eated debates between co-workers are inevitable. So what happens in the event of personal attacks and hurt feelings? If you doubt your conflict management skills, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Read on to find out how to handle situations when things get out of hand.
What are some common causes of company infighting?
Knowing the causes of conflicts in the office can give you an upper hand in mediating. This buys you time to construct your words carefully and resolve conflicts as efficiently as possible. Here are the three most common causes of conflicts between co-workers:
1) Conflicting ideas or beliefs
Interpersonal arguments may occur due to opposing viewpoints on various issues, often resulting from personal judgements formed by the individuals involved.
When these arguments arise, there is a huge chance that things will get personal, which makes them even harder to resolve. Compromise is the most viable solution to this kind of dispute; finding a common ground between two opinions is the best way to smooth things out.
2) Unfair treatment
This type of conflict typically occurs when individuals feel as though they aren’t being heard, leading them to think that speaking up in an aggressive manner will get them noticed. Employees who are given tasks that aren’t in their job descriptions, are forced out of their comfort zones, or are repeatedly undermined could develop hostility toward their bosses and co-workers.
3) Lack of feedback
This may make people feel agitated and anxious because they may feel undervalued. Scarcity of feedback and encouragement is also a sign of poor communication, which has been proven to be one of the leading causes of poor performance by employees. Now that we’ve established the main reasons why clashes in the workplace happen, let’s determine the different types of proactive solutions you can use in times of trouble. Part 2 of this article discusses how you can be an effective mediator and part 3 discusses on how to prevent conflict from happening in the first place.
