Conflict in the workplace

I don't know of any leader who enjoys playing mommy or daddy to tattle-telling employees.  The goal should be to build capacity in employees to be effective in conflict resolution, but in the mean time, how do you address employee conflict?

Once you have become aware of conflict between employees, address it immediately.  Don't allow the conflict to fester and taint the spirit of the rest of the team.  Here are some steps for dealing with the conflict:

1. Speak to the employees individually so you can hear each side of the story.  Take notes and be an effective listener.  Don't say or do anything that would give the impression that you are in support of one employee over another before all stories are heard.
2. Determine if there is any policy or procedure that addresses the conflict.  
3. Speak to the employees involved in the conflict collectively and inform them of your decision.  During this meeting, do not allow employees to speak negatively about one another or bully one another.  Ensure that everyone fully understands your decision.
4. If there is any employee disciplinary action to be taken, do so privately and respectfully.
5. If there was no policy to govern the conflict or the policy was inadequate or unclear, consider revising the policy or creating new policy to prevent the conflict in the future.  If policy did not apply in this situation, examine the organization culture or procedures to determine how this conflict happened and what you can do to prevent it in the future.
6. Monitor the employees and the situation to make sure that it's truly been resolved.

Employee conflict is frustrating because it prevents work from being done.  That's why it must be addressed swiftly and effectively.  Even good leaders experience conflict on their teams every once in a while, but what separates them from ineffective leaders is how they handle it!