Whenever people come together, there is bound to be some conflict. It happened when there were only four people in the world. If that occurred between Abel and Cain, you can expect to have conflicts in the house, in church, and in places of work.
Christian business owners have a special interest in managing workplace conflicts. This is because the buck stops at their desk. In church, you have your pastors and the elders to sort things out. At home, it’s just part of being a family. You always make up and they will always be family.
But work is different since you are the boss. You are also trying to set a Christian example. Your employees are watching closely how you handle conflicts the Biblical way. Your testimony, which you have carefully cultivated, is being tested. You need God to lead the way out of this predicament.
The Bible offers great advice on how to deal with conflict. In dealing with the cranky Israelites in the Old Testament and then worldly Christians in the New Testament, God’s Word provides the 21st century Christian a lot of source material.
Jesus gave us strategies on how to deal with conflict. He is often in the middle of one. Jesus wasn’t a businessman. But His Word applies to every area of our lives.
We will also discuss tactics within these strategies. This is where most of us fumble. We try to have a talk with the other person. This quickly escalates into shouting matches, or even a lawsuit.
Here we go:
1. Do it immediately.
We can find this in Matthew 5:23-25. Here Jesus said,“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
Jesus wants us to be conflict free each time we worship. If it is practical and possible to talk to the person we should do so without delay.
a. Don’t let it reach the weekend unresolved.
Don’t wait for the problem to fester over the weekend, take action as close as possible to the time of the incident. Studies have shown that workers were more likely to take legal action against their employers if they were dismissed on a Friday. This is because the employee has all weekend to stew and spoil for a fight.
If you discipline them on weekdays they won’t have much time to boil. Work will keep them busy, and maybe tired to think about anything else. Co-workers will also have the chance to offer some friendly advice.
b. Suspend your judgment
It’s easy for bosses to not bother talking with the employee. We have CCTV. Video don’t lie. Nope, but cameras don’t tell the whole story either. Christian business owners should set the standard for decency and integrity by gathering all data first.
This is especially true if the incident is something that is out of character for the employee. This person may be dealing with personal problems, health or other issues. As a Christian business owner, you are not just the boss. You are also a mentor and father-figure to your employees.
When you finished talking to the employee, the witnesses, and the supervisor. After sifting the facts from fiction, that’s only the time when you need to decide.
c. Have the employee’s record on hand
Make sure that you have the employee file on hand. You may need to highlight some things in the workers history like commendations. This reminds the person that this is nothing personal and the company is taking into account the positive accomplishments of the person. It also puts the meeting on a positive start and ending. On the other hand, you can also cite other similar incidents or mishaps the employee was involved in. But only if mentioning these is relevant.
d. Tell them this is all about making things better
No employee cherishes the thought of stepping into the boss’s office to get chewed up. After you invite the person to take a seat, you immediately tell them that you heard about the incident and that your goal is to make things better. This should be the truth.
2. Talk to them one on one
(Matthew 18:15)
This will depend on the gravity of the offense. In a church setting and if you are in a position of authority, what you do is talk to the person one-on-one.
In a business setting, my advice is to do this if the offense only needs a verbal reminder. Like forgetting to turn off the lights and equipment and you are still in the area, not wearing IDs and badges properly, unkempt workstation, not washing dishes in the pantry, etc.
a. Listen with focus.
Communication is 80% listening, the rest is talking. Ask him or her what happened. Let your employee finish thoroughly. Then you may start with the rest of your questions.
Be sure to take notes while the story is being retold. Ask first if it’s okay to take notes to help you get everything right. The notes will be your guide when asking questions, and the recording will make sure there is an official and credible record of your session. Asking permission first will help give the impression that this is not the Inquisition.
The recording should also be stated in your employee handbook.
b. Be specific
Focus and zero in on the incident in question. Do not mention things that you cannot prove. Don’t unnecessarily bring up things that are not related. Neither do bring in personal accounts outside of the company. Hear say or gossip has no place in these proceedings.
c. Pray for them
Always be guided by the Holy Spirit. This is someone’s livelihood and their ability to bring food to the table and a roof over their family. You don’t want to make the wrong decision and end up accountable to God.
Pray for the person. If this is something out of character, then double the effort in praying. My suggestion is to pray together before ending the meeting. I’ve done this before or when someone has decided to leave the company, sometimes I would be surprised by the tears in their eyes and their appreciation for the prayer.
3. Talk to them with another person
Matthew 18:16-17 says “,But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” You can take this further in a business setting. You don’t need to wait if the person is going to comply. For more serious infractions, you should have the supervisor, a senior co-worker or a colleague to serve as a witness. These persons should be unbiased, with no relation to the person. The witness should just observe, remain quiet, and take mental notes of the meeting.
4. Bring them before the board or management
Jesus said in Matthew 18:17 “If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” How do you translate this into your business setting since it is clearly a church matter in the verse?
In your business, you will bring the case to the board or to the management committee with your recommendations. They will then approve the final course of action. This is in cases where the person or persons involved refused to comply or intentionally broke the rules even after repeated memos and disciplinary actions.
Some sole business proprietors don’t have a board or management committee. If this is the case for you, you should consult with fellow Christian business owners that you trust. Their wealth of combined experience will be helpful to draw upon. You also have your pastor who can give you spiritual guidance.
Final thoughts
Most problems in the workplace don’t just suddenly erupt. Conflicts usually have a trail of unpleasant exchanges between parties. These could have been simmering over time which will be sure to boil over in the future. Even accidents are usually the product of unsafe practices, carefree attitudes, and disregard for safety protocols.
Business owners should be able to spot potential problem sources and address these immediately. Prov 27:23 “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.”
With the wisdom that comes from God, Christian business owners should have the confidence to deal with conflicts and keep their business places where Christian values are grown and nurtured.
