There’s a variety of diverse personalities found in different office settings. Not everyone has the same ideologies or thinking. With such diverse views, conflict is inevitable. There’s an idiom that states too many cooks spoil the broth that means that whenever there are too many people involved, there’s always trouble. In business specifically, people have different agendas or motives that they are pursuing. If you place too many of such individuals in a team, things are bound to go down the drain. However, certain things can be done to overcome conflict. Whenever too many ideas are put forward, the next, naturally, is to brainstorm and figure out which of these ideas is the best. Shortlisting them and coming to the end conclusion as a team is the best thing to do.
However, things don’t precisely go the way you want them to. There are always some issues that spring up or people who don’t get along and have differences. You can easily overcome conflict by practicing some strategies and adapting behaviors that would allow you to conduct your business in harmony.
Communication
We’ve heard the statement that communication is key, the same goes for a business setting. You need to communicate with your partners, colleagues, and supervisors to let them know whether you’ve understood the tasks needed to be done. Not only is it necessary to verify your understanding, but it is also extremely important to make sure you’ve understood each other well. If you’re unable to communicate within your organization, it will lead to many conflicts and confusion.
Communication has played a vital role in all sorts of platforms. Being able to effectively communicate leaves you with a great advantage. With better communication, you’re able to resolve conflict and be more productive rather than focusing your energy on a negative aspect.
Openness
One thing that creates conflict is the narrow-mindedness of people working in an organization. It’s important to realize that people working with you do not have the same traditions or culture as you do. There’s a mix of race, religion, and nationality that you should be aware of. Cultural awareness and international sensitivity is essential if you’re working in an organization as you’re bound to meet people from different backgrounds.
Avoiding any pre-judgments and accepting each individual as they are has proven to be essential for you to have a pleasant working environment. Practice controlling your biases and be open to different ideas rather than always pointing out the negatives. This will allow a flow of better ideas to your business and will promote better productivity.
Proactive behavior
When working with a diverse set of people, you need to keep in mind that you all have a common goal. Getting the job done quickly and effectively must be your priority. Proactive behavior in business settings is essential in general, and even more so when it comes to dealing with conflict. If you feel like you’re in the middle of a problem, stay calm and don't react out of impulse. It’s important to keep in mind future situations and work accordingly rather than just reacting.
Flexibility
If you’re too stringent and don’t have any room for flexibility, you’re bound to face issues revolving around conflict. It’s okay to bend certain rules at times when it comes to working in an organization. You can’t always get what you want. Some problems arise that don’t allow a certain method to play out the way you wanted it to. If you’re too strict, unable to bend sometimes, you’re going to be dealing with a lot of conflicts.
Being flexible allows you to be more productive as you’re able to handle a different range of issues better. While working in a team, it’s vital to be flexible as your team members are different and they don’t work in the same pattern as you. If you’re too rigid, then you’ll receive a backlash and be the source of the conflict. It’s good to practice patience and learn how to be flexible in order to overcome and move beyond conflict.
Fair Play
While working in an organization, people at times have hidden agendas that make work situations relatively problematic. Rather than working for one common goal, such individuals are focused on gaining personal benefits or lone recognition. This also is one of the root causes of conflict.
Even though its okay to want to perform better and excel in the business you’re working in, this turns into a negative trait if you’re using unethical means of obtaining your goal. Fair play is essential to avoid any sort of conflict in the organization. You can’t expect your organization to run conflict-free as long as people are working unethically, with personal vendettas. Playing the game fairly allows you to make alliances and work towards a common goal. Rather than fuelling hatred, you’re more productive and considered an exemplary employee when you’re honest with your dealings.
Conflict is one of the things that every business is prone to. There are going to be differences amongst employees and the management, but there are always ways to move beyond conflict. If everyone takes on a proactive approach to work towards the betterment of the business and consider future situations, your business will have relatively fewer conflict problems.
You need to be able to identify where the conflict arises from and learn to accept each other's differences. Only then can you move forward and work together in harmony. The acceptance stage is the most difficult but incorporating the behaviours mentioned above will help you overcome it. Not only will you feel better, but your work performance is also bound to improve. Conflict can cause a lot of setbacks and it’s impertinent to move forward and learn how to resolve it.