There Are No Conflicts in Our Team


 When speaking with HR managers, I often hear, “We almost never have conflicts.” Team leaders tend to say the same thing.

Now, of course, not admitting the existence of problems—especially to strangers or providers of communication training—may seem rational. However, more often than not, I believe this answer is sincere.

The issue, however, lies in what we actually mean by the word “conflict.” For most people, it conjures up images of verbal and physical expressions of animosity or aggression. We would expect that open, widespread physical hostility is relatively rare in modern-day corporations. And when it does occur, it tends to go against the “company culture.”

But not all conflicts need to be expressed, and not all conflicts involve animosity from the outset.

Let’s start with something basic.

We have limited time to work and unlimited potential options for how to use that time. Every human being is unique. So, in any given task, it’s natural to expect team members to have different opinions on what should be done, how it should be done, and when it should be done.

Yes, sometimes—even often—there are open discussions in some companies. But we can’t dedicate the entire workday to hearing everyone’s opinions and reconciling them.

Then there are misunderstandings that go unexpressed. I may believe I’ve understood someone else’s intentions correctly, but I don’t always have the time or opportunity to check openly.

For many employees, these unspoken, undiscussed differences of opinion and hidden misunderstandings can accumulate over time. They can contribute to burnout, disengagement, a lack of information sharing, sabotage, and ultimately, resignation. They’ll also influence whether an employee will recommend—or badmouth—the company after they leave.

Therefore, assuming that everything is fine just because there are no open conflicts is risky. As HR professionals, our job is to proactively address misunderstandings and hidden conflicts before they snowball into negative consequences.

 

References

Allen, D. G., & Griffeth, R. W. (2001). Employee turnover and retention: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(5), 1134-1151. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.5.1134

De Dreu, C. K. W., & Gelfand, M. J. (2008). Conflict in the workplace: A dynamic perspective. International Journal of Conflict Management, 19(3), 210-232. https://doi.org/10.1108/10444060810877517

Fisher, R., Ury, W., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in (3rd ed.). Penguin Books.

Jehn, K. A. (1995). A multimethod examination of the benefits and detriments of intragroup conflict. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40(2), 256-282. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393395

Thomas, K. W. (1992). Conflict and conflict management: Reflections and update. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 13(3), 265-274. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030130307

 

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Communication Psychology: in small and practical lessons once a week.

With a focus on international and multilingual business conversations.

Gerhard Ohrband is a psychologist from Hamburg/Germany, specialized in Communication Psychology. He coaches individuals and companies worldwide (in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and Russian) on how to avoid costly misunderstandings and handle conflicts with employees and clients.

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