Conflict is part of working life, but unresolved tensions can derail even the best teams and impact working life. Simon Phillips shares a practical, people-first approach to transforming conflict into progress, grounded in leadership insights, lived experience and proven impact. Clear, calm and collaborative – this is culture work that sticks

Conflict at work is inevitable. Having worked with CEOs and leadership teams across many sectors, dealing with some of the toughest challenges they’ve ever faced, I’ve witnessed how unresolved conflicts can paralyse decision-making and erode trust. Recently, while facilitating a culture transformation programme with a global technology firm, I observed how even minor disagreements at the executive level cascaded into departmental tensions. Observations like these led me to develop the LACE Way framework – focusing on Listening, Accountability, Collaboration, and Empathy – as a foundation for creating thriving workplace cultures.

Leaders who demonstrate empathy have teams with 40% less emotional exhaustion

CIPD research shows that 35% of employees experienced conflict in 2022, with significant impacts on both wellbeing and productivity. In my experience, this percentage rises to nearly 60% at leadership levels, where stakes and pressures are perceived to be higher.

These are some tried and trusted approaches for dealing with these issues.

1) Create psychological safety through active listening

Google’s Project Aristotle revealed something fascinating – psychological safety isn’t just important, it’s the primary factor in team effectiveness. What happens when team members truly feel safe to speak up? We explored this in a recent session I facilitated with a regional charity. A junior director challenged a long-standing process – something they’d hesitated to do for months. The result? A breakthrough in operational efficiency that had been hiding in plain sight.

Practical implementation:

• Schedule dedicated listening sessions where each party can share their perspective without interruption
  
  
• Use reflective listening techniques, summarising what’s been heard to ensure understanding
  
  
• Document key points to demonstrate that all voices are being captured and valued

2) Establish clear accountability frameworks

The UK Health and Safety Executive has found that unclear responsibilities contribute to 40% of workplace stress cases. Indeed, many teams can point to internal conflicts stemming from ambiguous handover points between departments. Clarity is key!

Practical implementation:

• Define and document specific roles and responsibilities in conflict situations
  
  
• Create clear escalation pathways for when initial resolution attempts fail
  
  
• Implement regular check-ins to monitor progress and maintain accountability

3) Foster collaborative problem-solving

Research from Harvard’s Program on Negotiation shows that focusing on interests rather than positions leads to more sustainable resolutions. I recently facilitated a board-level dispute where reframing the conversation from territorial positions to shared business interests transformed a six-month deadlock into an innovative solution within two sessions.

Practical implementation:

• Use structured problem-solving frameworks like GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward). The simpler the better, so everyone can contribute easily
  
  
• Encourage parties to generate multiple solutions together
  
  
• Focus on shared objectives rather than individual demands

4) Develop empathetic leadership

Leaders who demonstrate empathy have teams with 40% less emotional exhaustion, according to the Center for Creative Leadership. Employee engagement scores are usually the first to be positively impacted by this approach. I have seen scores surge by up to 25% after implementing empathy-based leadership training.

Practical implementation:

• Train leaders in emotional intelligence and perspective-taking
  
  
• Acknowledge emotions while maintaining objectivity
  
  
• Create opportunities for informal dialogue alongside formal resolution processes

5) Build sustainable resolution systems

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) reports that organisations with established early resolution systems see significant reductions in formal grievances. The report is packed with significant measured improvements, and well worth a read if you are encountering an increasing number of conflicts in your organisation.

Practical implementation:

• Develop clear conflict resolution policies and procedures
  
  
• Provide regular training in conflict management skills
  
  
• Create feedback mechanisms to continuously improve resolution processes

Measuring Success

Success in conflict resolution isn’t just about reaching agreements. A retail client recently reported that after implementing these strategies, they saw a reduction in formal grievances and leadership team turnover and improvement in cross-functional collaboration and employee engagement scores.

The LACE Way framework emerged from hundreds of hours working with leadership teams across sectors. When applied to conflict resolution, it helps create environments where disagreements become catalysts for innovation rather than barriers to progress.

As Peter Drucker wisely noted, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said”. In my work with senior leaders, this often means paying attention to the underlying fears and aspirations that drive conflict – and using those insights to build stronger, more resilient teams.

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Simon Phillips is Founder of The Change Maker Group