Workplace rows? They don’t have to end in tears (or tribunals). With the right nudge from learning and development, leaders can turn tension into teamwork. Carole Gaskell shares actionable insights to help your organisation swap awkward silences for honest chats, and build a culture where conflict fuels connection, not chaos
Conflict at work is inevitable, but left unmanaged, it can become one of the most costly, draining, and disruptive forces in any organisation. According to the CIPD Good Work Index 2024, 25% of UK employees – around eight million people – have experienced workplace conflict in the year to June 2024. Alarmingly, only 36% said the issue was fully resolved.
Workplace conflict is estimated to cost UK employers £28.5bn annually, or around £1,000 per employee
The human cost of this is striking. Just 28% of those who experienced conflict said their job had a positive impact on their mental health, while 33% said they were likely to leave their organisation within the year, compared to just 16% of those who hadn’t experienced conflict.
This is a critical business challenge, closely tied to engagement, wellbeing and retention. The financial cost is equally sobering. Reports suggest that workplace conflict is estimated to cost UK employers £28.5bn annually, or around £1,000 per employee. The price of silence and avoidance is simply too high.
Conflict isn’t the problem – avoidance is
Conflict isn’t inherently negative. When handled well, it can lead to stronger ideas, better decisions and deeper trust. The real problem lies in how leaders and teams respond when it arises.
In fast-paced, high-pressure environments, it’s easy to sweep conflict under the rug. Leaders may fear rocking the boat. Team members may not feel safe speaking up. Feedback becomes diluted, tension simmers and relationships erode. A workplace at war isn’t always loud – it’s often silent, disengaged and emotionally drained.
This is where L&D teams add value – not as referees, but as enablers of a cultural and behavioural shift towards positive conflict and effective collaboration.
Leadership mindset and key skills to develop
Many leaders still see conflict as a threat – to harmony, authority or productivity. But in today’s hybrid, diverse and evolving workplaces, we must reframe conflict as an opportunity to challenge assumptions, surface new perspectives and strengthen trust and innovation.
This starts with mindset. Leaders must let go of control-based approaches and embrace vulnerability, openness and curiosity. When they shift from managing conflict to engaging with it, they unlock a new level of team resilience and performance.
The key skills leaders need to develop include:
· Self-awareness – Understanding personal triggers and reactions.
· Emotional regulation – Staying grounded under pressure.
· Empathy and perspective-taking – Listening beyond the words.
· Fostering psychological safety – Creating an environment of trust and openness.
· Courageous communication – Addressing tough issues with clarity and care.
These capabilities aren’t always innate, but they can be developed through targeted leadership development, coaching and practise.
Transforming conflict into collaboration
As hybrid work reshapes how teams connect and diversity of thought becomes a strategic imperative, conflict resolution is no longer a soft skill – it’s a leadership essential. L&D can drive this transformation by focusing on five key strategies:
1. Build emotional intelligence across the organisation
Emotional Intelligence underpins how people relate, respond and resolve issues. When leaders and teams are emotionally aware, they’re more likely to respond than react. Programmes that build emotional intelligence – such as workshops, psychometric tools, and coaching – lay the foundation for more constructive conflict.
2. Equip leaders with conflict confidence
Many leaders feel unprepared for difficult conversations. Equip them with practical, confidence-building frameworks like VITAL (Verify, Inspire, Tackle, Agree, Learn), SBI (Situation-Behaviour-Impact), nonviolent communication, or radical candour. Leaders who model healthy conflict management set the tone for their teams.
3. Create shared language and understanding
When evidence-based assessment tools are used, they can help teams understand communication and conflict styles. When colleagues see behaviour through the lens of difference rather than dysfunction, they’re more likely to respond with empathy and curiosity than blame.
4. Foster psychological safety through leadership development
Psychological safety – the belief that it’s safe to speak up or admit mistakes– is a key driver of high-performing teams, as found in Google’s Project Aristotle. L&D can help leaders create environments where respectful challenge is welcomed, and vulnerability is embraced.
5. Embed constructive conflict into the learning culture
Don’t wait for conflict to escalate. Make it part of leadership development from the start. Use experiential learning, simulations, real-play conversations and pragmatic team workshops to help people practise navigating difficult dynamics. Proactive learning builds lasting conflict agility.
Conflict as a catalyst, not a crisis
Conflict is inevitable, but a workplace at war is not. When leaders embrace conflict as an opportunity, not a threat, people stop avoiding tension and start using it to grow. They develop more self-awareness, teams become more open and aligned, and cultures evolve to support challenge, feedback and innovation.
This transformation won’t happen overnight, but it does start with intention. As an L&D leader, you can influence how conflict is experienced and resolved by equipping people to engage with it more skilfully.
The data is clear. Unresolved conflict drains energy, talent and performance. But with the right mindset, skills and development pathways, leaders can turn conflict into a driver of growth, connection and resilience.
When we help people work through tension rather than around it, we don’t just prevent breakdowns, we unlock potential.
Carole Gaskell is Founder & CEO of Full Potential Group
