Conflict Resolution In The Workplace

We deal with conflicts in all areas of our life, from our wife and our children to our parents and our siblings. But often we also deal with conflicts in the workplace, and these can be the most difficult conflicts to resolve. We are better equipped to handle familial conflicts because of the foundation of relationship that is already in place, both before and after the conflict. In the workplace, however, conflicts can become much more volcanic, as we can be dealing with people we hardly knew, or with people we wish we hardly knew! While there is no cure-all for ending, avoiding, or resolving workplace conflicts, there are some things you can do to ensure that you take care of conflicts when they pop up, diffusing them before they become something much bigger than they should be.

"Assigning blame" is one of the biggest pitfalls people fall prey to when trying to deal with all conflicts in general, and with workplace conflicts specifically. If you tell someone, "You don't do any work," they are less likely to react the way you might like for them to react than if you say, "I feel like I am doing all the work here."

When dealing with conflicts, an excellent approach is the "us versus the problem" approach. Rather than instituting a "me versus you" situation, the "us versus the problem" approach acknowledges that there is a problem, and it aims to combine the forces of both individuals to work the problem out. The "us versus the problem" approach is also a very good way for you to avoid placing blame (and for you to avoid having blame placed on you), because the two of you will be working together against the problem.

Finally, think long and hard about the prudence of involving your superiors in a conflict before you do so. When you involve your superiors, it can quickly create bitterness between yourself and the coworker with whom you had conflict. Furthermore, even if you are in the right and your coworker is in the wrong, no one looks very good when a conflict is brought to the boss.

Conflict resolution might not be easy, but it is very often a necessary aspect of workplace life. Learn how to solve workplace conflicts, instead of fighting further and making them worse.