Personality clashes can cause conflict, emotional outbursts and strained relationships.
Ever heard these complaints?
“He’s just so sloppy, he doesn’t pay attention to detail and then I have to pick up the pieces”
“She’s so demanding and just expects me… Continue reading
Unfortunately, many people deal with difficult situations by ignoring them and hoping they’ll go away. Among the reasons behind this are that they don’t know how to start a difficult conversation about it.
The workplace presents many situations that require… Continue reading
Assertive people are more likely to get constructive outcomes, engage their colleagues, feel more confident and strengthen relationships as a result. Here are 7 tips for becoming more assertive.
There are many forms of communication. Among the most common,… Continue reading
Covid 19 has brought about some major changes in working habits, relating to others and use of technology. These changes have affected some people more negatively than others. The neuroscience of change can help us shine some light on the… Continue reading
There is no ‘Leading though Coronavirus’ playbook for leaders. This crisis has been unprecedented. What we can do now is employ strategies that cater to the situation and the needs of the employees.
Now restrictions are beginning to ease, many… Continue reading
Many people find handling change challenging at the best of times. Managing change through the Covid 19 pandemic is compounded because the changes have been so fast, dramatic and organisations have had little time to prepare. Everyone’s lives have been… Continue reading
The Covid 19 pandemic seems to have brought the very worst and the very best out in people. We’ve all seen evidence of our primal survival instincts kicking in with panic buying and knee jerk reactions. We’ve also seen strong… Continue reading
By 2025, 75 percent of the workforce will be millennials. And they won’t be filling entry-level positions. They’ll be managers. Here are 3 skills millennial managers need to learn to be successful. Our millennial managers are changing the face of… Continue reading
It’s coming to the end of the year, you’ve had a long, gruelling project to work on with a million other things sprung on you at the last minute. Understandably, you’ve been feeling the pressure, you’re exhausted, looking forward to… Continue reading
What’s the most common issue in the workplace?
It comes in many guises but at the core of a lot of issues lies workplace conflict. It may take the form of having to manage poor performance, personality clashes or plain old stress. In the simplest terms, conflict is nothing more than a difference of opinion or approach because no two individuals think alike.
Conflict arises whenever individuals have different values, opinions, attitudes, perceptions, needs or interests and are unable to find middle ground.
Not surprisingly then, there is a lot of conflict in the workplace. But remember conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, we all know the consequences of conflict if it is handled poorly: arguments, stress, fractured relationships, poor outcomes, loss of time and productivity etc. but conflict happens for a reason. If we shine a new light on workplace conflict, learn to see it as an opportunity and handle it differently, we will gain a multitude of benefits. These include:
- increased clarity
- innovation
- creativity
- problem solving skills
- increased productivity
- strengthened relationships
- time savings
- reduced costs
- better outcomes
- the list goes on….
Some of the more progressive organisations such as Google, embrace conflict. Google found the most important dynamic in creating effective teams is ‘psychological safety’; it reported that individuals on teams with high psychological safety ie. they didn’t fear ridicule or reprimand for their ideas or input, were less likely to leave Google and more likely to “harness the power of diverse ideas.” These individuals also created more revenue and were rated as “effective” twice as often by executives.
Another example of how embracing workplace conflict has benefitted an organisation is Nissan. Years ago, Jerry Hirshberg saw divergent perspectives as an opportunity to explore, rather than a problem to solve. As a result, Hirshberg’s team not only attracted sales and attention for the company with its designs, but also won consumer-product awards and changed conversations within the industry.
While to some, embracing conflict might seem obvious, it’s certainly not the norm for most organizations. One survey found that less than 10% of people feel their colleagues “make an effort to understand different perspectives.” Many managers would rather avoid conflict, ignore it or gloss over it rather than embrace the benefits that conflict can bring.
Well-managed conflict is a great thing. It spurs innovative company cultures, streamlines organizational processes, and creates effective leaders. So, if our leaders and mangers learn to use workplace conflict — to view it as something beneficial, rather than harmful, our organisations will thrive.
For more ideas on how this can be achieved read this article about 17 companies that expertly handle conflict.
If you or your organisation need ideas or training on how to manage conflict, contact Jill@jemtraining.com.au Take the challenge and shine a new light on workplace conflict.