CONFLICT in the WORKPLACE

By Jane Shersher

Conflict often arises when people work together on a project, but it does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. Sometimes conflict brings about positive reform as issues can often highlight better ways of achieving results. Working through the process of clashing opinions presents opportunities ripe for building relationships, learning different and potentially useful perspectives, and securing more effective ways of completing tasks.

Here are 4 tips to empower you and your coworkers the next time you face this challenge .

1. COMMUNICATION

The most important piece of conflict resolution and prevention involves effective communication. If you tend to keep your feelings bottled up and are clenching your thoughts of anger, frustration or betrayal, opening up may help your co-workers relate to you and understand your needs; or anticipate your preferences.

Effective communication is not just limited to face-face direct conversation. Many people avoid expressing their thoughts because they dread direct confrontation. However, there are a variety of ways to express your needs without being confrontational or passive aggressive. Sending a clarifying email; asking a or supervisor for advice; checking in with a trusted friend or significant other before bringing your concerns to the or redirecting the flow of an uncomfortable conversation toward a more productive direction, can be helpful.

Be positive: keep in mind that each time you reframe conflict as miscommunication, you are opening up a space for constructive dialogue within your workplace and encouraging the promotion of a work environment where open, fair, and thoughtful interactions are valued. Straightforward and patient communication is bound to facilitate a happier and healthier office space.

2. TAKE A STEP BACK

Taking a step back doesn't just involve cooling down before confronting the offending party, although a calm mind during confrontation is crucial. Investigating alternate points of view is an important part of positive and productive communication. Questioning if your perspective of the conflict is universal, or, whether your coworker may be seeing things differently than how you see the situation; may help you to cool off some steam and approach the dilemma from a more patient place. Ask yourself: are there other factors within the situation that I am not taking into consideration? Is my co-worker facing unrelated factors in their day, such as family stressors or a health concern, that causing agitation? Maybe their agitation has nothing to do with me and I could offer to help them rather than taking things personally.

3. WHEN IS IT TIME TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

No one wants to be a tattletale, but when something is negatively not only your work but your work environment as a whole, it may be time to escalate the issue up the chain of command. Before going to your superior or HR representative, ask yourself the following questions:

Have I had a one-on-one conversation or email exchange with the person and accurately communicated my feelings and/or concerns?

Is this conflict going to negatively affect either of us or other members of the work environment? And if so, is it worth seeking intervention for my current issue?

Have I stepped outside of my shoes and tried to see things from the other person's perspective?

Have I heard my colleague’s side of the story and have I done all in my power to make changes to avoid future conflict?

4. REMEMBER YOURSELF

It is important to remember that at the end of the day, we are all still human, working for something we care about, and trying to make a living. Remember that you’re doing the best that you can and that conflict is not only inevitable, it’s a constant learning process. The world is a large place filled with different kinds of people, and conflict is how we learn and grow. If conflict starts to seriously affect your mood and , reward yourself every day that you make it through the conflict - whether it be by sleeping in an extra five minutes, bringing a healthy dessert for or making a lunch date with a friend to add a little spark to your day. Be patient with yourself and with the process of creating constructive and productive peace and progress at work.

References

The American Institute of Stress. (n.d.) Stress Effects. Retrieved from https://www.stress.org/stress-effects/

Bradberry, T. (2015, January 21). Why Your Need Emotional Intelligence to Succeed in Business. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241998

Article from January edition of Blooming Minds eMag

Tasha Broomhall has partnered with organisations and communities to develop cultures of positive mental health and wellbeing for the past 10 years. Tasha is the Director and lead facilitator for Blooming Minds, published author, keynote speaker and TEDxPerth presenter. She is currently completing a Masters of Social Psychology.

Mental health is a serious topic but with almost half of us experiencing mental illness in our lifetime, it is a subject that we need to talk openly about in our homes, workplaces and communities. Tasha draws from her background in psychology, disability, psycho-social rehabilitation and business to talk about a serious topic in a relatable and often humorous way that connects with audiences.

If your organisation would like resources to develop a mental health strategy, attend her popular seminar "Workplace Mental Health for Leaders" around the country in 2018.