Why everyone in the workplace needs dispute resolution skills

In any workplace, being able to defuse conflict and resolve disputes is key to a smooth, productive environment.

While many organisations and businesses rely on an internal human resources team or the people and culture department to handle a disagreement, there are benefits to every employee possessing resolution skills.

According to The University of Western Australia Mediation Clinic Co-Director Darren Moroney, employees need to have their own dispute resolution skills.

He said the most significant benefits were reducing personal frustration, providing a sense of personal agency, reducing unresolved – or escalating – matters and increased independence.

“Disputes are a natural and common part of the workplace,” Dr Moroney said.

“They can include interpersonal matters, employee conduct or performance issues, strategic directions and decisions or the terms of an agreement or settlement.

“Dispute resolution skills can provide employees with the confidence and competence to approach these matters as they arise.”

What are dispute resolution skills?

Nationally accredited mediator and Taite Founder Tania Waters FAIM said vital dispute resolution skills were highly valued by employers as they enabled effective teamwork and collaboration.

“The ability to manage and resolve conflicts effectively requires a range of skills that are important in any workplace.” 

“They include communication skills – the ability to listen should not be underrated, as well as the ability to express yourself clearly," she said.

“Another is negotiation skills – finding mutually acceptable solutions to conflicts and the ability to compromise – as well as problem-solving skills to identify root causes and the ability to think up creative solutions.

“In addition to this is empathy, so you can build trust and create rapport and cultural competence to understand and respect cultural differences. 

“But, perhaps even more importantly, are the skills of self-regulation and self-determination.”

Ms Waters said these key skills contributed to an elevated level of customer service and led to innovative ideas and the ability to persuade others. 

“They are essential for change management initiatives and they’re fundamental to good mental health and a happy well-adjusted life,” she said.

“They’re vitally important, not just for conflict resolution but also for the effective running of any organisation.”

Deciding when to resolve a dispute yourself

Ms Waters pointed to listening, understanding the situation and self-reflection as a guide to knowing when to tackle a dispute yourself.

“A focus towards personal responsibility and away from blame of others helps to break the vicious cycle of conflict,” she said.

“Aside from issues of illegal acts and behaviour or a very large power imbalance between the parties, generally employees should try to resolve the conflict on their own first before engaging with others.”

Dr Moroney said leaving a dispute to a human resources department or management could be slow, formal and may impose top-down decisions, rather than bottom-up ones made by the employees themselves.

“Having resolution skills may also permit employees to narrow the issues or solve some aspects of the dispute on their own, rather than hoping human resources or management will be able to solve the entire issue, or will have the time and resources to do so, especially for recurring matters,” he said.

“The most important skill is being able to differentiate between the dispute and the intra-personal or inter-personal conflict, which might be inhibiting resolution.”

How to learn and develop dispute resolution skills

According to Ms Waters, training programs, online courses, reading books, mentoring and coaching are just some of the many ways employees can improve their skills.

She said at the top end, mediation training was a great way to grow your confidence in resolving conflicts.

For Dr Moroney, courses blending the psychology of conflict with traditional and contemporary approaches can assist people to find ways to understand each other and problem solve together.

“Supervision and debriefing with trusted colleagues is also one of the best forms of learning and support,” he said.

“I would encourage people to seek skills in remaining curious and working to understand why a dispute has arisen in the first place.

“Approaching disputes with the aims of understanding and cooperation can often improve relationships and lead to better outcomes, even in cases which initially seem intractable.”