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Cooling down Tensions between Permies and Contractors

Conflicts at the workplace are a natural part of our professional life and contractors know this better than anyone. Even though conflict can turn out to be helpful in making necessary changes within the organisation if left unresolved it can result in dissatisfaction and unhappiness which can easily lead to physical or emotional withdrawal, leaving jobs and in worst the case aggression.

The rivalry between permies and contractors has grown over the years and it seems not much can be done to eliminate this phenomenon. The main cause of any conflict between permies and contractors are the differences that arise, mostly in terms of salary, experience, power and attitude and many more factors. Because of the fact that conflicts can arise from different sources, it is often not that easy to expose their origins. It is believed that the reasons for conflicts are typically communication and personal factors.

Ineffective communication, something that contractors are usually accused of, is one of the most important aspects that can cause misunderstanding. Poor listening skills, not sharing information, misinterpretation and wrong perception - they all contribute to tensions between permanent and contract employees. Whereas ineffective communication is often the cause effective communication can be the remedy for conflict. Understanding and learning how to effectively communicate and what to say to resolve disputes can lead to a better and happier working relationship with everyone.

The personal factors that contribute to the anxiety of freelancers and employees, that may have a damaging effect on their relationships, are usually the high self-esteem of either of the parties, personal goals, values and needs and an urge to prove their own superiority.

No matter how hard people try, sometimes conflicts cannot be avoided but once they take place it is possible to keep their destructiveness to a minimum. Below, we have identified few tips on how to act to prevent possible clashes and once they occur, how the tensions between contractors and permies can be easily cooled down.

Stay calm
The first step to take in order to resolve a conflict is to remain calm. The nature of any conflict is the fact that it usually stimulates lots of negative emotions and anger and therefore, if you are in a state of irritation you will not be in the mood for a positive conversation with another party. Often by behaving angrily somebody may want to provoke you and for that reason you should not become too emotional or lose your temper because it will only put you on the defensive.

Be respectful
Although respecting the other person during a conflict may be challenging you should try. A lack of respect blocks communication and makes it difficult to heal wounds. Even if the other person is 100% wrong and you know it, do not attack the person, but the arguments he or she is using. Being patient and calm shows a willingness to listen to and respect the other person’s point of view. However, this does not mean simply giving up your opinion and surrendering to him or her, or allowing your own arguments not to be taken into consideration. It implies verbally recognising where the other person is coming from and accepting his or her emotional state. Remember that respect is a two-way street; you can and should acknowledge the other person’s opinion, but sooner or later the same will have to be done to you in return. If it is not, the debate is no longer proceeding in a successful way.

Acknowledge emotions
Although facts alone are rational they cannot resolve conflict, because how people perceive facts is coloured by their emotions. There is no point in denying them, instead make an effort to see the situation the way the other person does and acknowledge their emotions before moving beyond them. One way of doing this is to use phrases such as “I would like to understand better how you see this situation” and “Please explain to me what is important to you in this problem”.

Don’t keep quiet
Too often conflicts arise because instead of discussing matters we make false assumptions about the other person’s point of view and willingness to compromise which might be quite wrong. We avoid discussion either because we fear conflict or we worry about losing. It is conversation that is a key to success.

Be specific and set out the facts
It is important to address factual issues in a conflict, rather than ignoring them. There is little hope that compromise will be reached if key facts are ignored.

Be solution oriented
When addressing conflict, do not simply state the problem and your frustration with it. Instead, offer solutions that people will be keen to accept. Look at what is causing the situation and try to find things you can do to improve it. An attitude focused on resolution will invite others to communicate more openly.

Be creative
Try presenting different types of solutions to those offered by each of the parties. Allow everyone involved to clarify his or her perspectives and opinions about the problem. Make sure everyone has an opportunity to express an opinion.

Avoid triggers
These can be both verbal and nonverbal behaviour that result in anger or other negative emotional reactions that can get in the way of resolving conflicts. You will avoid pulling others’ triggers by paying particular attention to your own behaviour and especially your body language.

Use neutral words
It’s amazing how a simple modification of some hostile and biased words that people use while being in conflict can change the way people perceive a situation. If for example you’re criticising an idea of permie whom you are in disagreement with, try not to use negative words but instead make your criticism constructive.

Go on compromises
When in conflict, many people are reluctant to give up something that they want in order to get something else they want more. Compromises usually occur in win-or-lose situation when neither side gets all of what they really want but they each have to make concessions in order to reach an agreement that is acceptable to everyone. It is a human nature to be always right except that compromise is not one of the methods of achieving it. This powerful tool of giving and taking is aimed at satisfying everyone’s needs and desires.

Seek mediation
The mediation process is one in which the help of a neutral third party is used by parties to negotiate and resolve their conflict. As a neutral observer who is not emotionally involved in a disagreement, a mediator can get through to the heart of the matter in order to open up discussions as to how to resolve the dispute. In mediation, the parties are voluntarily participating in the process and, as a result, fear and anxiety are significantly reduced. The neutral environment that the mediator provides opens up the door to effective communication between the parties.

Accept the situation
You may think it is possible to resolve any conflict, but in fact sometimes, it is impossible to find a good solution to the problem. Most problems can be resolved over time. Either the problem solves itself because circumstances change or one’s attitude to the problem changes as the heat dies down and other matters start to be more important. Therefore, if you cannot solve a dispute and its resolution can wait, maybe the best approach is to leave things alone for a while.

Apply authority
If mediation does not work and the parties are not even willing to try it, conflict can be resolved by one party imposing his or her solution through authority (e.g. he is an IT project manager). Such a ‘settlement’ will probably cause bitterness and anger in the party at the receiving end, but sometimes this is the only way to resolve a disagreement and most importantly move on. It is a fact that sometimes people in conflict want someone to impose a solution, not because they themselves oppose the solution but because they do not want to lose ‘face’ or be seen by their constituents to have ‘given in’.

The purpose of resolving a conflict is not to decide which person is right or wrong but to come up with a solution that would be acceptable by all parties involved. Looking first for needs, rather than solutions, is a powerful tool for generating win-win options. In order to discover needs, you must first try to find out why people want the solutions they initially proposed. Once you understand the advantages their solutions have for them, you have discovered their needs.

Conflict in the workplace can be incredibly destructive especially to contractor-permie relationships. If dealt with in the wrong way, the differences between these two groups can quickly spiral out of control, resulting in situations where co-operation breaks down and the objectives of the team the contractor is working with are threatened. This is particularly the case where the wrong approaches to conflict resolution are used.

To calm work related tensions it helps to take a positive approach to conflict resolution, where conversation is polite, non-confrontational, and the focus is on problems rather than on individuals. As long as people listen carefully and explore facts, issues and possible solutions properly, conflict can often be resolved successfully.

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