Why should managers not avoid conflict situations?

What bad things happen when managers avoid conflict situations?

The boss said that when he was an employee in the Sales department, he often witnessed disagreements between colleagues, especially between Sales and Marketing - one side brought in money and the other side was known as only knowing how to spend money. It seems that this viewpoint also partly rekindles the conflict between the two sides. They always have conflicting opinions from PR and advertising methods to banner design or promotional gifts...

They say they are two separate departments, but actually both of them always "rely on each other to survive". Sales needs Marketing support to sell better, whereas Marketing also needs Sales to share information to gain a deeper understanding of customers and the market to carry out more effective promotional campaigns. However, they still have many conflicting views and the worst thing is that those conflicting situations are not handled promptly and thoroughly.

It was like the wound was spreading more and more, making the members of the two teams equal but not satisfied. They avoid communication; if they do, it is very superficial and superficial. They don't share all the information they know to support each other, but only say a few perfunctory things when forced to.

Of course, when communication is difficult, cooperation becomes worse. Not only did they stop supporting, but they also made things difficult for each other. A job that was once very easy and only took a few minutes has now become much more complicated.

Obviously, work productivity also drops significantly when everyone does their own work. Wherever you go, you will encounter bottlenecks, delays, lack of data, and lack of support have become all too familiar. More noteworthy is that distribution agents are also dragged into this "cold war". They feel like they have "vestibular disorder" because sales say one thing but marketing campaigns go another, not knowing how to answer customers. When complaints are sent to the company.

Things became more serious when many talented and dedicated people felt so tired and discouraged with the leaden working atmosphere that they decided to leave one by one to find "greener grass". Those who leave don't know if they will be happy, but those who stay are definitely sad. They no longer have faith in their leaders and they no longer have the spirit to work.

His boss was also one of the first to leave and from that experience he learned one thing: avoiding conflict situations is a serious mistake that prevents teams from working well together. That's why my boss advised me to learn how to cope with conflicts to become the manager my employees expect. No one wants to work with someone who likes conflict, but no one wants to work with someone who avoids conflict resolution.

How did I deal with conflict?

The feedback from my boss made me seriously rethink my abilities and approach to conflict situations. So what is the result? I'm still not someone who handles conflict effectively in every situation, but at least it's no longer something I want to avoid. What I do is also very simple.

Change the way you look at conflict

I used to view conflict as something very terrible, screaming and full of aggression and anger that should be avoided at all times. But looking more closely, it is simply a difference of opinion, a discussion about how to solve a problem. Thus, contradictory situations are necessary. The problem is that it should be kept to a certain extent.

Think about the people who may be affected by avoidance

When I start to see the potential for conflict emerge, I will try to avoid it by changing the subject or withdrawing from the situation. This means many issues go unresolved and employees will have to wait. Their work is affected and management can be implicitly blamed. Ultimately, neither myself nor my employees benefit.

Stop assuming that employees will resolve conflicts on their own

Conflicts do not suddenly disappear, but will increasingly swell and become another irreparable conflict if not handled soon. Looking at that reality, I stopped deceiving myself that everything would pass and the employees would make up with each other. No problem! This responsibility belongs to management and it is a shortcoming that I am reminded of.

Hurting someone's feelings isn't as dangerous as upsetting the entire group

One of the reasons I avoid confrontations is because I'm afraid of hurting other people's feelings. But thinking more deeply, if conflict is not handled, it can make the whole team uncomfortable. Well, one person for everyone.

Management is nothing if not delivering a specific result and that effectiveness will never be achieved if the manager chooses to stay on the sidelines of situations of conflict , disagreement and debate. This is probably the most valuable advice I have ever received. If you also agree with this point of view, don't be afraid to change. Proof that you are improving your ability to resolve conflicts is when what you once avoided, now makes you curious to learn more.