The 15 most frequent problems and conflicts at work
People spend a lot of the day at work , and it is logical that, after so many hours, conflicts can be generated.
Conflicts are normal, but detecting and resolving them is key so that the work environment does not become a hell, because when we are bad at work our performance, our motivation or our feeling of belonging to the organization are affected.
Conflicts at work: which are the most common?
But, What are the most common conflicts in the workplace? What are the most frequent causes of these labor problems? Next we explain it to you.
1. Lack of teamwork
Teamwork is one of the competences most valued by recruiters, because when an employee works as a team, their creativity and learning improves, your stress level is reduced and performance and productivity increase . However, in cases where workers decide to go on their own and teamwork is not manifested in the company, it is possible that conflicts arise.
On the other hand, a very individualistic mentality can lead to being viewed with suspicion of others, and in those situations it is easy to misinterpret certain behaviors and attribute them to the desire to stand out above co-workers.
- To learn more, you can read our article: "The 5 benefits of teamwork"
2. Lack of communication
The lack of communication is another cause that can cause serious conflicts at work , because when an employee or superior fails to communicate (or send the necessary messages) to other workers, problems can appear. Miscommunication can be presented as misinformation or misinformation. In the first case, the information does not arrive; in the second case, the information goes wrong.
After all, the frictions that can be produced by the lack of communication can give rise to situations of ambiguity that produce failures and, in those occasions, the inability to know who has made mistakes causes conflicts to erupt.
- Related article: "The 10 basic communication skills"
3. Toxic companions
Occasionally, labor conflicts may appear without any intention, however, other times, toxic people create a bad environment where they go, especially at work. The toxic companions are identified because they tread where they end badly with everyone and create conflicts where there are none. They like to go where they are not called, they want to be the center of attention and they are usually the typical people known as false and critical.
- Related article: "5 toxic attitudes of coworkers"
4. Toxic bosses
It may happen that it is not coworkers who intoxicate the work environment, but bosses, either for their mismanagement or for their personality, they make life miserable . In these cases, you may be at a disadvantage when it comes to solving the conflict.
In summary, the toxic bosses tend to be: arrogant and bad communicators, autocratic, inflexible, controlling and discriminating.
- Do you want to know more about toxic bosses? Then, click here.
5. Competitiveness
It is common for many companies to pay their employees based on their achievements. And while some companies distribute commissions among the members of a team, others reward employees individually: depending on the sales or the objectives set, it is a person who receives the commission. This type of incentives can cause friction among workers , because the competitiveness that is created brings with it conflicts between workers.
6. Loving relationships
Co-workers may suffer some romance, which does not have to be negative. Now, eIn some situations, loving relationships at work can bring conflicts . Loving relationships can arise in the workplace as in any other place, but, to avoid conflicts, it is necessary that they do not interfere in the work.
7. Colleagues who do not work well
And of course, When a partner does not perform as they should, the conflicts may appear . When someone does not do their job well it will end up interfering in yours, and possibly, it will make you have to do yours and work more. Companies and organizations are dynamic systems, and a delay in the deadline to deliver a project can make all the general functioning of this "living organism" suffer. Nobody likes to work twice as much.
8. Prejudices (machismo / racism)
Prejudice is a source of conflict in different spheres of life, and also in work.Companions who can not tolerate people from other parts of the world or with another skin color, bosses who treat their employees in a macho way, et cetera. These are cases that may appear in the labor field.
9. Personality clashes
Sometimes the personalities simply do not fit and the spark jumps at the first moment of change . In personal relationships, conflicts exist day in and day out as well. When a conflict of this kind arises, it is best to solve the problem as soon as possible.
However, it must be borne in mind that clashes between different personalities are not usually the most frequent reasons for which conflicts arise in the company. On the contrary, many problems that are really of an organizational and collective nature are mistakenly attributed to the individual characteristics of certain people, since this is "the easy option" when looking for an explanation of what happens (for something is based in an essentialist vision of the workers).
10. Mobbing
Mobbing, also known as work-related psychological harassment, occurs at work when one or more individuals systematically and repeatedly exert psychological violence on another individual or individuals. Mobbing can be between employees, from employees to the superior, from the superior to the employees or from the organization to one of their employees. Mobbing not only affects job performance and causes serious conflicts, but also can cause serious psychological problems in the person who suffers . This is a problem that must be stopped at the root once it is detected.
- Maybe you're interested in these posts: "Mobbing: psychological harassment at work" or "The 6 types of mobbing or workplace harassment"
11. Changes in the company
Changes in the company can generate conflicts of different types . For example, cutbacks can lead employees to feel uncomfortable and unmotivated; or changes in the top management can lead to new policies that are well seen by employees, especially the most senior. In short, these disruptions can make the progress that had been made so far be truncated until a new situation of readjustment occurs.
12. Exploitation
Exploitation by employers can also generate conflicts with workers For example, if the worker does not feel that he receives a fair remuneration or perceives that he is working in excess (more hours than he should), he can end badly with the company and with other workers.
13. Resource conflicts
To work in excess can be by obligation as in the previous case . But it can also happen that the lack of resources of the company (fewer workers than it should have, bad management of staff, etc.) make workers come into conflict with the company or feel stressed and burned.
14. Conflict over values
It may happen that we have very clear values of the company and that we like our work very much, so we will perform at an optimal level. But It may be that some of our colleagues do not feel the same as us in this aspect . This can cause that, in the case of the latter, its performance is low and unmotivated. This can create a bad environment among peers.
15. Unclear guidelines
It has already been commented in a previous point that communication is essential for the good performance of professional work. One type of communication that must be taken into account and to which careful treatment must be given are unclear guidelines.
Lack of communication in business regulations or in the objectives that are expected of an employee, can cause what is known as role conflict, in other words, not having a correct idea of what should be done or what is expected of a worker . The conflict of role creates conflicts between workers and, in addition, is one of the most common causes of work stress or burnout.
- Related article: "Burnout (burn syndrome): how to detect it and take action"
