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Resolving_Workplace_Conflict_4_Ways_to_a_Win Win_Solution
| Resolving Workplace Conflict: 4 Ways to a Win-Win Solution
Resolving Workplace Conflict: 4 Ways to a Win-Win Solution
The effects of conflict in the workplace are widespread and
costly. Its prevalence, as indicated by three serious studies,
shows that 24-60% of management time and energy is spent dealing
with anger. This leads to decreased productivity, increased
stress among employees, hampered performance, high turnover
rate, absenteeism and at its worst, violence and death.
Conflict in the workplace is the result of a variety of factors.
Perhaps the most significant cause is when someone feels taken
advantage of. This might happen when a perfectionist boss
demands the same dedication and commitment from employees as he
or she exhibits, but does not compensate them for the late or
weekend hours.
Other scenarios include the employee having unrealistic
expectations of what their job position really is, or of being
misunderstood in the workplace. Conflict also arises because of
values and goal differences in the company. The company may not
have goals or not adequately express the goals and values to
their employees. Conversely, the employee may have personal
goals and values at odds with those of the company.
There are four specific steps managers can take to reduce
workplace conflict. The first is for managers to look at
communication skills, both in terms of how they communicate and
how they’re teaching their employees to communicate with each
other. This, of course, includes using ‘I’ statements instead of
‘you’ language. Owning your own feelings and your own
communication is a much more effective way to communicate and
even more, teaching your employees to communicate that way with
others, goes a long way toward reducing conflict.
The second part of communication is for managers to beef up
listening skills. Active listening involves things like actually
trying to understand what the other person is saying, and then
communicating to the other person that you do indeed understand
what they’re saying.
The second way to decrease workplace conflict is to establish
healthy boundaries. Without boundaries, there will be conflict
and squabbles, power struggles and all kinds of circumstances
that make for messy situations.
You can be professional and be empathetic and compassionate
toward your employees, without crossing the line of becoming
their friend. This is especially important when there’s a power
difference between two people in an employment situation.
The third factor to reducing conflict is a skill called
‘emotional intelligence.’ There are many aspects and facets but
it basically means developing skills to be more effective by
teaching people to combine both intelligence and emotions in the
workplace.
Seeing and dealing with employees as human beings with real
lives is often overlooked in the busy workplace. People with
high emotional intelligence can do this in a professional
manner, and maintain appropriate boundaries. Another aspect of
EQ is knowing and being sensitive to how employees are
experiencing you as a manager. Part of EQ is teaching managers
to be sensitive to how they’re coming across to others.
The fourth aspect of reducing workplace conflict is setting up
behavioral consequences to be used with truly uncooperative
employees who are unwilling to change. Despite using all these
recommendations, there will be a few employees that just won’t
change because they’re unwilling or unable. That means a manager
must explain a consequence, which is an action or sanction that
states to the employee the likely outcome of continuing
problematic behavior. It will take skills from the three
previous points to do this in a non-threatening way.
Is there ever a place for anger in the workplace? Yes. When
people can say, ‘Wait a minute. I’m not happy with this; I don’t
like what’s going on,’ and they turn that anger into a positive
action, then the anger can be seen as a kind of motivator.
Sometimes when we’re in a position where we recognize that we
are upset about something, and we use that to our advantage, we
can make that work for us, and in the long run, actually work
for the company.
As employees, the more we can learn to speak up, to be able to
say what our needs and our wants are in a healthy way, and not
let it fester to the point of rage or explosion, we can use our
anger as a motivator to help us take action.
Employees can also change their attitude toward their job while
putting up with the unpleasant aspects of it. One way to reduce
conflict and to be happier is to find a way to shift our
perspective and our vision of why we’re there.
I’d like to close with a story that’s going around about the
janitor at Carnegie Hall who had been there for 20 years. He’s
45 years old. He was cleaning up the restroom, and a guy in a
business suit went up to him and said, ‘You seem to be an
intelligent fellow. For 20 years you’ve been cleaning the
toilets. Why don’t you do something with your life and get
another job?’
And the janitor said, ‘What? And leave show business?’
It’s all in how we view the situation and perceive what we’re
doing that determines our satisfaction and fulfillment on the
job.
About the author:
Dr. Tony Fiore is a So. California licensed psychologist, and
anger management trainer. His company, The Anger Coach, provides
anger and stress management programs, training and products to
individuals, couples, and the workplace. Sign up for his free
monthly newsletter "Taming The Anger Bee" at www.angercoach.com
and receive two bonus reports.
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