• Workplace conflict can harm department morale.conflict image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com
  
  Workplaces can be stressful environments, and conflicts between workers are bound to occur sooner or later. As a manager, you bear the responsibility of looking for signs of conflict and resolving it before it escalates and causes dysfunction in your work area. To help you in your conflict resolution duties, a few tips may be of help.
  
  

Early Intervention

• Make an effort to stop workplace conflict early before it can escalate into an ugly situation. For example, if you observe two employees making pointed or inappropriate comments to each other during a meeting, it could be a sign that a conflict between the two is developing. Be sure to talk with both of them when the meeting concludes.
  
  

Recognize Employees

• Sometimes petty jealousies may develop in the workplace because a worker may not feel that his efforts are appreciated as much as those of another, such as when not being chosen for a promotion. By expressing your appreciation to the worker for all of his hard work, you can take some of the sting out of the situation. You can also reward him by offering him a special assignment or putting him in charge of an important project.
  
  

Find Common Ground

• Two employees who are working on the same project may have a disagreement over one aspect of the project, which can lead to conflict. If this occurs, point out to each employee the areas that they agree upon and highlight the progress that they have made so far by working together. This serves to magnify their accomplishments and make their area of disagreement seem insignificant by comparison.
  
  

Implement a Process

• Implement a process to be used for resolving conflict and make it known to all your employees. For example, if two workers find themselves in a disagreement, the process may be to schedule a meeting with their manager to find a solution. This can prevent the conflict from escalating to a point where a solution may be unattainable.
  
  

Don't Take Sides

• Even if you believe that one person is right and the other is wrong, do not give the impression that you are taking sides. Be sure to listen to both sides of the argument, and ask questions of each party to show that you understand both positions. If you can not find common ground and are forced to make a decision that favors one worker over the other, convey clear, logical reasons for your decision.