Preventing Conflicts in the Workplace Before They Escalate

• Step in early. Small problems spread fast if you leave them. A short talk now saves time and cost later.
• Be clear on tasks. Give one owner, one deadline and what “good” looks like. Share any change with everyone at the same time.
• Make handovers tight. Use a simple checklist and a brief overview so questions get answered before people leave.
• Set priorities in the open. Pause low-value work and limit the number of tasks each person handles at once. Show where the work is stuck.
• Use mediation for workable disputes. Keep it voluntary and neutral, agree on actions and dates and use formal routes for serious cases.

Conflict rarely starts big; it usually starts small, with a slight, a missed handover or a sharp email. It grows when it is ignored.

Research shows that workplace conflict costs UK businesses about £28.5 billion annually, which is more than £1,000 per employee.

Acting early cuts this risk. Most cases resolve with short steps when someone intervenes early and keeps the focus on practical solutions.

Here are some early warning signs you should watch out for:

• Change in Behaviour: Someone goes quiet in meetings, avoids a colleague or reacts fast to minor issues.
• Communication: Sharper tone in emails, slow replies, side-channel messages or people copying in managers to score points.
• Work: Missed handovers, rework on simple tasks, more errors, blame at changeover.
• Team: Meetings run tense, ideas get shut down, small cliques form or people stop sharing updates.
• Attendance: Late starts, more short-notice leave or sudden sickness around joint tasks.

Conflicts rarely appear overnight. They tend to build from underlying problems. Managers who understand the causes are better placed to prevent escalation.

Confusion often lies at the heart of conflict. Vague instructions, inconsistent feedback or decisions not explained properly can frustrate staff. For example, if you give conflicting deadlines to different team members, resentment can build quickly.

How to Solve This: Give clear, written instructions and one agreed deadline. State the owner, the task and what good looks like. Share changes with everyone at the same time. Use short, regular updates and ask for a quick repeat-back to confirm understanding.

When roles are vague, people step on each other’s work. Tasks get duplicated or missed. Deadlines slip because no one feels true ownership.

How to Solve This: Define roles in writing. Give each task a single owner and list support roles. Set due dates and handover points, then share the list with the team. Review it when things change so everyone knows who does what and by when.

Handovers lack detail, so work moves between shifts or teams without the information needed to continue. The next person guesses and reworks the task and blame follows at changeover.

How to Solve This: Use a simple checklist for every handover. Add a brief overlap so questions get answered before people leave. Record owner, status, next step, risks and due time and keep it in one place where the team can access.

Too much work with too few people creates pressure. Teams cut corners and jump queues to cope, which fuels resentment and errors. Deadlines slip and quality drops.

How to Solve This: Discuss priorities openly and agree on what to do first. Put low-value tasks on hold. Set a clear limit on how many tasks each person or team works on at once. Show where work is stuck so leaders can add help or remove obstacles. Keep one shared task list where every task has a named owner and a clear due date.

Not all clashes are about tasks. People have different working styles. One person gives blunt instructions and another reads it as disrespect. Small irritations build over time if no one addresses them.

How to Solve This: Set clear team norms for communication and feedback. Ask each person to share simple working preferences and agree on how to handle disagreements. Hold short check-ins to surface friction early and use a manager or neutral colleague to mediate before it escalates.

Feeling overlooked or treated unequally triggers conflict. Missed promotions, inconsistent rewards and favouritism feed resentment. In the UK, this can also increase the risk of discrimination and legal action when protected characteristics are involved.

How to Solve This: Make decisions and criteria transparent. Use clear, written standards for promotion and rewards, apply them consistently and record reasons. Offer feedback and an appeal route. Track outcomes for patterns, train managers on fair process and act quickly when concerns are raised.

Distance hides tone and intent, which may lead to miscommunication. Short messages are often read as sharp. When cameras stay off, interactions feel distant and trust fades. Time zones slow replies and important details can get missed.

How to Solve This: Use video for sensitive topics and switch on the camera for key calls. Set core hours across time zones. End messages with what you need and by when. Write a short summary of the decisions and next steps, including the owner and due time and ask for a quick repeat-back to confirm understanding.

Mediation is a structured conversation led by a neutral person. It is voluntary and confidential. The mediator does not take sides or make decisions. They guide the discussion so the people involved agree on clear actions.

Use it to clear up misunderstandings, lower tension and get work moving. It can help you avoid formal grievances, save time and money and protect working relationships.

Do not use it for criminal matters, fraud, safeguarding risks or serious misconduct.

You can mediate if both people trust you and you are not part of the issue.

When acting as a mediator, you must stay neutral and guide the talk. You must not try to decide the outcome.

If you feel you’re not able to mediate or aren’t the right person for the job, ask someone else. Consult HR or another manager who isn’t involved.

Start by explaining what mediation is and why it could help resolve the issue. Make it clear that mediation is voluntary, meaning participants can choose whether to engage in the process. Emphasise that everything discussed will be confidential to create a safe space. Get a clear “yes” from both individuals to proceed.

Decide whether you will mediate or choose someone neutral (HR, another manager, or an external). It’s important to check for any conflicts of interest to ensure fairness. Let both people know who the mediator will be.

Send each participant a brief note outlining the mediation process, including the steps involved, ground rules and the desired outcome. Ask each person to provide a short summary of the issue from their perspective and what they hope to achieve. Make sure to book a private meeting space or secure a video slot for a confidential conversation.

Before the joint session, the mediator should meet with each person separately. This allows them to hear each person’s view in a private setting, explain the mediation rules and confirm their goals for the process. During these meetings, the mediator can also discuss any short-term adjustments to ensure the work environment remains safe while mediation is underway.

When both people meet, begin by clearly stating the session’s purpose and reviewing the ground rules. Each participant should be allowed to speak without interruption, ensuring that both sides feel heard. Reflect back the key points shared to confirm understanding and make sure there is no miscommunication.

In neutral terms, list the problems that need to be addressed (for example, missed handovers, unclear deadlines or issues with email tone). Prioritise these problems, focusing on the most pressing ones and agree on what a positive outcome looks like for both parties.

Come up with practical solutions to address the issues identified. For each solution, assign a responsible person, set a due date and decide how progress will be measured. This ensures that everyone is clear on the actions needed to move forward.

Write a concise agreement outlining the actions, owners, deadlines and how follow-ups will be conducted. Share this with the participants and if they agree, with their manager or HR. Store the agreement in a place where everyone can access it for future reference.

After 2–4 weeks, schedule a follow-up meeting to check on progress. Review what has been completed, address any remaining issues and adjust deadlines if necessary. Decide whether another follow-up is required to ensure the solution is working effectively.

Practical knowledge and skills can help you resolve conflicts of all sizes in a way that is most productive and agreeable for both parties.

Our Conflict Resolution Training equips managers and supervisors with detailed guidance to spot signs of conflict and respond with everyone’s best interest in mind. It teaches de-escalation techniques and when to use mediation.

Take the course today and learn how to resolve conflicts before they escalate.