Conflict is a common occurrence among teams, especially in the initial storming phase of team development. While some types of conflict can inspire creativity and growth, the vast majority of team conflict is harmful to working teams and the organization as a whole.
Our earlier blog outlined the CAUSES of interpersonal conflict on teams. But what about the impacts of these conflicts? Unaddressed and unresolved interpersonal tensions and toxic behaviors can lead to organizational failure. A subtle slight, an argument over a project’s deliverables or gossip over perceived unfair advantages can all trigger the following impacts.
- Negatively Harm Team Performance
The tension and heightened emotions that result from conflict can lower team members’ satisfaction, increase frustration and lead to poor judgment. In fact, workplace conflict is one of the leading reasons for turnover. This then results in additional costs for recruitment, onboarding and training, as well as the loss of productivity and momentum.
- Cause Employees to Feel Disengaged, Distrustful and Unmotivated
Engagement, trust and motivation are key factors in responsive, high-performing and forward-thinking teams. When conflict is left unaddressed, employees can lose trust not only in their fellow team members, but also in management and the organization as a whole. This can result in partial or complete disengagement, followed by a lack of motivation. This growing distrust can lead some to eschew team norms; colleagues may begin to arrive late for meetings and withdraw from participation in discussions.
- Hinder Collaboration & Halt Productivity
Communication can suffer when people withdraw from the group and withhold participation. This leads to poor collaboration on interdependent tasks, which can halt overall productivity. A member’s withdrawal from the team can then require the assignment of a new member or create a resource scarcity, making it difficult for the team to achieve its goals. In extreme cases, unaddressed conflict can lead to the complete inability of the team to properly function, and thus its disbandment.
- Create Long-Term Operational Friction among Teams
While most conflict can be described as short-term squabbles, many teams report experiencing an undercurrent of conflict for months (and sometimes years). When conflict continues to fester, it severely complicates the functioning of a team. Unmanaged, the ripple effect of conflict may extend across the entire organization.
How Can Innolect Help?
The ripple effect of negative conflict can be fast, dangerous and far-reaching. Even when tension between two members is not widely discussed or known by management, its impact can be felt by all. Since working teams are made up of human interactions, conflict is a given. But the impact of those conflicts can be successfully curtailed with effective management.
Read our previous blog to understand the main triggers and causes of conflict in the workplace (Interpersonal Conflict on Your Team: The Causes), and keep an eye out for upcoming blogs on the solutions to interpersonal conflict and how to harness conflict to fuel your team’s creativity.
At Innolect, we help build the foundation for you to bring your best self to work, and we thrive on building high-integrity workplaces. The bottom line? We are committed to helping leaders live with purpose as they develop and grow themselves, their teams and their organizations. Learn more about our approaches HERE.
Given interpersonal conflict within your working teams can be difficult to manage, our Innolect consultants are available to help you handle them with grace. To set up a consultation or training, contact us today. Additionally, our products and assessments help leaders develop the skills and capabilities needed to grow exponentially. Consider ordering our latest book for you and your team: Ignite Your Imagination: 21 Ways to Learn.
Contact us to schedule a consultation:
https://innolectinc.com/contact-us/
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innolect@innolectinc.com