It’s been a tumultuous few years in the workplace.
Following the 2020 pandemic, which upended the concept of what constituted “going to work,” millions of employees across the country settled, out of necessity, into a new teleworking lifestyle.
The years since have ushered in a patchwork of fully remote, hybrid, and return-to-office arrangements, which depending on the company or organization, have added new potential fault lines for conflict between employer and employee.
So, too, did widespread workforce shortages in the early 2020s that ignited sometimes contentious discussions about unfilled roles, division of labor, and pay raises.
Add in the highest inflation in decades and more recent waves of layoffs across a myriad of sectors in the face of macroeconomic concerns, and it’s safe to say the last five years have brought workforce hurdles even the most seasoned executives haven’t seen in recent memory.
At the same time, today’s people managers must also still contend with many of the longest-running points of conflict that can get in the way of workplace cohesiveness: personality clashes, workload, differences of opinion, varying leadership styles, and breakdowns in communication—of particular concern in any workplace that has employees in the office fewer than five days a week.
A 2024 report from the polling firm Gallup found that more than one-fifth of US employees experience daily loneliness, particularly among those working remotely full-time. The study also tracked drops in employee engagement and well-being, which presents potentially significant consequences for organizational productivity.
Add in disruptive forces like artificial intelligence and inevitable working-style differences between generations established in the workforce and those ascending to it, and it’s safe to say today’s manager has their hands full.
But what’s the key to managing workforce conflict at a time when, in many ways, the hurdles look different than those faced by companies, say, 20,15,or even 10 years ago?
Among the most pervasive challenges for managers to consider today is balancing the inevitable competing perspectives on remote versus in-person work, according to Hayley Blunden, who serves on the faculty at AU’s Kogod School of Business.
“For many decades, in-office work was seen as the norm, with virtual work as a deviation or an exception,” Blunden explained. “The pandemic upended these perceptions and showed that employees can be productive, often more so, when they are not in a traditional office setting.”
A professor in Kogod’s Department of Management who previously held positions in internal strategy, consulting, and finance at large and small organizations, Blunden has focused much of her research on how leaders can make challenging workplace interactions more productive.
However, a top lesson she shares on navigating challenges, such as the currently top-of-mind debate over in-office versus hybrid work, is broadly applicable: Blunden recommends “perspective-taking,” a tried-and-true tactic of standing figuratively in your colleague’s shoes to understand their viewpoint.
“Trying to see someone else’s point of view can be a useful tool in requiring people to step back and consider the interests of their counterpart,” Blunden said.