Dealing with conflict in the workplace
AT some point in our career, we are going to end up in a conflict with a colleague. Conflicts are a normal and natural part of our workplace and handling these can be quite bewildering. For teachers, working with difficult people is not something teacher training programs prepare them for.
In school, cooperating with fellow workers is challenging. There’s always someone who is making your life harder, who can’t seem to finish his or her part of a project on time, or who constantly asks for help doing the same task, week after week. But since this conflict is going down in a professional setting, we have to be extra watchful with our words, attitude and general handling of the situation.
If anxiety has been brewing between you and a coworker for a while, don't wait until you both feel totally antagonistic towards one another. Don't let the problem marinate any longer than you have to; schedule a face-toface meeting in a private setting with your coworker, and block off plenty of time so that both of you can express where you're coming from. Addressing the issue early will prevent making a mountain out of a molehill — especially if the problem actually turns out to be a misunderstanding or a relatively small issue.
It may be tempting to solve things via text messaging, especially if the idea of conflict makes you cringe. But trying to resolve a disagreement in that manner is inefficient and can potentially make the situation worse — it's really easy to misunderstand someone's thoughts when they're not accompanied by things like a tone of voice or facial expressions. And this is especially true when both parties are feeling defensive.
If you got into a sudden argument with a coworker, it's best to wait until both of you have calmed down and can have a level-headed conversation. Yes, open communication is the means by which disagreement can be prevented, managed, or resolved. It is an effective measure to preserve the most important resources in the workplace — happy and productive employees. The lack of open communication drives conflict underground and can create a downward spiral of misunderstanding and hostility. No matter what the situation we still have to maintain our stride and stay as professional as we can.
Some people employ the ostrich technique in dealing with conflict. They bury their heads in the sand and try to ignore it. However, this does nothing to improve the situation. When conflict is driven underground, it only grows and will stay underground until it is so intense that an explosion may the next step. While it’s a natural human tendency to avoid uncomfortable conflict with others, that tactic won’t work in the long term. Avoiding conflict is often seem to be the easiest way to deal with it. It does not, however, make it go away. Rather it pushes the conflict underground, only to have it resurface in a new form. By actively resolving conflict when it occurs, we can create a more positive work environment for everyone.Hence, an investment in learning the skills in effectively communication and conflict resolution is a gift that keeps on giving. Marilyn S. Tami-ing