Things appear to be fine in your organization. There is a sense of calm flowing above the cubicles. Employees are interacting in a respectful way and are working well as a team.

Then your company lands a huge new contract. Everyone is working overtime. Voices are rising and fingers are pointing. The majority of your day is spent playing referee. You walk outside to see if there is a full moon in sight. When you return, there is another employee in your office waiting to complain about a co-worker.

Conflict in the workplace is inevitable. When you throw a group of people together, in close quarters, differences are bound to surface. But, the news is not all bad. Some conflict in the organization can be beneficial. Differences of opinion encourage creativity, change and progress. If addressed early, conflict can also provide insight into larger issues that may be brewing.

Sources of conflict

When situations get out of control, they can be difficult to address. Familiarizing yourself with the following common sources of conflict will help you to diffuse situations before they occur:

Lack of clarity - Employees wind up in turf wars when boundaries aren