Tit for tat: 5 tips for dealing with office conflict.

• Author: Sutherland, Spencer
• Position: EntrepreneurEdge

Human resources is a tough job, filled with a million thankless tasks like enforcing the dress code, explaining the insurance premium hikes and, of course, dealing with quarrelling coworkers. With so many different personalities in an office--not to mention different opinions, beliefs and favorite football teams--it's easy to see how conflicts could arise.

"Conflict, whether it's at home or at the workplace, creates stressful situations that don't allow people to perform at their personal best," explains Summer Wilson, HR director at Mindshare Technologies, a feedback management firm that helps companies understand what their clients are thinking and feeling. "In the workplace, conflict makes it difficult for people to focus and fully engage, which obviously has a negative impact on everyone involved."

Because we're all going to have to deal with office conflict at some point or another, Wilson offers up five tips for dealing with it.

1. Lead by Example

   Workplace conflict generally falls into one of three categories: conflict between employees, conflict between employee(s) and manager(s), or conflict between leaders. While they're all problematic, Wilson says, conflict between leaders can be the most detrimental, as it can lead to disrupted morale and decreased productivity throughout the entire organization.

   Fortunately, the opposite is also true. "If leaders create a positive example and a culture of open communication between all employees, it can have a very positive trickle-down effect," she says. "Creating a culture where people can speak openly and respectfully challenge each other leads to trust, creativity and a healthy environment."

2. Hire the Right People

   One of the best ways to cut down on conflict is to simply hire the right people. "It's important to hire people who have emotional maturity, who can challenge ideas and handle conflict in a constructive and healthy manner," Wilson says. "A lot of responsibility falls on the shoulders of the individual employees to build great relationships with each other' Those relationships--forged in good times--become the glue that holds a team together when times get tough.

3. Take Time to De-stress

   Employees are much more likely to lash out when they're feeling stressed...