International Workplace Study Reveals Employees Want Conflict Managed

Interviews with 5,000 full-time employees in Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States revealed that a majority of employees (85%) have to deal with conflict to some degree and 29% do so "always" or "frequently." Although Ombuds are not mentioned as a solution per se, employees clearly are seeking Ombuds-type conflict resources. When asked, "What could managers do to address conflict at work more effectively?" the responses would seem to describe Ombuds:

• Identify and address underlying tensions before things go wrong (54%)
• More informal one-to-one conversations with people they manage (42%)
• Act as mediators when conflict develops (40%)

The data indicates that training is the biggest driver for high-quality outcomes from conflict. The report is full of valuable information for people who manage workplace conflict. (Fight, Flight or Face It?: Celebrating the Effective Management of Conflict at Work, via Bill Warter's Campus-ADR Tech Blog.)