by Shaheen Darr

Created on: November 12, 2009   Last Updated: November 29, 2009

An ideal working scenario paints the picture of a group of people working together in an office in harmony. In some companies, however, the reality is quite different and conflicts between people in the work environment can easily arise due to a number of reasons:

Personality clashes: People who have loud and dominating personalities can make the working environment difficult for their colleagues who are more laid back or have quieter dispositions. Their opinions can be overridden leading to an unpleasant atmosphere and overall dissatisfaction at work. For projects where teamwork is essential for a successful outcome, achieving goals should take priority over the desire to dominate others while achieving them. It is vital to put together personalities that are affable towards one another and want to work towards the same goals. Discussing differences in a working relationship with or without mediation can be a step in the right direction.

Pay Issues: Differences in pay can cause conflicts to arise especially if both employees are doing the same job. Bonus structures can vary between employees and sometimes those lined up for promotion might not be the best liked in the company. This can cause dissent in the workplace and it is up to management to resolve these issues if they deem it necessary. Usually pay issues are left to the manager and employees do not have a say in them unless there is a genuine difference in pay noted due to favouritism or between a male and a female employee who are both doing the same job but paid different amounts.

Lack of commitment: Employees who are not committed to their job will affect the smooth running of an office. Being late in responding to urgent enquiries or not treating work seriously means a whole department suffers the consequences. This can lead to conflict amongst others as work schedules suffer. Work spills over to other areas due to lack of efficiency and before long, there will be arguments or complaints against the employee at fault. It is up to the manager to resolve this issue by talking to the employee privately or to the team as a group.

Not enough training: Not knowing your job well can also lead to similar problems as the entire office can suffer the consequences. Noticing this problem early on is the job of any responsible manager as it means either the employee is replaced or sufficient training is provided for him to handle the job efficiently.

Lack of communication: Another area that can be the cause of conflicts in the office is a lack of communication between team members or the manager and his staff. Due to this, misunderstandings can develop leading to a general lack of cooperation as negative feelings filter in the workplace. The sooner such problems are aired to the relevant department, the quicker results can be sought so the working environment of a department does not suffer.

Lack of social responsibility: Companies that show a lack of social responsibility towards pollution or environmental issues for example, will generally come under criticism at some point. The issues can be discussed with the line manager so that changes can be discussed but if this fails, then the matter can be taken to higher authorities to find a resolution. A manager who has radical views to company policy or the rest of the staff can also be the cause of conflict and sometimes the only way out is for him to be replaced.

Keeping conflicts at bay in working environments means that managers have to be aware of how the employees are feeling via meetings and regular feedback. Setting objectives and making improvements will keep away problems and avoid further conflicts from taking seed.

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