Going Bigger Than Group Bonding: Preventing Conflict at Work

The workplace is a zone of contact between all kinds of people with all kinds of ideas. Whether these are differences in politics, worldview, or just working styles, these differences can potentially lead to negatively disruptive conflicts in your workplace. But this isn't how things have to be. There are some things to consider if you want to prevent conflicts in your workplace.

Go Bigger than Group Bonding

Let's face it, we've all been in terrible meetings that are meant to inspire team spirit and get people to bond. More often than not, those meetings are an exercise in futility. The reason? Simply that getting people into a room and having them play a game together can be a fun distraction from work, but it can also just be that: a distraction. Bonding activities are mostly a waste of time because they lack the most important piece: the bigger picture.

Imagine the Bigger Picture

Not everyone on a team is going to be the same, but they will need to have the same goals in mind. If they don't, it's hard to put differences aside. Basically, nothing draws people together across differences like having a big picture goal they are all working toward. If your employees have a goal and a deadline, and they feel that they are contributing meaningfully to the work, then they will actually want to come together to accomplish the task. People are willing to put all sorts of differences aside when they feel they are working towards something, and your employees are no different.

Of course, there are some other things to consider here. Conflict might also be arising from employees who feel that there is no larger goal or who feel that they are being prevented from meaningful contribution. If that's the case, then maybe looking internally at why your employees feel like they don't have a goal might be important. Maybe your employees feel like they are being held back, or maybe bright people are in need of a promotion.

Chances are, the people that work in your business are there because you hired them. Conflicts are often a sign of some deeper trouble that might need repairing before people can feel like they are part of a team.

Here at HireVibe, we believe that everyone can act as a team if they feel inspired by their bigger picture. That's why we focus on helping people become inspired in what they do. Feel free to reach out to us to learn more about our services.