Dealing with conflict is a normal part of working in teams. “We’re humans, it’s going to happen,” says Sam Bacall, Director at chartered accountancy firm Freedman Frankl & Taylor (FFT), who has management experience in big four and smaller firms.

The biggest cause of conflict, in Bacall’s experience, is staffing. This includes partners wanting to use the same staff members on different jobs, getting staff in the right places at the right times, and general staffing capacity.

“We’ve certainly had moments where we were understaffed,” says Bacall. “That might be because a lot of work comes in at the same time, and so even if there are enough team members, you’ve suddenly got this conflict again where you need to allocate staff in the most commercial manner.”

There is a concern about overtime during these busy periods, often having to balance the needs of the client with the welfare of staff. Other times, staff may be facing personal circumstances that mean their output is lower than others.

“Sometimes staff will not reach the levels that are needed, and that’s not because they’re not trying,” says Bacall. “They’re putting everything into it but for whatever reason they can’t get there. You’ve got to manage that and support the person and outline where you need them to get to at some point.”

Moving into management can be challenging

When moving from being part of the team into a management position, it can be a challenging transition. Bacall says that moving up where you were previously at the same level as others can be difficult and cause conflict.

“If you’re going from being on someone’s level to a manager level, it can be tricky because in some ways you’re now telling them what to do,” he says. “You’re giving them feedback and critiquing their work.”

So, how can accountants in management positions handle these potential conflicts within their teams?

1. Be patient

When moving into management, and when taking over new reports, building trust among the team takes time and patience. “You have to build that trust over time, you have to say to yourself we will get there,” says Bacall.

2. Set out clear expectations

You should also set clear expectations among the team, especially if people have different workloads.

“You can get stronger team members who end up getting a lot put on them,” says Bacall. “They pick up the slack. That’s difficult because, though they have an incredible attitude, they sometimes can become bitter because they see other people not doing their bit.”

He adds that the way to manage this is to explain their strengths and weaknesses to them. “You might get someone who’s absolutely rapid and gets through loads but is sloppy and makes mistakes, and you get some people who do incredible work but take too long. It comes down to balance.”

CEO of Conscious Leadership Development, Caroline Hughes, adds: “Many issues escalate simply because expectations were never made explicit. Leaders must be clear about roles, standards and decision rights early, rather than relying on assumptions.”

3. When conflict happens, act quickly

Hughes adds that handling conflict effectively starts with clarity and timeliness. “When conflict arises, address it early and directly,” she says.

She recommends separating intent from impact when doing this. Start by trying to understand the underlying root causes of the conflict. Actively find out what those causes are – don’t make assumptions.

Secondly, Hughes explains, talking about the impact of the conflict can help others to rise out of a he-said-she-said situation. For example, you might say something like: “Sounds like you didn’t intend to exclude others, but not involving the right people has created confusion and wasted effort.”

This, says Hughes, reduces defensiveness and keeps the focus on outcomes.

Bacall adds that his company has established audit and accounts team meetings on a regular basis that look at what the team is doing well and what they’re not doing well.

“It gets a lot of frustrations out on the table and prevents quite a few issues and conflicts,” he says. “We had a few issues where team members weren’t properly closing and rolling forward completed accounts files. So this meeting was a good opportunity to set what’s required. That’s worked quite well and people have got better at.”

4. Mediate if required

If further action is needed, mediation can be a helpful tool to give another voice in the conflict. “Usually the issue can resolve itself by having that go between, because often these things are one-off incidents rather than being long-term feuds,” says Bacall.

He has seen situations where two team members are both passionate about what they do and don’t get on. “There’s a breakdown in trust and you just can’t get one to talk to the other, so you can mediate and explain a third-party view on things.”

When this situation arose, they were able to move the team members to work separately, which resolved the issue.

5. Be adaptable

Different approaches are also necessary for different situations.

“Where capability is the issue, coaching and support are appropriate,” says Hughes. “Where accountability or behaviour is the issue, leaders need to be direct about expectations and consequences. Avoiding these conversations in the name of harmony usually creates more disruption later.”

6. Avoid judgement – approach with curiosity

Ultimately, approaching conflict with curiosity rather than judgement is a good place to start.

“Asking ‘what’s going on?’ creates space for honest dialogue, surfaces root causes, and helps teams move forward without lingering tension,” says Hughes. “Difficult conversations aren’t a sign of poor leadership; avoiding them is.”