How to Create a Conflict-free Workplace

How do you create a conflict-free workplace?

1. How to handle conflict
2. Assess the situation calmly
3. Establish proper rules and protocols
4. Lead by example
5. Be a good listener
6. Address issues instead of avoiding it
7. Deal with problems as a team

Conflict is something that many think is inevitable in the workplace. Call centers in the Philippines are not exempt from this. If issues are not dealt with properly, the situation can escalate and cause negative and harmful habits to form within your team. It can affect results at work, leading to lower quality output or even unfinished tasks. For call centers, this can lead to unsatisfied companies and clients, which can end up hurting everyone in the company, while creating an unhealthy environment that is not conducive for work.

Whether you are in management or someone who is just starting out in a call center, addressing conflict in the workplace is something that must be done with a great amount of rationality and organization in order to settle disputes and issues accordingly.

How to Handle Conflict in the Workplace

Conflict can lead to unhealthy relationships and work habits, both of which can ruin the overall team dynamic, and cause unproductivity that will only hurt a company. This can be very detrimental in a call center in the Philippines as teams are unable to deliver the desired results. To prevent this from happening or escalating even further, here are some of the best ways to create a conflict-free workplace.

Assess the Situation Calmly

Things escalate when the parties involved lose their composure. Avoid dealing with problems in a manner that only aims to put the disagreement in a worse situation than it was before. In a high-pressure work environment like a call center in the Philippines, having composure even during the most difficult parts of the day allows one to assess situations calmly. This gives you an insight into how to solve issues and come to an agreement.

Assessing a situation calmly allows you to take into account points of agreement and disagreement between conflicting parties, and come up with a proper resolution that will be able to solve the issue in the best way possible.

Establish Proper Rules and Protocols

One of the best ways to create an optimal and conflict-free workplace is by establishing and enforcing proper rules and protocols that help prevent or manage conflicts in a more efficient and organized manner. These rules encourage employees to follow a certain procedure that will allow them to relay their concerns about the conflict in the workplace, and have it resolved in the best manner.

This procedure commonly involves the coordination of employees and their superiors, with their issues being relayed to management. Establishing a proper process prevents conflict from escalating, or even happening at all, as the concerns are properly relayed to the correct channels and personnel.

Lead by Example

One of the main objectives of a call center team leader is to keep the whole team in check and well-managed. This allows work to be accomplished on time, while also ensuring that issues would be handled in a proper manner. Leading by example and being a positive figure in the team will make others follow suit and create a healthy conflict-free environment.

Should a conflict arise in any situation, it is important as a leader to resolve issues between fellow employees and teams with calmness and proper focus. This will allow your team to be able to see how they should manage conflict, providing them with a positive example.

Be a Good Listener

Disputes are often not properly managed due to conflicting parties not being able to listen to each other properly. If you’re working in a call center in the Philippines, being a good listener is a skill that would help get you far in the workplace. This also comes in handy when it comes to managing conflict.

Being a good listener allows you to empathize with parties in disagreement and understand each side of the story while taking into account all of their concerns. Good communication goes a long way. A team that’s made up of a good set of listeners interact and work well together; they understand the issue first before jumping to conclusions.

Address Instead of Avoid

One mistake that can cause conflict to develop in the workplace is people avoiding the issue altogether. Conflict is resolved by coming up with a solution that would address the needs and concerns of the parties involved. Avoiding issues only worsens the situation.

It is best to settle your differences by directly addressing the situation to prevent further incidents that would cause more problems. It is the responsibility of the people involved in the disagreement to resolve every concern. Confronting each other in a proper manner is the primary solution.

Deal With Problems as a Team

Conflicts within a team are detrimental to their performance. Settling disputes as a whole team rather than doing it individually is the most efficient method of resolving conflict. A team must be able to face issues and problems together. If there are members that aren’t seeing things eye-to-eye, it is best to establish a healthy discussion to settle things in an organized manner. Teamwork is key in any productive workplace, and this stretches from accomplishing tasks to managing high-pressure situations.

Key Takeaway

Conflict is something that can occur at any place and time, even in the workplace. By properly managing conflict in the workplace using these methods, you would be able to create a positive working environment that is able to manage conflict in a responsible and rational manner.