The Connection Magazine The Connection Magazine | Page 27

“TAKING THE PROPER STEPS TO ENSURE
CONFLICTS ARE NOT AVOIDED AND ARE
INSTEAD PROPERLY DEALT WITH ALLOWS
FOR A MORE POSITIVE WORKPLACE
ENVIRONMENT, WHERE WORKERS FEEL
EMPOWERED AND EVEN ENCOURAGED TO, AT
TIMES, DISAGREE. NOT ALL CONFLICT IS BAD.”
In this case, a common workplace
disagreement has occurred: team
members have presented differing ideas
and cannot come to an agreement on
what will work best. A few things have
happened, though, that suggest this team
is on the right track to identifying and
resolving this conflict. First, the initial
conflict between the groups on the team
occurred. The team members tried to
work to come to an agreement but were
unsuccessful. Then, the groups began to
veer off from debating, which suggested
that the meeting was no longer productive.
Sensing no solution to be found at the
time, the team members called on their
supervisor to step in to help the group
resolve the situation.
Instead of tabling the workshop after
reaching no common ground, the team
decided to confront the situation head
on and continued to deal with it. This
shows a willingness to work towards a
solution instead of avoiding it. If the team
instead decided to abandon the project
with no clear solution in mind, it could
open the doors to more disagreement
and ill will if team members feel they do
not have enough respect for each other
or openness to work with each other
on their everyday tasks. Although the
meeting spirals a bit when it moves more
towards arguing rather than debating,
that team members identified a need for
an outside perspective in the form of their
supervisor stepping in shows that they
care enough to continue working together,
to have their ideas heard, and suggests
that they at least have in mind a common
goal of reaching a solution.
In this particular situation, pulling in
their supervisor—or someone else who
can offer clear insight and/or a nudge
in the direction of conflict resolution—
can be beneficial because it allows a
person or persons with fresh perspective
to analyze the conflict at hand and
offer suggestions on how to go about
compromising and/or collaborating in
order to reach a common goal. It allows
for more effective teamwork, even when
groups present differing views, and often
leads to a positive resolution, whether
that be through a reworking of ideas,
collaborating on a solution featuring
aspects presented by each group, or
brainstorming something entirely new
with input from each side.
Although this is only one example of
how a conflict is proactively navigated to
reach a resolution, those same steps can
be translated to any number of workplace
issues, differences, or conflicts. Taking
the proper steps to ensure conflicts are
not avoided and are instead properly dealt
with allows for a more positive workplace
environment, where workers feel
empowered and even encouraged to, at
times, disagree. Not all conflict is bad, and
in fact, when dealt with properly, conflict
can often lead to a more collaborative
and creative environment, where team
members feel they can freely share ideas,
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allow for debate, and come together to
reach better solutions that stem from an
initial difference.
It’s important to remember that even
when it can feel uncomfortable at times,
conflict is bound to occur in the workplace,
and it is best not to avoid dealing with it
or ignoring it in hopes that it will go away.
It is best to confront a conflict head-on,
taking the steps necessary to recognize
it for what it is, address it properly, and
move forward from it with a sense that
it has been rectified, that you are better
off for having experienced it, and that
you and those involved can learn from it
as you go on.
ABOUT
STACY CONNOLLY
STACY CONNOLLY, SHRM-CP, is
the Payroll & HR Administrator at
A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies,
specializing in payroll, benefits,
employee relations, and day-to-day
administration of the HR function. A
2014 graduate of the University of
New Hampshire, Stacy has worked in
the Operations and Human Resources
fields since graduating and has just
recently earned the SHRM-CP credential
after successfully passing her Society
for Human Resource Management—
Certified Professional exam.