A melting pot of different personalities is what keeps communities vibrant, interesting, and exciting. Unfortunately, it’s this mix of differences that also sometimes leads to disputes. As a community manager, it often falls on you to resolve these disputes in creative ways that satisfy all parties fairly. At OccupancySolutions.com, we want to provide a few simple tips for effective conflict resolution within your community:

  • Respond as quickly as possible – While waiting for a “cool down” period might seem like a good idea, what you think is cooling off might actually cause the issue to fester further. For community management teams, it’s best to address the issue as quickly as possible.
  • Keep your cool – You’re likely to be dealing with heightened emotions when handling a conflict, and these can be contagious. As a community manager, it’s important to keep your cool and remain calm no matter how emotional a resident may be. When you’re addressing the issue quickly, responding calmly can help to ease these feelings right from the start.
  • Remember your compassion – What may not seem like a big deal to you could mean the world to someone else. When dealing with resident conflict with you, your team, or another resident, it’s crucial to remember your compassion as you work with all sides. Being willing to understand their emotions, active listening, and validating their feelings can make a huge positive difference.
  • Always document – Documentation is important for community managers, but it’s never more important than during conflict. Especially if the conflict involves yourself or a member of your staff, make sure to save and document all communications, actions, and events just in case they’re needed later on.

Conflict is never something that community management teams want to have to deal with, but it is an unfortunate reality when handling so many different personalities at once. To learn more about effectively addressing conflict within your community, contact us today.