In the ever-evolving and diverse workplace, disagreements are bound to arise and as much a sign of a healthy workplace as they are a toxic workplace. It is crucial to handle disagreements with respect and professionalism to maintain a harmonious and productive environment. For a business owner, making sure employees are supported to resolve disagreements in a respectful way is also a key requirement of providing a psychosocially safe workplace. Disagreeing respectfully allows for healthy discussions, promotes understanding, and fosters innovation.
There are six suggestions for small business owners or leaders to apply to help ensure their workplace is one that fosters respectful management of disagreements including:
- Take a facilitative role. facilitating a workplace issues resolution process that is shaped around the art of listening. Differing opinions can provide valuable insights and alternative perspectives but to find those insights requires the parties in disagreement to listen to each other. The simple act of listening however, is often received as a demonstration of respect, creating a space for dialogue, and understanding. When the disagreement involves two employee, a leader will have a constructive positive impact when they take a professional facilitative role, setting and managing meeting standards that call for active listening among the parties. If the disagreement involves the leader themselves, the leader must lead the way in the act of listening, and only when they have truly heard what the other party has had to say should they attempt to assert their interests in the matter.
- Choose words carefully. A moment of emotionally fuelled silliness that leads to ill-chosen and clumsily framed words and language can turn a conflict from interests based to unwavering positions in split seconds. Ensure all parties are mindful tone and language, ensuring that there is no basis from which any party feels personally or professionally attacked as that is when harm happens. Parties should be encouraged to use “I” statements when expressing view on the issue at hand and not doing this in a way that mocks or belittles the other persons feelings or views.
- Set and expect standards of Professionalism….. and hold your team accountable to this. A workplace that lets disagreements get out of hand reflects a poor culture, one that hazardous and harmful to its people. These are the workplaces that are more likely to have employees feeling bullied and harassed which at its best will increase employee turnover at its worst will put a business owner in court defending an adverse action or workers compensation.
- Provide a safe place for respectful conversations. These types should occur in spaces where it doesn’t impact others or offer the opportunity for others to get involved when this is not relevant or needed. This limits the damage of sides being taken by colleagues and mitigates the risk of compound multiparty bullying happening (otherwise referred to as mobbing). A quite office away from others will suffice or if this isn’t available perhaps try encourage the parties to meet and converse over coffee or at a location that has no linkage to the workplace.
- Provide access to professional and independent Employee Assistance. The offer of professional, confidential and independent workplace counsellor support is often appreciated even if it isn’t taken up. For a business owner or leader, it says I care about you and I want you to have a safe place to go to should you need it. You can expect a professional counsellor to coach a team member through various workplace resolution options, empower them with skills needed for a positive and respectful process and provide them with base of that reflects that of a confidante, a safe place to air their feelings while learning ways to develop resolve, a critical life skill that promotes psychosocial safety and wellbeing.
- Know when professional help is needed. Finally if your not able to emotionally divest yourself from the disagreement, or you feel you are not the right person to be the independent facilitator of respectful dialogue around a disagreement, self-select out of the process and call in a professional. Professional practitioners have the skills needed to prepare parties for the conversation, to control and manage the conversation setting the foundations for good listening, understanding and conflict resolution. It’s a small investment that increases the likelihood of respectful resolution of disagreements, and goes a long way in demonstrating care for you’re the health and safety of your team. Even when parties have perhaps felt aggrieved, a well facilitated conversation can set people back on the right track, one that involves respect for each other and professionalism. and giving parties the best chance of listening and or quiet If a leader assesses themselves to not be the best person to facilitate a disagreement conversation, self-select out and call in a professional practitioner. and common ground and seek compromise. Instead of focusing solely on the differences, highlight areas where you can agree or find a middle ground. This allows for a collaborative approach and encourages teamwork rather than fostering division. By actively seeking compromise, you show respect for others’ opinions and demonstrate a commitment to finding the best possible solution.
In conclusion, respectful resolution of disagreements in the workplace is vital for fostering a healthy and productive atmosphere. As a business owner and leader, while the work health and safety obligations demand the right response, the benefits go far beyond the compliance interests, extending out in a way that shapes a culture where people feel respected, appreciated and valued ultimately contributing to a better employee experience and more successful and inclusive workplace.
A bit about the Author
At Active HR our mission is to help business’ shape great workplaces. Rhett Stubbs, the co-owner of Active HR has 26 years of experience in many facets of HR who is a trained mediator and facilitator. In that time Rhett has helped many workplaces through complex disagreement resolution processes in ways that proactively demonstrate good duty of care for participants, a apply standards of safety and respect in the process. Active HR also offer workplaces, access to professional and independent workplace counselling support for their employees.