Conflicts are inevitable in organizational settings because every organization has a staff with diverse set of personalities, experiences and cultural backgrounds and when people who are extremely different from one another work together, misunderstandings and disagreements are bound to happen. However, there are constructive ways for dealing with such conflicts, some of which are explained here.
Do not use verbal aggression
Whenever someone is physically assaulted, his first instinct is to defend himself. The same thing happens when you are being verbally assaulted. You will instinctively guard yourself from the attack if your colleague accuses or blames you of something which you have not done. In such situations, it is very likely that you will retaliate or respond with a verbal attack. However, this is your workplace and you cannot just speak whatever that comes in your mind, you need to remain within your limits even when you are having conflicts with your co worker. Be sure to communicate your opinion without the use of personal attacks if you believe that you are not at fault. This may be difficult in the moment, especially if you are blatantly assaulted or you are being accused of something you know is not true. You are more likely to explain your point, if the person at the other end does not feel threatened by you.
Be open
Misunderstandings are one of the major causes behind most of the conflicts at work. Information or message sent to you or sent from you can be misinterpreted, if the message passes through a line of communication involving many people. If you want to resolve the conflict, then you have to be open to the fact that the other person may have a point or there may be something that you donât know. Instead of pointing the finger, you should work towards having a discussion about fixing the problem. The argument can become a discussion if you put some effort in order to listen, understand and if possible, sympathize with the other person, and this is when a conflict can become useful, not only for you but also for the company. A conflict provides you with an opportunity to create a flow of new ideas which can not only resolve the present problem, but also these experiences and ideas act as a base for preventing future disagreements.
Focus on the problem
Whenever something wrong happens, we often try to put the blame on others, even without exploring the roots of the problem. Although this strategy can get you out of the trouble, but it is not productive, neither for you, nor for the company. The main concern shouldnât be to determine who was wrong but to find a solution to the problem. Try your best to keep the conversation focused on the causes of the problem and what can be done to fix it. Do not focus on the personâs fault if the problem is regarding the work relationship.
Stay calm
When you are having an argument, you are more likely to say things which you would not have spoken otherwise. During arguments, we develop a tendency to speak first and think later because of which the conflict is aggravated. Instead of saying whatever that comes into your mind, pause for a while, think about what the other person has said to you and then reply appropriately. This way the situation remains under control as you are less likely to speak with anger. When you stay calm, the other person doesn’t get the response which he might have expected from you. In such cases, the arguing person is left with the only option to give up or talk as calmly as you are.
Discuss the problem with your manager
Working together to reach a common ground can be less troublesome and at the same time it is an effective way of resolving the conflict. Determine what you and the other person really want and then work towards aligning your desired outcome with his/her. However, if all of your efforts to resolve the conflict fail to improve the situation, then the only option left is telling the manager about it. But, before you decide to take the matter in front of him, be sure to explain the efforts that you made for fixing the problem before approaching them. You have to show them that resolution of this conflict is very important not only for you, but also for the company. They will step in and help in resolving the conflict only if you are able to prove that the work is being affected because of this conflict.
