By creating a cordial and fair work environment, supervisors can prevent conflicts from happening.
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Conflicts cannot be eliminated entirely, but they can be reduced. Along with resolving conflicts, organisations must also try to prevent conflicts. The major causes of conflicts are a bad work environment and poor interpersonal relationships. The more conflicts there are between the employees, the poorer the workplace environment and ethics are.
How to Prevent Conflicts
To prevent conflicts, organisations need to analyse the following:
- Their work environment
- The rapport between employees
- The behaviour of employees (discriminatory or bad behaviour)
- The competence of their management
- Communication between management and employees, and among employees
- Whether employees have inadequate tools for completion of work
- Whether employees have inadequate training to complete tasks
Employees need to be provided a work environment that supports their work and well-being. Supervisors must make sure that every employee has a stress-free environment to work in. A peaceful environment is necessary for performing well and enjoying healthy relationships.
It must be observed that a new employee will ape the work environment in which they find themselves. If the workplace allows bad behaviour, discrimination, etc. then the new employees will either become a victim or an oppressor. That is why establishment and maintenance of a healthy work environment is a must for employee retention, productivity, and improved work relationships.
Symptoms of Conflicts Brewing
Some of the early symptoms of conflict that supervisors must take notice of to prevent escalation of conflicts are:
Lack of motivation – Dullness and boredom lead to dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction leads to conflicts. If employees lack motivation, supervisors must motivate and engage them.
Loss of productivity – When an employee is facing discrimination, insulting behaviour or psychological abuse from co-workers, it will impact their mental health leading to loss of productivity. When there is an unusual drop in productivity, the supervisor must reach the cause of the disturbance and remove it.
Change in behaviour – If the behaviour of an employee changes from good to bad, or employees begin to team up against one another, then it is a sign of a poor work environment. In such cases, identification and elimination of the root cause of the problem becomes necessary.
Eagerness to Leave Office – When a person experiences unhappiness at a place, he or she likes to leave it at the slightest opportunity. If employees feel unhappy to be at office, take more leave, and wait to leave the office every day, then it is a sign of acute dissatisfaction.
It is vital that supervisors notice the early symptoms of conflicts and work towards removing them to sustain the healthy work environment that they have created. Even though minor conflicts occurring due to different points of views is healthy, conflicts originating from bad intentions and behaviour must be quashed before they can bring negativity in the workplace.
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