Small-Office Work Conflicts Require Steady, Swift Action

Companies of every size strive to maintain a workforce that's happy and conflict free, but small businesses in particular seem to be prone to interpersonal flare-ups and strife. "In a small company, interrelationships are more critical than in a larger enterprise," says Pamela Lenehan, president of Massachusetts-based strategy consulting firm Ridge Hill Consulting. "People work more closely together, and often for longer hours. Conflicts are inevitable." When they occur, Lenehan suggests tackling the issue by making up very specific suggestions that will alleviate the negative feelings at play. For example, if someone is seen as diffident, a manager can ask them to talk more in meetings, or help to plan an event that requires them to speak with every employee. If conflict is arising out of perception that one person has less work to do than others – which is a very common issue, Lenehan adds – then mapping out work responsibilities and making sure everyone knows about the contributions of others can reduce resentment. New employees sometimes have trouble fitting in, and become a source of conflict inadvertently. "Don't wait six months for a first talk about how they behave in the office," says Lenehan. "A month after someone starts, you can begin to give them pieces of advice about how they act. We're always afraid of hurting people's feelings, but being honest creates harmony in the workplace in the long run." To help prevent conflict from starting, Lenehan advises companies to create a more stringent interviewing process, and get other employees involved. Also, as painful as it might be, if someone isn't working out, you shouldn't be afraid to cut them loose. "Small companies in particular are slow to fire people," says Lenehan. "In fact, they should be quicker. If someone is disruptive or doesn't get along with the team, it's going to affect the whole business." Another tactic for preventing conflicts from happening is to set an example of behavior, says Roger Okerman, CEO of Minnesota-based 1st Regents Bank. He makes an effort to say "good morning" to every employee, ask about kids and vacation plans, and generally show a level of friendliness that is expected of everyone. "People watch managers for cues as to how they should act," he says. "Take those couple minutes to treat people decently, and they'll do the same to each other." In general, whether employing prevention strategies or tackling an ongoing problem, you should act quickly. As a veteran in the industry, Okerman has seen what can happen when conflicts are allowed to fester. "Irritations and personality conflicts are common," he says. "But often at small companies managers are so busy that they put off dealing with it, and then it's too late. You have employees that hate each other." Making sure that proper conflict-resolution procedures are in place, and employing some tactics to prevent interpersonal trouble, can help a small company stay strong, and its employees stay friendly.