USING CONFLICT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE: As a manager, you should approach every conflict as an opportunity to improve employee relationships, to lessen tension in the workplace, and to eliminate long-standing problems. Learn to treat conflict as a natural dynamic in employee relationships: it often proves useful by forcing employees to solve problems. Problem-solving results in effective communication.

FIVE TIPS FOR DEFUSING CONFLICT: 1) Establish an employee assistance program where employees can go to solve problems. 2) Help your employees recognize that they share a common goal with other employees: To make the organization successful! This is their primary goal. If they keep this goal in sight any other issues should remain minimal or be perceived as less important. 3) Teach employees that when working, their productivity and contribution to the organization is more important than their personal status. 4) Instill openness between coworkers without asking them to confide too much. 5) Distribute tips for handling conflict and organize a workshop on conflict resolution.

HANDLING CONFLICT: Schedule a special employee meeting, or even an all-day retreat, and use a "neutral facilitator" (either from inside or outside the group) to help you through a program for dealing with the conflict.

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