When you start hiring employees, inevitably conflicts will arise. It's important to handle these problems in a fair, balanced manner so that your employees feel validated and better about the situation and your company can continue functioning. The myths identified below could delay resolutions and lead to big problems if they are believed.

Myth: Let Them Resolve It Alone

You may not want to get involved in the problems between two of your workers. In fact, you may think that as adults, they will work out whatever the problem is without your input. However, when problems remain unaddressed among employees, they can become worse. Their conflict may end up ensnaring other employees and prevent work from getting done. The entire atmosphere of the office can become toxic.

Instead, get involved as soon as you are aware that there's a problem. You might not call the employees involved in for a dispute resolution session right away, but you should at least talk with each person separately about their interpretation of the issue and monitor their interactions. Ultimately, there may indeed be a reason to require a more formal solution.

Myth: The Problem Is Strictly Personal

Your immediate thought is likely that the root of your employees' problem is merely the result of personalities clashing. However, there might be some company-related issues that are causing or contributing to their conflict. For example, if you haven't hired enough staff and employees are arguing about who has more work on their hands, that is a situation that could be alleviated by bringing on more workers to help share the load. If you fail to examine how the company could be a factor in employee conflicts, the conflicts may continue much longer than necessary.

Myth: The "Difficult" Employee Deserves The Blame

It's easy to assume that any conflict involving someone who has caused trouble in the past is due to that person's behavior. However, your preconceived notions about this difficult employee based on past encounters could cloud your judgment and affect any decisions you make about what's happening now. In that situation, you might need to involve a professional to help address the problem fairly.

These myths can allow conflicts between employees to keep going. Consider consulting a business dispute resolution service when you need to resolve business conflicts between employees. It may be the best way to handle the problem and get everyone working together once again.

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