By Kathleen McNamara

All's not well at your business. There's a noticeable tension on the job, missed deadlines and far more mistakes than should be acceptable. One department blames another department, employees and/or managers butt heads, and tempers begin to rise. If you don't want the problem to get any worse, you've got to address it now.

But, you may think, you're already stretched to the limit. You are swamped in work, and you don't want to risk losing valuable employees by pointing a finger in any one direction. You just want to get back to business.

The process of conflict management is rarely an easy task. What seems like a simple problem could be the indicator of much bigger issues within a company. And few entrepreneurs enjoy "going there" with their employees, who could very well pack up and leave if they feel they aren't being treated fairly.

But when there's a problem, you'd better move quickly to address it. According to Gary Eskin, area manager for Dale Carnegie Training, companies are reaching maturity in record time -- three years is now the average, compared to 25 years back in the 1950s. Entrepreneurs no longer have the luxury of taking time to solve issues.

Identifying Conflict

Very often, problems arise between different departments or levels of an organization. The production department, for example, may blame the sales department for missed deadlines. The sales department may blame administration for slow processing time of paperwork. Administration, in turn, may blame the production department for not turning around orders quickly enough. There are hundreds of similar scenarios in this circular chain of problems.

Because co-workers within one department usually know each other the best and develop a sense of camaraderie, one employee or group of employees could become pitted against the other when a conflict arises. Add to that individual personality clashes and a mix of other issues that could further compound the tension, and you've got some true employee morale problems. "Over time, you get a breakdown of relationships," says Rorie Wilson, an experienced business consultant and the vice president of corporate development at Sunshine Masonry. "It becomes 'the department' instead of Joe or some other employee."

The bottom-line result is inefficiency, time and effort lost either in duplication work (one department doesn't "trust" the other to get the job done right) or in direct conflict. "While we're defending our position, we're not getting work done," Wilson observes. "We end up wasting time and money."

Conflict doesn't always mean an outright verbal argument, either. It can take on just the opposite face, with little or no communication. Those who are dissatisfied or frustrated may choose not to interact with fellow employees or managers, covering up the full scale of the problem.

Where to Start

It's time for the manager to step up to the plate, Wilson says, in order to repair the damage. The process may not be an easy one, but it is a necessary element of achieving a more harmonious, team atmosphere in the workplace.

Some companies may seek to hire professional help, a consultant to act as both problem solver and mediator. But even in smaller companies, there's a great deal that a manager can accomplish simply by developing a clear and fair process for finding out what the actual problem is and how the company, as a whole, can solve it. "Very often, by approaching the issue openly, you can get most of what you're seeking to gain without any external help," Wilson says.

He offers four main steps to get the process going:

Allow those involved to speak frankly. Wilson advises using a neutral third party to pull each side together and establish common ground, working as a team. Allowing these employees to speak frankly will allow time to vent their frustrations. It will allow the third party to get a better idea of all the factors involved in the problem.

Get everyone together. Formalize the process by designating a set time for the conflict to be discussed. Block everyone in a room, and get the conversation flowing in a constructive, structured way. A word of wisdom: don't be surprised if it takes more than one meeting. And don't be surprised if the first meeting seems more like a gripe session. The first step should be to identify complaints, and then the repair work can begin.

Identify the problem apart from who seems to be at fault. "Take the blame out," Wilson says. "You can't get to the root of the problem when everyone's defensive." He compares the process to the way you might handle a room full of kindergartners. Simple as it may seem, you will get more cooperation from the class if you ask, "How can you help me find the crayon?" rather than "Who lost the crayon?"

Find Common Ground. Identify problems shared by both sides of the dispute. Then make a list of what points the sides do not agree upon, and isolate the biggest problem points. Define each point objectively, without pointing fingers. "It's human nature to see fault," Wilson says, "but as managers, we can't focus on the fault. We need to focus on the issue."

Other Avenues

Once the problem is defined and understood by every person involved, the act of problem solving can start. Attack the issue as a team, rather than as individuals.

There are other opportunities to help the communication process after the problem has been addressed and, hopefully, solved. A shadowing program might allow an employee to work in a different department for a day or two to get a feel for what another's job is like. Company social events, like a company picnic, may help to get workers to socialize more with other departments and/or managers.

But, as Wilson points out, such events should only be used to perpetuate a "team" atmosphere that is already part of a deeper understanding between individuals and departments. If two employees are at odds, a company barbecue isn't likely to mend their differences.

Sidebar: (use middle to end):

Effectively Managing Differences

1. Clarify points of view

2. Define areas of agreement

3. Define areas of disagreement

4. Take steps to resolve differences

Information provided by BPM International