Managing Conflict At Workplace

A workplace WITH conflict is likely to succeed over a workplace WITHOUT conflict. Yes, you heard it right.

This is because a workplace WITHOUT conflict will have no diversity of opinion, no creativity, no new ideas, and hence no growth.

A workplace WITH conflict, on the other hand, will succeed, provided it has good conflict management.

I believe that instead of avoiding conflict, one should try to appropriately address and resolve it!

Here are some top-notch ways to manage conflict at workplaces:

1. A lot of conflicts arise out of misunderstandings, and can be prevented and resolved with clear and direct communication at every level. Be an active listener in order to prevent miscommunication.

2. Do not save the conflict resolution for later. The sooner you resolve it, the better. This is because unsolved conflict leads to bitter feelings of distrust, regret, and guilt.

3. There are a few things that would need to be ignored. Prioritize what you can and what you cannot ignore when it comes to conflict.

4. Sometimes, it is better to let others win. If you are engaging in an argument to win or to prove that the other person is wrong, the conflict will only increase, not reduce.

5. Resolve the conflict through face-to-face communication rather than e-mail or social media. It’s effective because it allows you to read the room and observe the important non-verbal cues from the person and drive the conversation in a better direction.

6. If you’ve done something wrong or inappropriate that might have contributed to the conflict, willingly or unwillingly, take accountability and apologize for your actions.

It might be impossible to eliminate workplace conflict altogether, but it is very much possible to resolve it efficiently.

Do you have a story about how you managed a conflict? Share your experience in the comments section.