Most workplace conflict starts here
The one big thing that keeps causing conflict at work - unmet needs.
Photo by The Wilson Media Co.
Most of the time, it's a need you either didn't realize you had or didn't communicate to the other people involved.
I call these preventable conflicts because I fully believe if we had more productive conversations, we'd be able to prevent the majority of our workplace conflict.
Conflict doesn't have to look like a heated argument between two people. It can look like resentment, disengagement, bickering, gossip, miscommunications, and even burnout.
Now, let's look at the most common unmet needs that I see and how they cause conflict:
Unmet need #1: Clear expectations
How it shows up...
Lack of job description or roles and responsibilities - there may have been a job description when the person applied to the role (or maybe not even then) but the daily and long-term expectations of the role are no longer clear. This can cause confusion, miscommunications, and micromanagement within a team.
Unclear priorities - when team members don't know what's most important for them to work on, they often have poor boundaries, take on too much work, or prioritize whatever is easiest for them. This can cause disconnects in the team, burnout, and resentment.
Inconsistent (or no) accountability - when team members aren't held accountable for their work or results, they can start to rely on other people to fix their mistakes or stop putting in their best effort. This can cause resentment, blame, and gossip across the team.
Unmet need #2: Clear communication
How it shows up...
Implicit communication - vague or subjective language (assumptions, opinions, judgments) that can be interpreted in multiple ways. The individual receiving it may take something personally even when that wasn't the intent, or it may cause numerous miscommunications and distrust in the team.
Unaddressed underperformance - letting issues or mistakes continue without addressing the root problem or providing feedback to the person. Resentment builds across the team and the underperforming individual may not even be aware.
Unproductive or unhelpful criticism - giving feedback to people that is subjective, personal, unrelated, or vague. This can cause the person receiving it to become defensive, shut down, and lose trust in the person giving the feedback.
Unmet need #3: Strategic planning
How it shows up...
Inequitable workload across the team - some team members are consistently being asked to take on too much work and others not enough. This can cause distrust, resentment, and burnout.
Last minute requests - when the team or leader hasn't planned far enough in advance, the team is always reacting to external requests and last minute demands. This causes stress, miscommunications, and burnout.
Lack of resources - when the leader hasn't planned for the long-term needs of the team so the team isn't able to get the resources it needs to grow (like budgeting, headcount, software, training, etc.). This can cause the team to distrust the leader, become disengaged, and burnout.
Start with a quick reflection of these nine causes of workplace conflict. Which of these do you need to focus on to prevent or manage conflict on your team?
If team conflict has become a pattern instead of a one-off problem, let’s talk - book a discovery call to explore how we can address the root causes and create healthier team dynamics.
Brittany Canaski is a highly-rated Leadership Coach, Trainer, and Founder of Hello Velocity where she builds confident leaders and high-performing teams. When she's not building her business, you can find her planning her next travel adventure with her husband, watching Formula 1 racing, or volunteering in her local community of Charlotte, NC.
