures to set an example of

how seriously complaints are taken

Usedproperly,theofficialdisciplinaryandgrievance

procedurecanreassurethoseinvolvedinconflictat

workthatthematterisbeingtakenseriouslyanddealt

withconsistentlyandfairly.

Escalating issues to senior management where

appropriate

Insomecases–particularlywherethelinemanageris

involvedoristhecauseoftheconflict–itmaybe

appropriatetoinvolveaseniormanagerintheformal

disciplinaryorgrievanceproceduretoensurethatthe

processisseentobeobjective.

Linemanagersshouldalsohaveaccesstoasenior

managerorHRpractitionerswhocangivethemadvice

aboutmanagingdifficultsituationsatworkbeforethey

escalatetoconflicts.

Participative approach

Acting as a mediator in conflict situationsAlllinemanagersshouldhaveinformalmediationskills

toallowthemtostepinandattempttoresolve

disputesbeforetheyescalate.Linemanagerscanhelp

individualsindisputeidentifywhatisattherootof

theirdisagreement,whattheyneedtohappento

resolvemattersormoveforwardandanychangesor

compromisesthey’repreparedtomakeintheir

behaviourorattitudes.

Speaking to each party individually

Thestartingpointisforthemanagertohaveinformal

one-to-oneconversationswiththepartiesindisputeto



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identifythecruxoftheproblemandhearthedifferent workplaceoncetheformalprocesshasbeencompleted

individualperspectivesonwhatishappeningandthe andanydisciplinarysanctionimposed.

grievancesthattheybear.

Gather ideas of how to address the issue with

Bringing both sides together to communicate the teamOnceamanagerhasaclearunderstandingofthe Insituationswheretherearedisputesthataffectthe

problemandtheindividuals’differentperspectivesonthe wholeteam,forexampleasaresultofthetensionsthat

problem,theycanbringthedisputingpartiestogether arisefrommeetingparticulardeadlinesorchangesto

andactasanobjectivebrokertohelpfindcommon workingpractices,managerscanhelpfindsolutions

groundandchangesthatcanbemadebyeithersideto thatthewholeteamcanbuyintobyhavinganopen

helpfindasolution.Themanagershouldbecarefulnot discussionorbrainstormingmeetingwiththeirteamto

totakesidesinthisprocessbutshouldsimplyassistthe findpossiblesolutions.

individualsindisputetoreachresolution.

Managerscanalsouseone-to-oneswithemployeesto

Supporting both sides in a complaints procedure getaclearpictureofwhatiscreatingteamdisharmony

Whereinformalattemptstoresolveadisputefailand fromdifferentpeople’sperspectives.

mattersdeterioratetothepointwhereoneorbothof

thepartiessubmitaformalgrievance,itisimportant Managerscanhelptoavoidconflictbyhavingregular

thatthemanagerisnotseentotakesides–unlessof consultationwiththeirteamtoensurethattheirviews

coursetheyhaveobjectiveevidencethatisrelevantto aretakenintoaccountbeforemakingchangesthat

thedispute.Takingsideswillnothelpresolvethe affecttheirworkorworkingenvironment.

conflictsuccessfullyandwillcreatetensionsbackinthe

Afinancialemployeedescribesasituationwhenanewmanagercameintotheirteam,atatimeofhigh

conflictandlowmorale.

‘Most of the issues centred around one person and the effect that person had had on the team. There

was lots of arguments, lots of bitching, lots of issues that just were not being addressed and hadn’t been

addressed for a long, long time. This new manager was more or less put into the lions’ den to see how

she would cope with it. So it was pretty unfair to her but, she came through it and she actually turned

the team from being one of the most negative or one of the most unproductive teams to probably being

the best in the department within the space of a couple of months.’

Theemployeegoesontoexplainhowtheythinkthemanagercreatedthisturnaround.

‘I think it was her attitude to the work and it was her attitude to the people. She started with a clean

slate and didn’t listen to the “tittle tattle” that went on before. She came in and she immediately had a

one-to-one with every member of staff and allowed them the opportunity to air their views, get the rant

and rave out and then she sat back and quietly watched the team dynamics, watched the team, watched

how they interacted, and on a couple of occasions she had to maybe move seats, move people’s seating

arrangements. But she did that as a trial and error over a period of time, watched people how they were

at their work and how they interacted with each other. So by her becoming really involved with the

people in the team, she made a real difference.’

Case study 3: an example of effective conflict management



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Monitoring team relationships

Being aware of tension and keeping it at a low

level

Inanyteamtherewillbetensionsordisagreementsthat

arisefromtimetotime,butlinemanagersshouldbeawareofsignsthatseriousdisputesaredeveloping.Line

managersshouldalsobeawarethatdifferent

personalitytypeswilldealwithconflictindifferent

ways.Somepeoplewillshowtheirannoyancevery

quicklyandopenly,forexamplebyconfronting

someoneassoonastheirbehaviourbothersthem,or

makingtheirdispleasureoverworkissuesveryclearly

known.Otherpeoplemayonthesurfaceappearmore

laidbackandtolerantbutwillbegraduallygettingmore

annoyedbyacolleague,theirmanagerorawork

problemuntiltheylosetheirtemperspectacularly,often

oversomethingquiteminorthathasprovedtobethe

laststraw.Someindividualswillsulkandbecome

withdrawnwhentheyhaveagrievance.Thisiswhy

managersshouldtryandgettoknowtheemployeesin

theirteamordepartmentaspeopleandfindwaysto

haveregularinformalconversationstohelpthempick

uponissuesthatarebeginningtofesterawaybeneath

thesurface.

Picking up on squabbles before they lead to

conflict

Manydisputeswillstartoffasinnocuousdisagreements

thatappeartoberesolvedorforgottenstraightaway.

However,wheresuchnigglesrecuronaregularbasis,

managersshouldinterveneandtalktotheindividuals

concernedaboutwhatishappeningandhowto

preventtheproblemoccurringinthefirstplace.

Acknowledging when a team member is causing

stress to others

Itonlytakesonepersontocausedisharmonywithina

teamasaresultoftheirnegativebehaviourorpoor

performance.Examplesofbehaviourandperformancethatcancreatestressatworkinclude:

• beingoverlycritical

• havingashorttemper

• takingoutpersonalproblemsathomeonpeoplein

theoffice

• makingpersonalremarks

• notsharinginformation

• talkingaboutpeoplebehindtheirback

• avoidingunpopularteamtasks

• poortime-keepingorattendance.

Managersmustbepreparedtostepinandtalktothe

individualassoonasitbecomesobvioustheyare

creatingproblems.Inmanycasestheymaybeunaware

ofhowtheyortheirbehaviourisperceivedbyothersand

willrespondquicklytoaquietword.Whereinformal

attempts,aswellastheuseofformaldisciplinary

procedures,failtoresolveproblems,themanagerin

conjunctionwithHRwillhavetoconsidertakingstepsto

removethemfromtheteam(seepage7).

Acting as a role model

Maintaining professionalism

Managersmustbeseentosetanexamplebybeing

seentofollowtheorganisation’spoliciesand

procedures.Ifmanagersdon’tcomplywithcompany

policyon,forexample,reportingabsence,thenitis

Ahealthcaremanagerdescribeshowshepreventsconflictsfromoccurringinheroffice.

‘I make sure that if I do pick up on anything, because I do get wee squabbles and things sometimes that I

actually pick one out and ask what’s wrong because I can see there’s an atmosphere. I try and get them

through it in the best way without interfering too much. Often, it might be that somebody’s been

particularly not helping with a clinic that day or not training and they’re doing their own thing. You know

it’s silly things sometimes but silly things like somebody looking at the intranet when they should be doing

something else can cause a little bit of you know, a disagreement or something.’




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difficulttoexpectemployeestodothesame. Showing no interest in office politics or gossip

Managersmustalsosetanexamplebybeing Officepoliticsandgossipcanbeasourceofdisputesat

consistentinhowtheydealwiththeteamandnot work,astheycancauseanxiety,uncertaintyand

showingfavouritism.Insocialsituationsmanagers resentment.Acertainlevelofofficegossipisinevitable

mustalsobecarefulnottolettheirhairdowninfront andneednotcauseanyproblems,butmanagersshouldofthepeopletheymanagetotheextentthatthey avoidaddingfueltothefirebyjoininginandaddingto

regretorareembarrassedbytheirbehaviourwhen anyspeculation.Wheregossipismalicious,managers

theyarebackinaworkenvironment. shouldinterveneandspelloutclearlytothoseinvolved

thatspreadingunsubstantiatedrumoursisunacceptable

Being clear about expectations of team conduct andcouldbeconstruedasbullyingorharassment.

Aswellasspellingoutwhatbehaviourisnottolerated,

managersshouldalsodemonstratewhatpositive Amanagerwhohasareputationasanofficegossipor

behavioursemployeesshouldaspiretobothinterms politicianisunlikelytobetrustedandwillnotbeseen

ofhowtheyinteractwitheachotherandotherpeople assomeoneanemployeecangotodiscussanyhome

intheorganisation,aswellascustomers,clientsand orworkdifficultiestheymaybehaving.

thepublic.

Integrity

Not tolerating backbiting in the team Keeps employee issues private and confidential

Managersshouldalsointervenetopreventemployees Ifmanagersaretocreateaworkingrelationshipwith

fromtalkingaboutotherpeopleintheteamor theindividualsthattheymanagethatisbasedon

departmentbehindtheirbacks.Ignoringthistypeof mutualtrustandrespect,thentheyhavetomake

behaviourwillleadtoresentmentbuilding,cliques surethattheyprotectpeople’sprivacyandrespect

developingandencouragesaworkculturewhere confidentialinformation.Peoplewhotrusttheirline

bullyingismorelikelytooccur.Themanagershould manageraremorelikelytotalktothemiftheyare

establishifthereisagenuineproblemandthendeal havingdifficulties,whetherintheworkplaceorat

withitopenlybytalkingtotheindividualsconcerned. home,thatmightleadtoorcontributetoconflictat

Ahealthcaremanagerdescribesgoingintoadepartmentwheretheemployeeshadbeenbulliedbytheir

previousmanager.

‘And the person who was bullying them actually had control and therefore, me trying to come in and say,

“Actually I’m supportive, I’m nice, I’m fair”, didn’t wash for quite some time. And as part of that we then

ended up with a disciplinary case and allegations of bullying and harassment [against the previous

manager]. That then proceeded with I think 20, nearly 20, 21 or 22 staff being interviewed and out of that

came an awful lot more of the stresses and pressures people had actually taken on board and lived with for

quite a number of years. There were an awful lot of meetings, it was a very very hard time for me in

respect of I was giving an awful lot of emotional support to people. I had pressure on to actually make sure

everything worked out okay for them because they’d put their trust in me. It was through these discussions

and interviews that I actually succeeded in what I needed to.

‘However I also supported the person who the allegations were made against because you’ve got to

ensure you do that in order to get an objective view of what you’re looking at.’




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work.Someonewhohassufferedabereavementor

isgoingthrougharelationshipbreakdownmaywell

bemoreemotionalandhavealowertolerancelevelat

workthantheywoulddoundernormalcircumstances.Likewiseindividualswhosebehaviourisaffectedbya

drinkordrugproblemaremuchmorelikelytoopenup

andtalktoamanagerwhotheytrustandwhothey

knowwillrespectaconfidence.

Managerswhogettoknowthepeopletheymanageas

individualsandhaveanawarenessofissuesintheir

homelivesthatmightaffectthematworkwillbemuch

morelikelytobeabletotalkfranklywiththemabout

problemstheyarehavingwithcolleaguesorthejob.

Treating all employees with the same importance

Managerswhoarenoteven-handedinhowthey

managepeoplewillstruggletobuildworking

relationshipsbasedonmutualtrustandrespect.Any

signoffavouritismisalsolikelytoleadtoresentment

andmaywellbeacauseofconflictinitself.Managers

thatfailtotreatallemployeeswiththesame

importancearealsovulnerabletobeingaccusedof

discrimination–regardlessofthemotivationbehind

theirbehaviour.

Self-report quiz for managers

How do you manage conflict in your team… and

how effectively do you do it?

Thefollowingself-assessmentquiz(Table2)canbeused

tohelpmanagersidentifytheapproachtheytendto

usewhenmanagingconflictandtheareasforfurther

developmenttohelpthembuildtheirconflict

managementskills.

Tointerpretthescoresineachofthethreedimensions,

usethefollowingguidelines:

0–14: Development need: Ascoreinthisrangeisan

indicationthatthisisanareainwhichyouwouldbenefit

fromsomedevelopment.Pleaserefertothecompetency

frameworkinTable1(page5)toseewhichbehaviours

youcoulduseinthefuturetomanageconflict,orwhich

youmayalreadyusethatmaybeprovinglesseffective.

Table2:Managingconflictatwork:self-reportquizformanagers(Pleasetickoneboxonlyineachrow)

Responsescale

MostofBehaviourorcharacteristic

Sometimes thetime Always

Action orientation

Dealing with issues

Doyoutendtofaceconflictheadon?

Doyouintervenequicklyinconflictsituations?

Doyouopenlyaddressbullyinginyourteam?

Doyouknowthecauseoftheproblembefore

steppingin?Use of official processes

Doyouuseanofficialprocess…

–todemonstratehowseriouslycomplaintsare

taken?

–toinvestigateincidentsofabuse?

–asatooltodemonstratethesupportavailabletoemployees?

–onlyafterattemptingtoresolvethe

situationlocally?

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£ £

£ £

£

£

£

£

£

£

£ £

£

£

£

£

Now multiply each column total by the weighting factor.

Total ‘action orientation’ score (maximum score is 40)

0 2 5

(continued)



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Table2:Managingconflictatwork:self-reportquizformanagers(continued)

Responsescale

BehaviourorcharacteristicSometimes

Mostof

thetime Always

Team focus

Participative approach

Insituationsofconflict,doyou…

–actasamediator? £ £ £

–askforsuggestionsfromteammembersin

howtomoveforward? £ £ £

–finditeasytoremainobjective? £

£

£

–speaktoeveryoneinvolvedindividually? £ £ £

Monitoring team relationships

Doyouknowhowwellyouremployeesgetonwith

eachother? £ £ £

Areyouawareoflow-leveltensioninyourteam? £ £ £

Doyouknowwhenateammemberiscausingstress

toothers? £ £ £

Doyoupickuponsquabblesbeforetheyleadtoconflict?

£

£

£

Now multiply each column total by the weighting factor. 0 2 5

Total ‘team focus’ score (maximum score is 40)

Personal style

Role-modelling behaviour

Doyoukeepoutofofficepoliticsandgossip? £ £ £

Doyouhaveconsistentlygoodrelationshipswith

othermanagers? £ £ £

Doyoucommunicatetoyourteamwhatconductyouexpectfromthem?

£

£

£

Doyouappearcalmatwork(evenwhenyoudon’tfeelit!)? £

£

£

Integrity

Doyouseeallemployeesasequallyimportant? £ £ £

Doyoukeepallemployeeissuesprivateand

confidential?£

£

£

Doyouaimtogainthetrustofyouremployees? £ £ £

Doyouprotecttheanonymityofcomplainants? £ £ £

Now multiply each column total by the weighting factor. 0 2 5

Total ‘personal style’ score (maximum score is 40)



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14–28: Reasonable: Ascoreinthisrangeisan

indicationthatyoushowagoodawarenessofthe

behavioursforeffectiveconflictmanagementinthis

area.Itmaybehelpfultousethecompetencyframeworktoseeifthereareanybehavioursyoucould

addtoyourrepertoireinthisareatoincreaseyour

effectivenessinmanagingconflict.

28–40: Effective: Ascoreinthisrangeisanindication

thatyoudemonstratethebehavioursthatareeffective

inmanagingconflictinyourteaminthisparticular

dimension.

Yourmanagingconflictprofile

Areaofbehaviour

Action orientation

Team focus

Personal style

Your managing conflict profile

Fillineachoftheright-handcolumns.Inthe

‘effectiveness’column,add‘developmentneed’,

‘reasonable’or‘effective’.

Ifmanagerswouldlikefeedbackonhowotherssee

them,thisquestionnairecanbegiventotheteamthey

managesotheycanseehowtheyareratedasa

conflictmanager.

Totalscore/40 Effectiveness



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Section2Strongmanagement,healthyconflictandthepreventionofbullying

Managersarefrequentlythecausesofconflictatwork. designedtohelpmanagerstounderstandthepositive

CIPDresearchshowsthatlinemanagersaremostlikely managementbehavioursthatleadtomoremotivated,

toberesponsibleforbullyingwithinorganisations,and committedandharmoniousteams.Aself-assessment

managementstyleisthenumberonecauseofstressat questionnaireissetoutbelow(Table3).It’sdesignedto

work.Oneofthechallengesfacingmostmanagersis helplinemanagerslookattheirownmanagement

that,inmostcases,theyhavebeenpromotedasaresult behavioursandstyleandhelpthemseethemselvesas

oftheirtechnicalknowledgeorskillratherthanhow theyareseenbythepeoplethattheymanage.

theymanagepeople.Thissectionoftheguideis

Table3:Self-assessmentquestionnaire:managementbehavioursandstyle(Pleasetickoneboxonlyineachrow)

Responsescale

BehaviourorcharacteristicSometimes

Mostof

thetime Always

People focus

Doyougivepeoplepersonalresponsibility? £ £ £

Doyouactivelyseekouttheviewsofothers? £

£

£

Areyoucommittedtoteamdevelopment? £

£

£

Doyouinstilconfidenceinothers? £ £ £

Doyouencourageopenfeedbackanddebate? £

£

£

Personal integrity

Doyoudowhatyousayyou’lldo? £ £ £

Doyoushowrespecttoeveryone? £ £ £

Canyousaysorrywhenyou’vemadeamistake? £

£

£

Areyouopenandhonestaboutyourmistakesanddoyoulearnfromthem?

£

£

£

Areyoufairinallyourdealingswithothers? £ £ £

Visibility

Doyouactivelypromotean‘opendoor’approach? £ £ £

Doyouchampionacultureofrespectanddignity? £

£

£

Areyou‘available’tolistentotheviewsofothers? £

£

£

Areyoupreparedtotalktocustomersandclientsabouttheneedforrespectanddignityatwork?

£

£

£

Haveyouputbuildingacultureofdignityandrespectonyourmainagenda? £

£

£

(continued)



17/22

Table3:Self-assessmentquestionnaire:managementbehavioursandstyle(continued)

Responsescale

MostofBehaviourorcharacteristic Sometimes thetime Always

Promotingstandards

Doyouestablishindividualandteamgoals? £

£

£

Doyougivepersonalrecognitiontoothers? £

£

£

Doyouusefeedbackandcoachingconstructively? £ £ £

Doyouscheduleregulartimeforimprovinginterpersonalrelationships?

£

£

£

Areyouconstantlylookingforopportunitiesforimprovement? £

£

£

Challengingthestatusquo

Doyouopenlychallengeunacceptablebehaviour? £

£ £

Doyouseekoutprejudicedattitudes? £

£ £

Doyoucriticallyexaminepoliciesandprocedurestomakesure£ £ £

they’refairtoeveryone?

How did you do? Add up the ticks in each column.

Now multiply each column total by the appropriate

weighting factor:

Total score. Maximum total score is 115

0–50: Youdon’tyetunderstandwhatisneededto

createdignityandrespect.

51–75: Youhavesomeawarenessofrequirementsbut

significanteffortisneeded.

76–100: Youhavereasonableskillsincreatingaculture

ofdignityandrespect.

101–115: Youhaveexcellentskillsincreatingaculture

ofdignityandrespect.

Nowaskyourteamtocompletethequestionnaire

anonymouslyandseehowtheyrateyou.

Strong management and bullying

Oftenthoseaccusedofbullyingfinditdifficultto

recognisethemselvesasbehavinginabullyingor

aggressiveway.Conversely,somemanagersare

concernedabouttacklingpoorperformanceandbeing

accusedofbullying.

0 2 5

Whenlinemanagersfindthemselveshavingtodeal

withalow-performingteam,partoftheirroleisto

motivatetheteamtoperformmoreeffectively.The

processofbringingaboutchangesinhowteams

workusuallyinvolvesanumberofareas,including

settingstandards,identifyinganddealingwitherrors

andmistakes,increasingproductivity,greater

flexibilityofroles,changingprioritiesandreducing

unreasonableexpenditure.

Ifthesechangesareintroducedandmanagedcorrectly,theycanbringaboutthenecessarybusiness

improvementswithlittleornoemployeedistress.

However,ifthelinemanagerfailsintheirhandlingof

thechange,accusationsofbullyingcanoccur.

Table4looksatdifferentwaysoftacklingpoorly-

performingteamsanddistinguishingbetweenstrong

managementandbullyingbehaviour.

Healthy conflict and bullying

Acertainamountofcompetitionisnormaland

importantinworkinglife.However,bullyingisdifferent



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Table4:Differencesbetweenstrongmanagementandbullyingwhentacklingpoorly-performingteams

Addressingpoorperformancein Strongmanagement Bullying

teamsIdentifyingtheperformanceissue

Seekingtheviewsoftheteamor

individualtoidentifythecauseoftheunacceptablelevelofperformance

Agreeingnewstandardsofperformancewithallteam

members

Agreeingthemethodandtimingofmonitoring/auditingteam

performance

Failuretoachievethestandards

ofperformanceisdealtwithasaperformance-improvementissue

Recognisingpositivecontributions

Involveslookingatallthepotentialreasonsforpoor

performance,forexamplepeople,systems,trainingandequipment

Theteamtakespartinlooking

forthesourceoftheproblemsinperformanceandhelpsthemanagertoidentifysolutionsfor

thewholeteam

Involvessettingandagreeingstandardsofperformanceandbehavioursforeachteam

memberandthemanager

Whereverpossibletheteamorteammembertakespartinthe

monitoringprocess.Theoutcomeofthemonitoringisopenlydiscussed

Opportunitiesaretakento

identifyindividualswhoarestruggling,andsupportisprovided.Whereindividuals

areunwillingtocomplywith

theagreedperformance-improvementprocess,disciplinary

actionsmaybetaken

Recognisesandrewardsimprovementsinperformance,attitudesandbehaviours

Noattempttoidentifythenatureorsourceofthepoor

performance

Nodiscussionofthecause

oftheperformancedeficit,oropportunitiesfortheteammemberstodiscusstheir

difficulties

Imposingnewstandardswithoutteamdiscussiononappropriatestandardsofperformanceor

behaviour

Withoutagreeingstandards,themonitoringcanoccuratanytime

andcaninvolveareasthatareunexpectedbyteammembers

Individualswhofailtoachieve

thestandardsofperformanceareputunderpressuretoconform.Thismayincluderidicule,

criticism,shouting,withholding

ofbenefits,demotion,teasingorsarcasm

Withnomonitoring,it’simpossibletorecognisewheretherehavebeenpositive

contributions.Rewardsandrecognitionarethereforearbitraryandopentoactsof

favouritism

fromnormalconflictsbecauseitinvolvesunfairand leadtobullyingistoidentifythetypeofissueinvolved.unethicalbehavioursthatcauseextremedistressand Conflictscanberelatedtoanissue,ideaortask,ortoa

disruptiontotheindividual,groupandultimatelythe personalvalueorbelief.Theresolutionofissue-related

wholeorganisation. conflictsisgenerallyeasiertoachievethanthatofa

conflictrelatedtostronglyheldvaluesorbeliefs.

TheWorldHealthOrganisation(2003)produceda

guidetoraiseawarenessofbullyingandpsychological Issue-related conflict

harassmentatworkinwhichtheychartthecontrasts Forexample,aworkgroupmayhaveaconflictin

betweenhealthyconflictsandbullyingsituations(see decidingwhatstrategytopursueorhowtoallocate

Table5onpage18). responsibilities.Theseconflictscanhaveafruitful

outcomeifmanagedcorrectly.Problem-solving

Oneofthemostimportantwaystodistinguishbetween approachesallowparticipantstovigorouslydebatethe

healthyconflictsanddestructivesituationsthatmay issuesinvolvedandcometoacreativesolution.



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Table5:Differencesbetweenhealthyconflictandbullyingsituations

Healthyconflicts Bullyingsituations

Clearrolesandtasks Roleambiguity

Collaborativerelations Unco-operativebehaviour/boycott

Commonandsharedobjectives Lackofforesight

Explicitinterpersonalrelations Ambiguousinterpersonalrelations

Healthyorganisations Organisationalflaws

Ethicalbehaviour Unethicalactivities

Occasionalclashesandconfrontation Long-lastingandsystematicdisputes

Openandfrankstrategies Equivocalstrategies

Openconflictanddiscussion Covertactionsanddenialofconflict

Straightforwardcommunication Obliqueandevasivecommunication

Personal conflict

Personalconflictinvolvesissuesthatthreatenthe

individual’sidentityorvaluessystemandare

characterisedbyintenselynegativeinterpersonal

clashes.Thetypesofissueinvolvedinpersonalconflict

arecommonlyviewedasnon-negotiable.Itistherefore

muchmoredifficulttodealwithpersonalconflictthan

issue-relatedconflict.



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Conclusion

TheCIPD’s2007Managing Conflict at Work survey

reportfoundthatonaverageorganisationsdevotemore

than350daysinmanagementtimeayearinmanaging

disciplinaryandgrievancecases.Thesurveyalsofound

thatemployersfaceaverageannualcostsassociated

withemploymenttribunalclaimsandhearingsof

£20,000.Thesefindingsshowtheverysignificantcosts

thatorganisationsfaceifdisputesescalatetothepoint

wheretheformaldisciplinaryorgrievanceprocesshas

tobeused.Ofcourseitisnotjustmanagementtime

wastedandfinancialcoststhatemployersmusttake

accountof,butalsothepersonalcostofindividuals

understress,employeeabsence,dysfunctionalteams

anddamagetomoraleandproductivity.Inmanycases

employeeswillsimplyvotewiththeirfeetandleave

organisationsifconflictisnotmanagedeffectively.

However,despitethehugeimpactofconflictatwork,

only38%oforganisationsprovidetrainingfortheirline

managersinmanagingconflictatwork.Andjust29%

ofrespondentsratetheirlinemanagers’abilitiesin

managingconflictinformallyasgood,comparedwith

69%thatratetheirlinemanagersinthisareaas

averageorpoor.IfHRpractitionerswanttotryand

preventconflictatworkissuesincreasinglybeingpassed

ontothemtomanage,thenlinemanagersmustbe

giventhetrainingtoenablethemtofulfilthisrole.

Linemanagersmustbesensitivetohowtheiremployees

areinteracting,aswellastohowtheyarehandlingany

increaseintheirworkloadsororganisationalchange.

Managersmustbeconfidenttointerveneatanearly

stageiftherearesignsthatemployeesareindispute,or

thereisanyhintofbullyingbehaviouremerging,orof

indicationsthatanyoneissufferingfromstress.

Managersarebestplacedtoestablishthecauseofany

problemassoonasitemergesandfindaresolution

beforeattitudeshavehardenedandconfrontational

stanceshavehadtimetodevelop.

Managingconflictatworkforlinemanagersisan

integralpartofgoodpeoplemanagement.Toalarge

degreeitisaboutgoodcommunication,providing

ongoingfeedbackandeffectivecoachingand

development.Itisalsoaboutrecognisinggoodwork

andeffectiveperformancemanagement.



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Furtherreadingandreferences

CHARTEREDINSTITUTEOFPERSONNELAND

DEVELOPMENT.(2004)Managing conflict at work

[online] .Surveyreport.London:CIPD.Availableonlineat:

http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/_

mngcnflt04.htm[Accessed14January2008].


DEVELOPMENT.(2007) Absence management [online] .

Surveyreport.London:CIPD.Availableonlineat:

http://www.cipd.co.uk/onlineinfodocuments/

[Accessed14January2008].


DEVELOPMENT.(2007)Managing conflict at work

[online] .Surveyreport.London:CIPD.Availableonlineat:

http://www.cipd.co.uk/onlineinfodocuments/

[Accessed14January2008].

WORLDHEALTHORGANISATION.(2003)

Raising awareness of psychological harassment at work:

advice to health professionals, decision makers,

managers, human resource directors, legal community

and workers.Switzerland:WHO.



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Weexploreleading-edgepeoplemanagementanddevelopmentissuesthroughourresearch.

Ouraimistoshareknowledge,increaselearningandunderstanding,andhelpourmembers

makeinformeddecisionsaboutimprovingpracticeintheirorganisations.

Weproducemanyresourcesonconflictissuesincludingguides,books,practicaltools,surveys

andresearchreports.Wealsoorganiseanumberofconferences,eventsandtrainingcourses.

Pleasevisitwww.cipd.co.uktofindoutmore.

CharteredInstituteofPersonnelandDevelopment

151TheBroadway London SW191JQ

Tel:02086126200 Fax:02086126201u

a r y

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