As a manager, it will be up to you to settle any disputes that arise between your employees. Letting a conflict fester will create a difficult situation and adversely affect the company culture as a whole. Before you address the conflict, you should have a plan for mediating the discussion.
Meet With Both Parties
Meet with both employees at the same time when mediating a workplace conflict. This will help you avoid situations in which an individual misses hearing important statements. During the meeting, give each person time to explain their side of the story and instruct the other party to remain silent until it’s their time to speak. Any interruptions should be stopped immediately, and the interrupting employee should be advised against further outbursts.
Ask For Recommendations
Once you hear each person’s version of the problem, you should ask each of them to provide you with three or four resolutions. These should be ideas that will help your employees find a way to feel satisfied with the resolution of the conflict. As you discuss implementing some of these recommendations, keep in mind that some of them may involve your direct participation or a change to established procedures. You’ll have to decide which suggestions are feasible and worthwhile to try.
Discuss What Each Individual Can Contribute
Even if you find a way to grant the recommendations offered by each employee, the individuals will still have to modify their workplace behavior. Ask each employee what the other individual can do better. This might involve ceasing a particular behavior or doing something more frequently. Before you end the meeting, get each employee to commit to making the necessary changes. This will help you evaluate how well the conflict has been resolved at a later date by providing a starting point for settling the matter.
Finish the meeting by instructing your employees to settle the conflict among themselves. Advise them that a continuation of the conflict will force them to take stronger disciplinary measures. Be sure to emphasize that you have faith in their ability to settle the matter in a mature way. You should follow up with the employees after a short time to ensure the issue has been settled.