Managing Staff Conflict

05/26/2009

Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
Helen Keller

In her Exchange article "Referee or Team Builder?", which in included in the new Exchange CEU kit, "Teamwork," Yvonne Jeffries gives this advice on managing conflict in a child care setting...

"Managing staff conflict effectively begins with a clear understanding of how your organization views conflict and how it expects conflict to be managed. This becomes the framework for how directors, regardless of comfort level, manage conflicts.

"Effective directors make expectations as clear as possible. They do not concentrate on feelings and the personal aspect of the relationship. They do not focus on changing attitudes. Instead, they help employees problem-solve so they can get at the root cause of the conflict while managing their emotions. When conflict is managed in this way, employees can afford to view conflict as a natural part of the creative process.

"One cannot talk about staff conflict meaningfully without talking about organizational culture. An organization that addresses conflict directly through planning meetings, individual and group supervision, written communication, and policies and procedures, is more likely to resolve its conflicts constructively. When staff at all levels of an organization have authority that is commensurate with their level of responsibility, the potential for conflict decreases and the potential for constructive resolution increases."

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