Organizations are always looking for ways to improve performance. They need look no further than their employees. If the organization has good leadership, good communication and happy and motivated employees, it will be successful. These things can be accomplished by having emotionally intelligent leaders, a good communication strategy, and incentivized employees.
Effective leaders usually have many positive traits, but one that stands out is emotional intelligence. Recognizing one’s own emotions and empathizing with one’s employees’ emotions is the most important leadership trait for managing conflict. David (2014) of the Harvard Business Review says, “Emotions aren’t just the result of a workplace conflict. In fact, emotions usually are the conflict. They need to be acknowledged and planned for. Recognizing emotions, assessing their impact on thinking, understanding them, and managing them is a roadmap for navigating through those often-murky (and anxiety-provoking) waters” (David, 2014). Even though many of us have been taught to bottle up our emotions especially in the workplace, it turns out, that is not a great idea.
Emotions are bound to surface at some point, and if they have been suppressed prior to the surfacing, it is likely the conflict will be great. David (2014) points out that suppressing one’s emotions can lead to bad results because emotions that are not expressed find other ways to come to the surface such as through sarcasm, memory issues, difficulty in relationships and physical health problems.
Good leaders recognize emotions, both their own and others. They are able to assess the impact of emotions on their own behavior and on the behavior of employees. Negative emotions, for example can result in criticism and fault-finding. Positive emotions can support thinking about the big picture, brainstorming and other creative endeavors (David, 2014). Leaders with emotional intelligence are able to find positive aspects of any situation and that can help their followers to relax, listen and engage. Leaders need to understand the emotions of their employees and learn strategies to manage them (David, 2014). That is why a leader with emotional intelligence is a must in conflict situations in the workplace.
It is important to have a communication strategy that is part of the business strategy. This ensures that messages are communicated consistently, helps to establish a brand, and deliver messages from the highest levels of the organization that are keeping with the organization’s mission, values and culture. Effective communication also helps to build employee morale, helps employees to understand the terms of their employment and helps them to be more committed and loyal to the organization. Communication can also give a voice to employees.
To establish an effective communication strategy there are several steps to take. The website, SHRM (2018) says an organization should start with the top and move down so that the senior management staff can set the tone. If necessary, communication vehicles should be used and methods for generating feedback are also useful. Using communication materials that are easy for everyone to understand are also necessary (SHRM, 2018). Everybody in the organization should be involved in a communication strategy and even the key leaders should be coached if necessary. It is especially important for managers who interact with employees of all levels every day to know how to communicate effectively. SHRM (2018) suggest across the board training including for managers and top executives. Such training could include communication policies, writing and presentation skills, responding to employee issues and dealing with external media (SHRM, 2018). Finally, the results of any strategy should be evaluated and adjusted if necessary.
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