{"id":19276,"date":"2023-03-30T09:46:17","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T06:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/?p=19276"},"modified":"2024-12-11T17:02:21","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T15:02:21","slug":"handling-conflict-in-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/handling-conflict-in-the-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"“Let’s talk it out”: How to handle conflict in the workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cPeople are annoying.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Liz Kislik<\/a>, a management consultant and business coach, believes that conflict wouldn\u2019t exist if it wasn\u2019t for these annoying people who seem to be unable to control themselves. But that\u2019s the easiest part of the story.<\/strong> She supports that when we operate based on this belief, conflict persists and causes more damage. So if we want to solve conflict in the workplace, we need to see what lies beneath this conflict.<\/p>\n

According to Kislik, instead of blaming the people involved in a conflict and just expecting them to get things right, we need to examine the root of the issue that causes unproductive conflict.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s further explore what conflicts at work might look like through an example.<\/p>\n

Clara\u2019s team was amazing, with one exception. Ben usually had a bad attitude. He was often negative during team meetings, didn\u2019t engage in teamwork, and was arrogant overall. Clara tried to motivate, encourage, and support Ben, with no results whatsoever.<\/p>\n

Soon, there was a big disagreement between Ben and another colleague. Employees working at the nearby desks stopped their tasks to figure out why there were people shouting at each other. The vibe in the office was tense, productivity was put on pause, and people felt uncomfortable. Clara went there, tried to calm the two employees, and asked them to follow her to her office. She explained to each one how such conflict in the workplace is not accepted and gave them a verbal warning.<\/p>\n

But shortly after that, another dispute occurred. She knew she had to do more than just warn her team members.<\/p>\n

Even if conflict is inevitable, it should not be something to fear. People are different, and their motives, processes, goals, and communication ways might vary. These can cause misunderstandings, closed-mindedness, and passive-aggressive behavior. But when conflicts are properly resolved, they can bring good change to your organization.<\/p>\n

Conflicts should never be taken lightly or ignored.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Stop<\/p>\n

How not<\/em> to handle conflicts<\/h2>\n

One way of handling conflict is… not handling it.<\/p>\n

In other words, not taking any particular action and just assuming or hoping things will get better over time. Or, downgrading its impact and sweeping things under the rug. Avoidance seems the easy way out.<\/strong> But it’s not the best solution.<\/p>\n

According to a recent survey, 4.6% of respondents<\/a> said that avoidance is their go-to style with conflict, and in another study, 67% of employees<\/a> did all they could to avoid a colleague with whom they had disagreed. People tend to avoid discussing frustrations and concerns when things are calm. But when discomfort doesn\u2019t get addressed, employees are like ticking bombs ready to explode, and blurt it all out angrily. Trying to avoid an argument altogether might seem like a less stressful option, but it usually raises tension and resentments, and bigger arguments can take place.<\/p>\n

Being defensive can create bigger problems<\/strong> in the long run and not help you with how to handle conflict in the workplace, as conflicts among your teams will continue to grow and hurt your business.<\/p>\n

According to a study by Randstad US<\/a>, avoiding conflict resolution can lead to 58% of workers quitting a job because of disruptive workplace policies, 38% wanting to quit because they don\u2019t fit in such cultures, and 86% of potential new hires didn\u2019t apply to organizations with poor workforce reviews. Also, according to a CIPD study<\/a>, mishandled conflicts can result in 27% personal attacks and insults, 25% absence and sick days, and 9% failure of projects.<\/p>\n

Conflict might arise in the workplace because employees have a different POV, or because they communicate differently. Sometimes when people spend a lot of time together, they heavily depend on one another to complete a task, or have high expectations that have not been communicated from the beginning, and that might lead to arguments.<\/p>\n

Conflict will happen, no matter what.<\/strong> But when employees are able to discuss challenging topics in an inclusive and supportive manner, new ideas emerge, and collaboration is fostered. Good communication in a peaceful setting allows people to share their thoughts without fear, anger, or disrespect.<\/p>\n