The two most common approaches to workplace conflict resolution are: making it worse and avoiding it. Leaders who possess self-awareness understand that conflict is a signal that something important is happening and that they need to pay attention to it. They are self-aware enough to realize that conflict is a great opportunity to bring co-workers together and improve how their workplaces function. Try these six steps the next time conflict erupts in your workplace:
1. Name the conflict (keep it simple, one sentence or less). Don’t worry about giving it the perfect name, what matters is just making sure everyone is on the same page.
2. Each of you describe how you see the conflict. All views are valid. Let people share their stories without judgments, rebuttals, or comments.
3. Brainstorm a few ideas to fix the conflict. All ideas are valid and welcome.
4. Agree and choose one of the ideas from the brainstorm to work on. Don’t worry about which one you pick, the important thing is for the people involved to work together.
5. Each of you decides what you will work on and by when. Let each person chose what he or she wants to do.
6. Get an outside person involved if you are still having difficulty working together.
I’ve found that, if two people just sit down and agree to talk (respectfully, without shouting, and in a quiet setting), they can resolve even the most complex situations. It’s wonderful when two people have the self-awareness necessary to work together, come to an agreement, and figure out a mutually beneficial way to resolve the issue at hand.
Remember that dealing with workplace conflict isn’t a quick fix that happens immediately, it takes people agreeing to sit down with each other and working together to develop new solutions over time. What will you do to develop your self-awareness and resolve conflict in your workplace?
Cheers,
Guy