What do you do if conflicts among your hospitality staff are left unresolved?

In hospitality management, handling staff conflicts swiftly and effectively is paramount to maintaining a harmonious work environment and ensuring guest satisfaction. When conflicts among your team remain unresolved, they can escalate, affecting morale and the quality of service provided. It's crucial to address these issues with a structured approach to restore peace and productivity in the workplace.

1 Acknowledge Issues

Ignoring conflict in a hospitality setting can lead to a toxic work environment. It's important to acknowledge the issue as soon as it arises. As a manager, you should create a culture where staff feel comfortable voicing concerns. This involves actively listening to all parties involved and validating their feelings without immediately taking sides. By recognizing the conflict, you provide the first step towards a resolution, ensuring your team feels heard and respected.

Add your perspective

Ahmed Said Abdelwasie

Hospitality Leader / Food and Beverage Expert / GM @ Modala resort Bohol
Report contribution
Conflict among the team member could be sometimes good alert to the leader to see where the team standing for the work environment and each others, acknowledging that conflict , analyze it the first key of resolving listen for the involved with fairness , face them together , start to take it out from personal thinking to professional thinking start to put your thoughts & solutions as nothing personal should be when it comes to work it's all about work and business both side should understand , take the team outing so team can melt together so they will always think one team one goal , in the end if they went beyond and don't accept to fix the conflict immediate action should be taken as that's might lead for negative impact among the team

Like
Oskar Burchard

Transforming Hotels into Destinations | Leadership & Brand Strategy
Report contribution
Don't just acknowledge the issue; set up a formal process for reporting conflicts. This could be a designated "conflict resolution log" or a confidential online form. This provides a structured way for employees to raise concerns and ensures issues are documented for follow-up.

Like
Jennifer Bitts

Deep Breath~Chin Up~SMILE~
Report contribution
Absolutely listening and giving each problem to have the opportunity to voice concerns and give them the opportunity to have A Solution to A Problem asking for each person to be Productive to in A Happy Workplace& Proactive in making things go smoothly in the workplace.

Like

2 Evaluate Impact

When conflicts go unresolved, they can negatively impact your team's dynamics and the customer experience. As a manager, you need to evaluate the conflict's impact on staff morale, work performance, and guest satisfaction. Consider if the conflict is isolated or if it has the potential to spread and affect other team members. Understanding the extent of the issue will guide you in deciding the urgency and approach for resolution.

Add your perspective

Zaka Ullah Khan

Hotel Manager, Restaurant Manager, Catering Reservation Manager, Marquee Management, Project Handling,Visiting Lecturer, Freelance Content & Copywriter, Internet Researcher and Creative writer at Self-Employed
Report contribution
Get all together, ask conflicting members to repeat pre- set goals, their importance and what could happen if these goals are not achieved. Let them come to a resolve that is acceptable to all, play the role of a mediator as well as of a leader.

Like
Oskar Burchard

Transforming Hotels into Destinations | Leadership & Brand Strategy
Report contribution
Look beyond immediate impact. Are there underlying issues contributing to the conflict? Maybe there's a lack of clarity in job roles, or insufficient training leads to frustration. Addressing root causes is crucial for long-term resolution.

Like

3 Mediate Fairly

Mediation is a critical skill in hospitality management. When you mediate, it's essential to remain neutral and provide a safe space for each party to express their perspective. Encourage open communication and guide the conversation towards finding common ground. Your role is to facilitate understanding and help establish mutual respect among conflicting parties, which is vital for a collaborative work environment.

Add your perspective

Oskar Burchard

Transforming Hotels into Destinations | Leadership & Brand Strategy
Report contribution
If mediating yourself feels uncomfortable or unproductive, consider using a neutral third-party mediator. Many organizations offer this service, which can be particularly helpful for complex or emotionally charged conflicts.

Like

4 Implement Solutions

After understanding the root of the conflict, work with your staff to implement solutions. These might include revising work schedules, providing additional training, or adjusting operational procedures. It's important that solutions are fair and focused on long-term harmony. Follow up on these changes to ensure they're effective and that the original conflict doesn't reemerge, showing your commitment to a positive workplace.

Add your perspective

Oskar Burchard

Transforming Hotels into Destinations | Leadership & Brand Strategy
Report contribution
Don't just implement solutions, track their effectiveness. Set clear benchmarks to measure if the solution is working. For example, if the conflict was related to a scheduling issue, track attendance and punctuality after the change. This ensures solutions are not just temporary fixes.

Like

5 Foster Teamwork

Team building is an ongoing process in hospitality management. After resolving conflicts, it's beneficial to engage your staff in team-building activities that can rebuild trust and camaraderie. These activities should be designed to enhance collaboration and communication, reinforcing the message that while disagreements may occur, the team's unity is paramount.

Add your perspective

6 Support Growth

Finally, use conflicts as learning opportunities. Encourage your staff to reflect on the situation and consider what they can learn from it. Providing training on conflict resolution and communication can empower your team to handle future disagreements more constructively. Supporting personal and professional growth in this way can prevent many conflicts from arising in the first place.

Add your perspective

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

Oskar Burchard

Transforming Hotels into Destinations | Leadership & Brand Strategy
Report contribution
Emphasize the importance of addressing microaggressions within the workplace. These subtle forms of disrespect can build up over time and contribute to unresolved conflicts. Provide training on recognizing and addressing microaggressions to prevent escalation. Consider implementing a "Peer Mediation" program where trained staff members can assist with minor conflicts among colleagues. This can empower employees to resolve issues at a lower level, freeing up management for more complex situations

Like

What do you do if conflicts among your hospitality staff are left unresolved?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Acknowledge Issues

2 Evaluate Impact

3 Mediate Fairly

4 Implement Solutions

5 Foster Teamwork

6 Support Growth

7 Here’s what else to consider

Hospitality Management

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Hospitality Management

More relevant reading

What do you do if conflicts among your hospitality staff are left unresolved?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Acknowledge Issues

2 Evaluate Impact

3 Mediate Fairly

4 Implement Solutions

5 Foster Teamwork

6 Support Growth

7 Here’s what else to consider

Hospitality Management

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills