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Conflict doesn't always have to be negative. Healthy debates and respectful disagreements can lead to business growth.

What is workplace conflict?

Workplace conflict refers to any disagreement or tension among employees of an organisation. It is common since people working for a business bring unique thoughts, backgrounds, communication styles and personal perspectives into the workplace. Inevitably, some of these elements will be in opposition and cause conflict among the group. But this conflict isn’t necessarily a bad thing

Benefits of healthy forms of workplace conflict

There are times when disagreements in the workplace are quite healthy and advantageous. Here’s why a business may want to embrace certain workplace conflicts.

• It nurtures creativity. Conflict is a co-creative process in which the disagreeing parties come together to find a solution that meets everyone’s needs. This involves understanding each other’s perspectives, visualising together the best-case scenario, and determining how to meet that vision. Most people define conflict with a negative implication, but conflict is when two different ideas come into contact with each other. If you deal with conflict constructively, there is opportunity.
• It encourages a deeper investigation of the issues. When a disagreement is shared among team members, it invites a closer look at the problem and different viewpoints contributing to the conflict. Hence, an in-depth examination will likely reveal relevant new information that can improve the situation.
• It can alert you to amend guidelines. When goals or processes are unclear, employees may conflict with each other under the honest assumption that their way is the correct one. This lack of clarity can cause incorrect work, but the confusion can also stimulate positive changes. Clarifying your expectations and preferred procedures can help your team understand exactly what they should be doing and how they can work alongside their colleagues pleasantly.
• It shows workers’ commitment and passion.  Conflict often comes from people’s unmet need to be heard and appreciated. When you recognize a conflict as a result of your team members’ commitment to your company and passion for the project, you may want to reward them for their hard work and fuel their motivation.

How to keep conflict in the workplace healthy

Not all conflict is going to be good, and there are times when a leader has to be more like an office parent. Take the initiative and directly address the issue if it gets too heated among your team. 

Here are some things to do to resolve toxic disputes and reduce the occurrence of unhealthy conflict in the future:

• Hire and retain the right people. Sometimes conflict comes from personalities that don’t mix, Hence hiring people with the company's cultural fit.
• Give everyone a voice, If you give everyone a chance to be heard, you will avoid triggering resentment.

Understand the parties involved, handle conflict constructively, and give some thought to the person’s background, how they communicate, and their particular approach to the problem. This framework can help you better understand and address their position.