Some Workplace Conflicts Require a Mediator
Everyone will experience a conflict with a colleague at some point in their career. Before it spirals out of control and HR is brought in, you need to employ proven strategies and measures to defuse the situation. From understanding different perspectives to identifying shared goals, here are 20 ways to handle workplace conflicts.
1. Address Issues Early
The longer a conflict goes unaddressed, the more it will fester and escalate. Confronting issues with a colleague shortly after they arise will prevent resentment from building, encourage open communication, and create a framework to use for future disagreements.
2. Practice Active Listening
Conflicts often emerge from people feeling unheard. Active listening requires you to give your undivided attention, acknowledge the speaker's perspective, and repeat key points to convey understanding. It helps alleviate tension.
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3. Stay Calm and Neutral
Emotions can only make disagreements worse. Maintaining your composure and neutrality allows room for rational conversation. You will have a better chance to separate facts from emotions and keep the situation productive and non-confrontational.
4. Focus on Problems, Not the Person
Workplace conflicts will worsen when someone feels personally attacked. It's your job to keep the conversation centered on the issue, rather than the personality or habits of the other person. If not, you will shift the tone from conflict resolution to blame, and no one will feel respected.
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5. Use "I" Statements
Replacing "You always" with "I feel" is less accusatory and helps convey your perspective without hostility. This technique can also lower your defensiveness and lead to constructive dialogue.
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6. Seek to Understand Different Perspectives
Workplace conflicts often stem from differing opinions, values, or priorities. Asking questions to better understand someone else's perspective can build empathy and help avoid disagreements. It reframes the conflict as a difference of opinions, and not a fierce fight.
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7. Identify Shared Goals
Shift your arguments to conversations about common objectives, like a project's success or satisfying a client, to create unity. Shared goals remind us that everyone involved is working on the same team, and conflict can turn into a fruitful collaboration.
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8. Set Clear Boundaries
Recurring conflicts require clear and firm boundaries. This involves defining what behavior is acceptable and which communication style will be appreciated. Boundaries keep interactions professional and build mutually clear expectations.
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9. Use a Mediator
A mediator is a neutral third party that can facilitate a professional conversation between warring colleagues. This can be a manager or member of HR, and they can break deadlocks, stop arguments from escalating, and ensure fairness and clarity.
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10. Avoid Making Assumptions
Basing disagreements on assumptions will cause more miscommunications to happen. Instead of assuming anything, try using data, timelines, or real-world examples to prove your point. Fact-based discussions keep conversations objective and prevent them from escalating into full-blown fights.
11. Choose the Right Setting
Never address your workplace conflicts in public unless you want the other person to become more defensive. Choose a private room that's also neutral, as these will encourage honesty and make it easier to bring up sensitive subjects.
12. Compromise When Possible
Some conflicts won't declare a winner. By compromising, you show a willingness to adapt and work toward a balanced solution that will make both sides happy. This not only ends conflicts but can also establish long-term trust.
13. Agree to Disagree
Agreeing to disagree can be an annoying expression, but the truth is that some differences can't be resolved. Acknowledging disagreements without hostility and being able to move forward allows all parties to continue to be productive while respecting diversity of thought.
14. Strengthen Emotional Intelligence
Developing self-awareness and empathy can prevent you from feeling triggered during conflicts. Emotionally intelligent people are aware of their own reactions and work to change their approach to keep arguments respectful and productive.
15. Clarify Roles and Responsibilities
Murky duties will lead to conflicts every time. By defining roles, accountability is clear and will reduce the tension that comes with overlapping responsibilities. Employees operate more smoothly when everyone knows their role and what's expected of them.
16. Keep Open Lines of Communication
Ensuring your colleagues know that you are available to talk and conducting regular check-ins can prevent disagreements and misunderstandings. Ongoing open dialogue will make your colleagues feel heard and ensure issues are dealt with early, so they're not allowed to fester.
17. Avoid Gossip
Workplace gossip breeds conflict by distorting facts and introducing mistrust into a workplace. Always address issues directly with a co-worker, instead of involving people who have nothing to do with the situation.
18. Take Time to Cool Off
When things get heated, it's best to take a break to cool off. Taking a break will let your emotions settle, and you can then return to the issue with a clear head. Emotional conversations are rarely settled and can turn unprofessional quickly.
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19. Focus on Long-Term Relationships
Workplace dynamics are constantly evolving. Handling conflict respectfully and fairly builds lasting and strong professional relationships. You should always prioritize long-term collaboration over short-term gains to strengthen workplace culture and avoid uncomfortable situations.
20. Learn from the Conflict
Try to adopt a positive attitude about workplace conflicts where you see each one as an opportunity to grow. Start by reflecting on what caused the argument, how it was handled, and what you can do to improve your behavior to prevent future issues from arising. People and teams that learn from conflicts, even the most heated ones, will become more resilient and better co-workers.
