The workplace is one of the most sensitive in people's lives. And there are compelling reasons for this, as work is related to financial support, personal talent and goals. Let's think that a person spends more than 100,000 hours of activity on average throughout his life. Thus, working is a highly significant event and any situation that threatens our productivity or our emotional well-being can destabilize us.
A conflict is a situation of disagreement that meets resistance to its resolution. It should be noted that disagreement does not mean conflict, since a disagreement is a difference of points of view, and what makes it a conflict is the rigidity of positions, which prevents agreement or harmonization.
In the organizational world, conflict situations can arise between people or groups, and these can be expressed in an obvious way or remain latent and hidden. Existing tensions need to be uncovered and addressed.
In my experience, the perspectives of those who are in conflict are summarized in three causal situations: conflicts due to abuse of power, due to competitiveness and due to non-fulfillment of functions or poor performance. In many cases there are complaints of abuse of power by bosses or some employees, which generates rebellion and local tensions. Other times, the fact that several people pursue the same goal can cause them to crash, and there are also cases in which bosses complain about unmotivated, lazy or unfulfilled employees who do not fulfill assignments or prevent the achievement of goals in time or in the predefined way. It should be understood that the causes of the conflict are not always evident or visible, which is why Daniel Goleman's phrase applies well: "Problems are where you see them."
People want to have and keep a job, stand out in it and resolve their productivity situation, and it is necessary to avoid confrontations, and choose the best way to relate, which is precisely the imposition. As more positive alternatives, there are negotiation and persuasion. Negotiation is a mechanism in which each party in conflict gives up something, and persuasion consists of motivating the other party to want to take our point of view despite resistance. Let's see some specific recommendations to prevent and resolve conflicts:
Accept differences: Understand that people are not the same as you and that they are not obligated to please you.
Negotiate deals: Find the common ground and ask yourself if you can give up one point to win another.
Clarify Roles: Clearly define the scope and boundaries of your role or job position. Thus, no one will invade the action spaces of others. Depersonalize the facts:
Don't take the behaviors of others personally. Each one does what she considers convenient for her purposes.
Document agreements: Everything in writing: The weakest line of a pencil is stronger than any memory. Put what is important in writing. Having evidence is better than not having it.
Respect roles and rules: Respect professional hierarchies, because whoever has a rank did something to obtain it. Knowing where we belong is a key to successful relationships.
Take responsibility: Abandon any position of victim and ask yourself what you are doing to create or maintain this situation.
Regulate confidence: Avoid overconfidence. Friendship and work should have different compartments so as not to confuse things. Learn from the mistake: If you make a mistake, admit it humbly and do your best not to repeat the mistakes.
Reduce stress: It is important to reduce stress because under stress we react and the perception of situations tends to alter. Find the fun or relaxed point of work and include it every day.
Consider these suggestions, put them into practice and in a short time you will notice an improvement in your mood and in your work relationships. Twittter: @doctorrenny
