3 Reasons to Embrace Workplace Conflict

By Solomon Masala | Team Building

Mar 31

Wake up, take a shower, grab some coffee and head out the door. It’s a brand new day with all the promise of being a great day – especially when you’re heading straight into workplace conflict. Ka-pow!

Seriously, have you ever really looked at what happens when tempers flare at work (or even just fume), or are you the kind to just walk the other way when voices start rising? Embracing conflict at work actually benefits you as a leader and it benefits your employees on the team. Conflict creates change (you know this), and that adds up to better productivity and motivation. It can even be a little fun to jump in the middle – (fun as in fulfilling, if you have the skills to do it), definitely worth looking into.

When you embrace workplace conflict, you:

  • Show your smarts to team members and supervisors. You’re not running away, you’re putting yourself in a spotlight that demonstrates your communication, negotiation (key) leadership skills. Plus, if you step in before anything major happens, you get extra credit for seeing a situation about to get worse and putting out the fire before it spreads.
  • Stop the insanity. Don’t tolerate the manipulations that happen when people try to get their way dysfunctionally. As a leader, your input can be the end of most conflicts, so any attempts by your team to “gaslight” a situation, blame others or outright lie about situations can be quickly extinguished.
  • Show your team you care. Workplace conflict is inevitable; nobody gets along all the time. Embracing the conflict (not encouraging it) means that you get a moment to pick the best ideas/motivations from your team members and use those to grow your department, project, business. At the same time, you smooth over the ruffled feathers and get emotional intelligence credibility to boost your leadership reputation – by really showing up (this builds authentic trust).

The funny thing about workplace conflict is that it just doesn’t resolve itself, or if it seems to, that usually means an employee probably just quit unexpectedly (or has bailed out emotionally) – another problem entirely. Don’t let that happen. Don’t be a leader who avoids conflict, learn to embrace it and use the energy to make changes.

Let us show you how to embrace, not avoid, workplace conflict and take your leadership to the next level! Contact us today to learn more about embracing workplace conflict!

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About the Author

Solomon is a trainer and consultant who works with organizations and teams in a graceful, energizing, and insightful manner - transforming the individuals and the whole. Inspiring, palpable and sustainable, positive change is always a result.