10 Signs of Conflict at Work
Did you know that throughout 2022, voluntary turnover continued to be higher than pre-pandemic?
High turnover is typically a sign of a toxic work environment. A 2022 survey found that leaving a toxic environment was the #1 reason people changed jobs or were looking for a new job. In toxic work environments, there is often conflict.
So how do you recognize conflict at work?
Managers need to be better informed about early signs of conflict - that’s the focus of this list.
Disagreements. Not to state the obvious, but conflict is a disagreement! Many people only recognize this when the disagreement gets more intense than a simply stated difference of opinion. The thing about disagreements is that they can be vital to a thriving, innovative workplace - it’s only when disagreements are not handled in a way that allows each person to feel understood, that they may escalate. The people in disagreement may become quiet - but that doesn’t mean the issue is resolved.
Slow work. When one person is waiting, and waiting, and waiting for another team member to do a thing, this may be a sign of conflict. Conflicts are distracting, so if a conflict is a root cause of this, it may not even be with the person waiting on the work!
Rude emails, texts, slack messages, etc. I hope you consider this obvious - but even if you do - how many times have you chosen to talk to the person who was rude about what they said or how they said it? Consider intervening the next time you observe rudeness, and do it with compassion and curiosity. In many stressful environments, rudeness is a symptom, not a cause.
Ignoring people. When you see one coworker ignore another, speak up with curiosity and compassion again. This especially applies to chit-chat! When someone makes small talk, they are attempting to make a connection. Some folks are less comfortable with chit-chat, but outright ignoring these attempts is usually a sign of unhappiness - and can be a sign of conflict. Either way, it’s worth a conversation.
Withdrawal. When a colleague or direct report avoids conversations - is always “heads down, working.” Ok, they may just be that busy - but odds are, something else is going on. At its extreme, withdrawal also looks like absenteeism and presenteeism - which is not actually “heads down, working” at all, even when people want to give that impression.
Tattling or blaming. If you’ve got someone who is always telling you what other people did, or blaming someone else for their poor work, this is likely a sign of conflict. Typically, this person genuinely believes someone else did something “bad” and likely never confronted them about it.
Debater dominance. The debater on your team is dominating conversations. Sometimes, people just enjoy debating, or “playing devil’s advocate.” If you have someone like this on your team, and they tend to dominate conversations - that’s a sign that their approach to conversation is seen as combative to others.
Visible signs of anger, like yelling. I caution you on this one: Sometimes visible signs of anger, in an intensity that seems inappropriate to the situation, has nothing to do with a workplace conflict - but it is always something to talk with the person about, when they’ve calmed down, one-on-one.
Gripe sessions, especially when even regular sessions with authority figures become gripe sessions. Complaints are an expression of a need. If your team is coming together and prefers to spend this synchronous time complaining, there are definitely underlying issues that need to be addressed.
Gossip. If you feel like the team you lead is very into gossip, there is likely a reason behind that, and it’s probably conflict. People gossip to regain a sense of control or to exert control over others. In conflict-ridden workplaces, gossip runs rampant. Talking with people individually about their jobs and what they struggle with is a good approach here.
If you’re dealing with any of these and aren’t sure how to proceed, let us help - a free half hour of discussion will help you take the first steps to better understand your team, connect with them, and unearth the conflict - the first step to resolving it!
