JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. –
I will say most people do not like conflict. Occasionally, some people enjoy being challenged with a friendly bantering of words and aren't afraid of disagreements, but most of the time we prefer to avoid conflict.
What is conflict anyway? The dictionary defines conflict several ways: to come into collision or disagreement, to be contradictory or in opposition, to clash, fight or contend; do battle.
While very few people enjoy the prospect of conflict, it's something all of us has or will encounter at some point in our lives. We encounter it every day in stores, offices, while driving, at home, or with coworkers. It's probably a safe assessment to say if you work with at least one person, you might encounter conflict. Keep in mind it is natural, normal and should be nothing to fear.
We all have lots in common with those we are in conflict with as far as how conflicts get started and why issues escalate to a breaking or boiling point. For the most part, workplace difficulties fall into common categories to include: communication/miscommunication, employee attitudes, honesty, insubordination, treatment of others, work habits, etc. A combination of employees, culture, and policies has a potential to create a highly-synergistic team or create some of the most traumatic conflict you've encountered in your career. Either way, we all must be able to handle conflict or know your resources for dealing with conflict.
Communication often lends itself to be a huge contributor to conflict and communication makes the world go round. Word choice, tone of voice and body language all contribute to whether or not you understand each other verbally, non-verbally and in written form. Using vague or confusing language causes communication misfires. We all should choose our words wisely and use them in a way that invites dialogue, makes for a less stressful work environment and models good communication.
Having difficulty with someone you work with can weigh heavily on you and the rest of your organization. Conflict isn't fun and exerts a lot of energy and can spill over to involve others in the work area and ultimately the mission suffers. When things escalate to this point, it is critical to attempt to resolve the differences and create a conflict-free environment. People react to and manage conflict differently. Several people in the same situation may have distinctly different reactions. To make matters more complex, not only do they act differently in conflict, but the same person may respond one way in one situation and react another way in a different situation. Some methods of conflict management styles range from: giving in, avoiding the fight, fighting it out, compromising and working together. Each method has advantages and disadvantages for each person and situation.
Conflict can be costly when overlooked and ignored. Resolving conflict at the lowest level possible saves time, money, increased productivity and energy. Employees should be empowered to handle the issues themselves. There is no one cookie-cutter approach for workplace dispute resolution options but our alternative dispute resolution program is a great option to consider as a first choice rather than a last resort.
Use the ADR process in the early stages of a conflict to possibly prevent a problem from growing out of control. The goal continues to break down barriers to communication and build bridges to a better workplace for all.
Call the ADR team at 754-2255 to learn more or to schedule mediation.