{"id":54993,"date":"2022-10-13T10:13:50","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T14:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=54993"},"modified":"2022-10-13T18:49:09","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T22:49:09","slug":"how-to-navigate-work-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/how-to-navigate-work-conflict\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Navigate Conflict at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

As more people return to the office, the potential for workplace conflict rises. If you\u2019re facing personality conflicts or power struggles, you\u2019ll be wondering what to do to defuse the tension. This article discusses how to navigate conflict at work.<\/p>\n

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Conflict at work can have negative consequences for both you as an individual and for your organization. You might face discipline. You could be viewed as \u201cdifficult to work with\u201d and get left out of teams or lose out on mentorship<\/a>, promotions, or continued learning opportunities.<\/p>\n

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For the organization, workplace conflict is a big factor in employee stress<\/a>. It can hurt productivity, ability to collaborate, and dampen innovation. Plus, it can lead to turnover.<\/p>\n

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And, right now, as individuals returning to work environments after being offsite during COVID-19, conflict at work is a greater risk. \u201cPeople are generally more irritated than they have been in the past after two years of a global pandemic, which means that minor issues which might previously have been permitted to simmer are now escalating,\u201d says conflict strategist and career coach Susannah Margison<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Recognizing that conflict at work is inevitable, we\u2019ve rounded up advice about how individuals can handle conflict at work.<\/p>\n

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Avoid letting your emotions take over<\/h2>\n

You\u2019re angry. You don\u2019t want to hear this, but take a breath. Just taking a deep breath when you are in the midst of conflict can help you slow your emotions from over-riding your better instincts.<\/p>\n

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If you are in the middle of stressful situation get up for a cup of coffee, go get a drink of water, or visit the restroom to get a break from the conflict. You\u2019ll be able to regroup and avoid saying or doing something you might regret later.<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t let the conflict fester<\/h2>\n

If you are one to avoid confrontation, you might just hope the problem will go away. Or, you might be reluctant to bring up the issue as the person you are in conflict with is higher up in the hierarchy than you. However, unresolved conflicts seldom magically disappear and doesn\u2019t help you learn how to navigate conflict at work in the future either.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re not getting along with someone, open communication is typically the first thing to go. You may have to be the mature adult and approach your colleague asking to discuss the issue getting in the way of your working relationship.<\/p>\n

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Note, however, there is still wisdom in the phrase \u201cpick your battles.\u201d Certainly, you want to start out by gauging whether this is actually your fight. If there are 17 things that drive you insane about a colleague, prioritize the most important thing to address first.<\/p>\n

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Focus on the problem, not the person<\/h2>\n

Describe specific instances of the problem that is causing the conflict. By saying \u201cwhen this happens.\u201d instead of \u201cwhen you do\u2026\u201d you are focusing on behavior and events<\/a> rather than personality. This will help keep the conversation constructive as the individual is less likely to feel under attack.<\/p>\n

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Along these same lines, keep in mind that your perspective of what is going on can be entirely different than your colleague\u2019s. Don\u2019t jump to conclusions<\/a>. We all have a tendency towards naive realism<\/em>, which the Harvard Business Review<\/a> describes as believing \u201cthat we\u2019re seeing the issue objectively and correctly, and anyone who has another view is uninformed, irrational, or biased.\u201d Try to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume that they have good intentions.<\/p>\n

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The same HBR article also discusses the concept of \u201cfundamental attribution error<\/em>\u2014an inclination to assume that other people\u2019s behavior has more to do with their personality than with the situation, while believing the opposite of oneself.\u201d For example, if you miss a deadline because of circumstances beyond your control. Yet when the colleague does the same thing, you might think they are lazy, disrespectful, or trying to mess with you.<\/p>\n

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Listen actively<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s one thing to hear what someone is saying but another to listen carefully to try and understand what they are saying. By listening actively and not trying to think ahead to how you will respond, you are more likely to have a useful dialogue.<\/p>\n

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Active listening<\/a> also involves:<\/p>\n

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