How does conflict affect people and productivity in your business?

The business dictionary defines “conflict” as “Friction or opposition resulting from actual or perceived differences or incompatibilities.” Is your workplace experiencing conflict and are you looking for solutions to help resolve it?

Interestingly, the word that leapt out at me was “perceived”. As an experienced mediator I often find that the perceptions of people in conflict often obscure the common aims.  Both parties may be seeking the same outcome or resolution (referred to as conflict resolution), such as delivering a product or service to a client or finalising a project, but are rigid in their belief that the way to achieve that resolution is the only way for something to be done.  Alternatively, one party may be unwilling to listen to another person’s ideas or suggestions about changing how things are done, to effect efficiency or improvements.

When I run skills workshops on communication and conflict mitigation or resolution, I ask participants to give me one word they think of when I say conflict. The responses are predominantly negative descriptors.  Some of these include pain, breakdown, anger, tiring, disruptive, frustrating and battle. This single word, “conflict” evokes emotive responses from most people.

We are not talking armed conflict or major disputes over the interpretation of a legal document. We are talking about conflict between individuals; a breakdown in a working or personal relationship where the weapons of mass destruction are in fact words and deeds.

In our stress filled lives where instant gratification is the norm and people communicate in short sharp discussion, email or social media, the meaning and interpretation of the message is often at odds. There is an assumption that the recipient of the communication understands it in the way the sender intended.  However, in reality this is not always the case.  The absence of a more robust discussion together with some context and explanation, may in fact cause entirely different interpretations of the same communication.

This leads to an action or retaliation which fractures the bridge of understanding. Left unaddressed, further communication and action between the parties places additional pressure on that bridge and disrupts working relationships. The negative energy devoted to a conflict between employees impacts on the positive time and productivity that should be devoted to your business.

Often colleagues and leaders in the workplace expect the parties to, “get over it” or “sort it out”. In fact, the absence of appropriate intervention leaves the issues and differences between parties to fester and cause ongoing and/or increased disruption.

Calling in an independent mediator can and does save a business time and money by facilitating a process that allows people in conflict to be heard and to determine the best way to address the differences and issues that created the conflict in the first place.  This ensures a resolution where all parties have participated and agreed on a joint outcome.  Turning a blind eye to conflict in the workplace or hoping it resolves itself without intervention is only likely to cause those in conflict, as well as the business, considerable harm.

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