Conflict 2

Symptoms of Conflict

Stress

A recent survey by nfpSynergy found that stress in the workplace was responsible for 22% of time off work, often without actually being cited by the employee asa caused by stress.

Bullying, which may arise from conflict, was experienced by over 80% of the workforce responding to the survey.

Stress reduces a persons ability to function effectively, with resultant fealings of failure, incompetence and powerlessness.

Decision making

When conflict is serious within an organisation, decision making becomes disjointed, slow, laborious and sometimes impossible. If your colleagues are becoming more picky about small issues within your organisation, then conflict may be a contributing factor.

Sickness

Team members start to take time off, citing a number of minor reasons. Sometimes they may be ‘signed off’ for long periods of time. Stress and conflict may not be cited and a very real, even serious, illness may be evident.

The Organisation itself may begin to show signs of sickness. People outside the group involved in the conflict may sense the unease. This may spread to clients, customers or those the organisation is seeking to reach, resulting in a fall of effectiveness, sales and income

Departure

Members of the organisation look for other ways of earning or spending their time. The organisation begins to loose key members, as those departing take their expertise, know how and skills elsewhere.

A sick organisation or ‘problem’ leaders may say ‘good riddance’ or happily send people on their way to reduce the conflict. In reality this solves nothing. The skills lost are not easily replaced and the ‘problem’ invariably resurfaces somewhere else in the organisation. The ill feeling and sadness caused does not easily dissipate.

What to do about it

Conflict is most easily resolved if it is handled early. If you have all of the symptoms listed above, then you are already in a very serious position and need to act quickly. Whatever stage you are at, you are more likely to have a good outcome if you seek outside help. Mediators are a very varied group and you need to look for one that can really help your organisation as effectively as possible. Those who choose to use untrained and untested mediators, or friends of the organisation invariably live to regret it! See our page on Mediation for further information.

There is an alternative.- recourse to law. Sometimes people in conflict situations decide the only solution is to seek a lawyer. This is very expensive, very risky, since a satisfactory outcome is not guaranteed. Some lawyers provide a mediation service. Harmonyic’s approach is not based on a legal model. (See Mediation)

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Preventative Measurers

You should not seek to eliminate conflict since it encourages people to think and be creative. You can and should take actions that reduce the destructive effects listed above.

The best process is to train your team(s) to work with themselves and each other to ensure that conflict is positive. Harmonyic along with some other organisations, provides training for individuals and teams. See our LETGO leaflet

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About Harmonyic

We are linked to a small group of trained mediators who are committed to offering a professional service to its clients. All our mediators continue to refine and practice their skills in order to be up to date. They are committed to helping bring harmony to fraught and fragile situations.

Mediators subscribe to the European Code of Conduct for Mediators

You can be assured of a confidential service.