How to avoid the harmful effects of workplace conflicts
Conflicts inevitably occur during professional activity. Regardless of their nature (role, relationship, professional, etc.), we cannot avoid all conflicts at all times. Healthy coping with conflict has benefits for both the people involved and the working relationships that exist between members of an organization.
The responses to the conflicts we have during the activity can be healthy or unhealthy depending on the traces they leave on the work atmosphere, the efficiency of the team or on the relationships between the team members.
Unhealthy responses to conflict:
- Inability to recognize or answer questions that matter to the other
- Explosive, angry, aggressive, resentful reactions
- Withdrawal of goodwill, blaming the other, isolating the other
- Inability to compromise or to see from the other's perspective
- Expecting that something very bad will happen, despair
Healthy responses to conflict:
- Ability to empathize with the other's perspective
- Calm, non-defensive, respectful reactions
- Willingness to get over it without anger or resentment
- Ability to find compromise solutions and not to punish
- Confidence that dealing with conflict will benefit both parties
In order to resolve a conflict in a healthy way, it is necessary to learn / practice two key skills: effective stress management and awareness of one's emotions. Having these two skills formed, we will be able to understand more quickly and correctly the non-verbal messages of the interlocutor, we will communicate correctly the needs we have so that the conflict does not escalate, we’ll actively listen to what the interlocutor has to say, and we stay motivated until the conflict is settled or we are able to show persuasion vs. manipulation or blackmail behaviors (especially emotional).
