What to Do When Company Leaders are in Conflict was originally published on Ivy Exec.
Leadership conflicts often leave employees in a tricky situation. Do you take sides with your boss or favorite manager? Or should you stay out of it and hope you don’t get looped in on the issue?
The way you carry yourself when leaders are butting heads is a reflection of your professionalism. It determines your reputation and can impact your productivity. Being smart when leaders disagree will protect your job and help you maintain a good relationship with other staff.
Here’s what to do when company leaders are in conflict.
👉 Try to Stay as Neutral as Possible
It’s normal to feel more loyal to your boss, especially if they are your mentor or you have been working with them for a long period. However, taking sides when they disagree with other leaders could hurt your career. It makes you look biased and damages your relationship with the other party. Taking sides also reduces your chances for career growth if the conflict ultimately results in leadership changes.
Stay as neutral as possible by not commenting about the issue unless the parties ask for your input. Even so, try to offer feedback or suggestions that solve the problem without painting one leader as the problem.
If you find other employees gossiping about the conflict, avoid the conversation as much as possible. You never know who is listening; your words may get back to your boss. If other employees want your thoughts about the issue, tell them you respectfully wish to avoid it.
👉 Keep up With Your Duties
Leadership conflicts can cause a lot of uncertainty in the firm. You may worry about your job security and the future of the firm. Other employees may also get caught up in the drama, which makes it hard to carry on with collaborative projects.
While it’s okay to take caution and start evaluating your future at the firm, you shouldn’t let your performance drop. Produce quality work so that you can save your job or at least get a good recommendation if things don’t go well. Staying optimistic and focusing on your goals is paramount since they will determine how well you do in a performance review.
Here are some tips to help you stay focused on your work:
- Set boundaries with your coworkers
- Use mindful techniques to reduce stress
- Maintain good communication with your manager
- Take breaks when you feel overwhelmed
Leadership wrangles may get to you, especially if you are a peacemaker. But you shouldn’t internalize the dispute and allow it to affect your work. Remember that it’s not your responsibility to fix the issue; the best you can do is support your leaders in their roles.
When leadership conflict arises, it’s pretty easy to get distracted. A lot of gossip is going around, and changes may already be happening in the company’s hierarchy.
Deal with distractions by breaking your work into manageable steps. Assess the most urgent and critical items and try to do them when the office is quiet. Concentrate on the work that aligns with your long-term career development goals.
👉 Use Your Emotional Intelligence
Working in a space where leaders aren’t getting along affects employees’ emotions. Some may be frustrated with their work if they don’t get the support they need from their bosses. Others will be highly anxious and become less efficient.
Practicing emotional intelligence will help you read others so that you can watch your words and body language. If you notice a coworker is panicking because of the dispute and can hardly focus, avoid fueling their anxiety.
Instead, keep them calm by offering assistance or sharing tips on handling stress. You could also listen to their concern and show empathy. Letting them know you are also worried about the situation, but handling it well may make them more resilient and help them stay grounded.
👉 Prepare for Changes
Changes are bound to happen when there is significant conflict in a firm. People may lose their jobs or ranks, employees may move to new departments, and the company can even shut down or merge with another.
Assess the extent of the conflict and evaluate how it could affect your role. Keep up with the company’s communication and stay close to your manager to observe their demeanor.
Looking for opportunities in other departments or outside the company is a great way to adapt to conflict. Update your resume and let your close professional network know you may seek a new job soon.
If you still want to stay with the company, start networking with leaders across all ranks. This way you’ll get a broader perspective of the conflict and protect your professional standing.
👉 Know When You Need to Escalate Issues
Some leadership conflicts may happen without everyone being aware. For example, an executive may clash with a project manager without other leaders noticing. Unfortunately, such disputes often cause a divide in the team. They can quickly make the workplace toxic and disrupt workflow.
Escalating conflict to the correct department can mediate the situation and restore normalcy. When reporting issues to other executives or HR, stay objective. Give examples of how the problem is affecting your work or the team.
The goal is to show whoever you are reporting to that you worry about the company’s health. You don’t want to come across as someone expressing frustration to tell on their boss.
👉 Seek Guidance
Talking to your mentor or a career coach can give you a sense of direction when your company deals with conflict. You will get professional, unbiased advice on how to move forward. Based on the guidance, you can make informed decisions and navigate conflict with more clarity.
Coworkers who have been at the company longer than you may have a better sense of how different stakeholders handle conflicts. Talking to them will give you more insight into how the situation will likely unfold. You can use this information to form reliable alliances or plan your next career step.
Protect Your Career When Navigating Workplace Conflict
Leadership conflicts are impossible to avoid, and they don’t always have a negative impact. Dealing with the situation strategically will prevent you from sabotaging your career.
Stay away from the drama and maintain a good reputation by supporting others. Additionally, have a contingency plan in case things get worse, but focus on your duties as long as you are in the company.
