The 5 Types of Workplace Conflict And How to Resolve Them

Conflict in the workplace is unavoidable, but leaving it unresolved is not an option.

Strong personalities might clash over key decisions, whole teams can passively resist the implementation of policies they dislike and individual employees can “quiet quit” because of toxic bosses/colleagues or because they don’t feel like they have clear objectives. Allowing these problems to fester and grow can create a toxic work environment that’s sure to have a severe impact on company morale and performance. 

Nobody wants that.

These disputes can happen in any department and between anyone, which is why this isn’t a problem you can just outsource to HR. All managers and team leaders need to be equipped with the skills to handle these kinds of situations.

In order to do that, you must first understand the different types of conflict that can occur in the workplace and what are the strategies best suited to resolving them.

Here are five common types of workplace conflict and how to best tackle them.

1. Interpersonal Conflict

What Is It: A clash between two strong, stubborn personalities with opposing ideas and values.

What Does It Look Like: Heated arguments, passive-aggressive behavior, or deliberate obstruction at work. These conflicts can become visible and ugly very quickly.

SOLUTION: Mediation session between both parties with senior leadership presiding to highlight problematic behavior, clarify root of tension and attempt reconciliation.

2. Task-Based Conflict

What Is It: Essentially, a persistent disagreement on how to get work done on any given project.

What Does It Look Like: A dysfunctional project where no one knows who’s responsible for anything. With missed deadlines, misaligned strategy and goals and general miscommunication.

SOLUTION: Managers must quickly clarify the roles and responsibilities of all parties. Delegating the right people to the appropriate roles to prevent overlap. Ensure that project timelines and strategic preferences are well-understood.

3. Leadership Conflict

What Is It: Tensions and disputes between leaders or between managers and employees.

What Does It Look Like: If unresolved, leadership conflicts can lead to stalled decision-making, personal attacks and a mutual undermining of one another's authority. With ripple effects for team cohesion and overall organizational discipline

SOLUTION: Leadership conflict can often be a symptom of a larger problem within an organization’s work culture. There is no quick fix solution, but it’s highly recommended that HR or an external consultant be brought in to mediate high-stakes disputes and identify root causes of the problem. Training in emotional intelligence and conflict management should also be mandated organization-wide as a preventive measure.

4. Value-Based Conflict

What Is it: Individuals or groups in the workplace clashing over different values rooted in personal beliefs and ethics.

What Does It Look Like: Team members raise concerns about the nature of a certain policy or decision that violates their principles.

SOLUTION: Acknowledge party grievances respectfully and create space for dialogue. Rationalize company decision-making and reaffirm your company's commitment to its core values.

5. Resource Conflict

What Is It: Competition over limited budget, manpower and time.

What Does It Look Like: Friction between different departments over who gets access to shared but limited resources. Such as funding, personnel, office space and specific equipment.

SOLUTION: Management must either clarify resource allocation rationale or conduct a new cost-benefit analysis that results in different rotating access to resources. Such conflict is common, but if new resources aren’t available, the best option is to ensure a fair, transparent management process.

These are just some of the types of workplace conflict all organizations experience. Especially those in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. Some of them are inevitable, but that isn’t an excuse to ignore them until you have a full-blown crisis on your hands. Unresolved conflict can slowly damage morale and corrode professional relationships until a team is no longer cohesive.

All leaders and teams must be equipped with the necessary skills to recognize and constructively respond to workplace conflict wherever they find it.

At the risk of sounding cliche, conflict is an opportunity for growth. A chance to improve how an organization proactively manages and resolves disputes to everyone's mutual benefit. All workplace conflict reveals gaps in leadership, communication and procedures. Closing those gaps gives you the chance to create a more collaborative, dynamic and emotionally intelligent organization better prepared to handle disputes in the future.