Workplace Conflict Resolution

Workplace Conflict Resolution: People Management Tips: Managing Your Human Resources is a pretty good article on resolving conflicts at workplace. If you are a boss like, you are likely to faced at least one such situation where you would have had to step in to resolve conflicts between people in your team. I have had to do it and more recently my wife had to do it several times.

It lists three main points. While leaving you to go read the article for full details I will just list them here:
1. Do not avoid the conflict, hoping it will go away
2. Do not meet separately with people in conflict.
3. Do not believe, for even a moment, the only people who are affected by the conflict are the participants.

I think a very common mistake all of us do, when trying to resolve it is, we first meet the parties separately to get their side of the story. I think it deepens the conflict because, when you listen to them individually, it tends to polarize their stance more. It becomes self-fulfilling to them.

This article also lists steps you can take in resolving such conflicts.