Reducing Friction at Work

Workplace conflicts, much like mechanical friction, require the right kind of intervention. Just as a car engine, a bicycle chain and a door hinge each need a specific lubricant to operate effectively, workplace challenges demand tailored conflict resolution strategies. The effectiveness of an intervention depends on the unique circumstances of the conflict, just as an engine may specify a particular grade of oil to operate at its best. In the following sections, I’ll outline different types of interventions, including when they work best and when they may fall short.

General Training in Conflict

Organizations sometimes approach the JAMS Pathways team seeking general professional development training for conflict resolution, even when their needs may require a more tailored approach. Our response is always the same. We don’t believe that one size fits all. Every program we design is tailored to the unique challenges, roles and objectives of the trainees. We conduct interviews with putative trainees and learn about the problems they face, the obstacles to overcoming those problems, the personnel involved, past trainings that have worked and not worked, and more. Our goal is to use examples that resonate with their needs. While some training organizations use examples about car buying or even hiring opera singers (the famous “Sally Soprano” simulation), we prefer to talk to medical professionals about health care, to teachers about education and to construction workers about building things.

Through these interviews, we often uncover deeper, systemic conflicts that require a strategic intervention rather than just training. As professionals, we have a responsibility to inform our clients when a training session alone will not adequately address their needs.

Sure, olive oil may help a key operate a little more smoothly in a lock, but it will also attract dust and dissipate quickly.

That said, when an organization is functioning well and wants to function optimally, learning about conflict prevention and resolution is a terrific intervention. And when anyone is promoted to supervisor, it’s very useful for them to learn how to manage people. Great players don’t always make great coaches; the skill sets are different. One of the skills of a great manager is conflict resolution, and a smart new manager (or their manager) is wise to include conflict resolution education in their new role.

Psychological Safety Workshops 

When an organization is failing or flailing or simply not fulfilling its potential, it may be because employees don’t feel safe raising concerns, sharing new ideas, receiving feedback or even being in meetings. Or perhaps they feel comfortable doing these things with their peers, but not with their supervisors. When anyone in the organization is nervous or feels inhibited around anyone else in their work environment, morale and productivity may suffer and the organization may face problems with retention.

If any of these issues is present in your workplace, it may be an opportunity to conduct a workshop focused on psychological safety to foster open communication and strengthen team dynamics. A skilled trainer will not only teach about the value and mechanics of psychological safety, but they will also model how to create a safe space. They may be able to work with leadership to devise rules and procedures that lend themselves to a workplace in which all employees are liberated to bring their best, whole selves to the job.

However, if leadership isn’t willing to take risks, make changes, model best practices, and enforce rules and policies even-handedly, a psychological safety workshop may not only fail to have the desired impact, but it may also be seen as a hypocritical gesture—“good for the lower levels, but not for the important folks.” So, while these types of workshops have the potential to create a lot of good, that will be the case only if leadership is ready to step up.

Phased Engagements/Longer Interventions

Not all conflicts can be resolved in a single session. Complex, multilayered disputes often require a structured, phased approach involving multiple stakeholder groups. In these situations, it’s helpful to engage a process architect (PA), who can help design and guide you through a multiphase process.

The initial phases focus on comprehensive assessment, so we attain a deep understanding of the conflict’s root causes before moving toward resolution. In the first phase, the PA is brought up to speed by people with an interest in resolving the issue. The PA enters into an agreement to maintain confidentiality whereby they can learn at least one side of the story from a group of interested participants. In our experience, this phase can last anywhere from a week to a month.

In the second phase, the PA expands the group so that all relevant stakeholders are included—especially those who may have been unintentionally overlooked. This process, known as “correcting the membership,” is essential for a balanced and effective resolution. The second phase also may involve investigation and background reading. During this part of the process, the PA will likely learn many sides of the story. It’s said there are two sides to every conflict, but sometimes there may be many more.

When a group is small—for example, a 12-person board—phases one and two are generally combined. When a group is much larger, such as in a matter involving multiple departments, the phases are necessarily distinct.

At the end of the second phase, once the PA has gathered as much information as possible, they will create a proposal for action. This may be a simple plan—a workshop or two, a facilitated meeting or two—or it may be much more comprehensive. Our shortest engagements at Pathways have taken as little as four weeks from start to completion, and our longest engagements have spanned multiple years. Among the latter cases, one successful engagement that was designed to take six to nine months was expanded midstream by the client, which led to a mission to help change organizational culture across all departments.

And finally, once phase three is complete, the PA will prepare a report.

Inherent in all the longer engagements is the creation of a plan to build buy-in and increase engagement as well as a communication plan so that all stakeholders have all the information they need when they need it.

One of the advantages of working with an experienced team (like ours) is that it can be very cost-effective. If you (the client) receive the phase two proposal and decide to attack only parts of the phase three plan or perhaps none of it at all, you’ve paid only for diagnostics—nothing more. It’s like taking your car to a mechanic. You may pay a small fee for them to tell you what’s wrong and provide an estimate for completing the repairs, but you are free to take your car to another mechanic, fix it yourself, authorize the mechanic to complete only some of the repairs or do nothing.

The right intervention can turn workplace conflict from a disruptive force into an opportunity for growth, collaboration and operational efficiency. Understanding your options is key. When in doubt, seek professional guidance to secure the best outcome for your organization.