Avoid the Adverse Health Effects of Workplace Conflict

Date: 02.07.2010

When you spend most of your waking hours around the same group of people, conflict is virtually inevitable.

Add common workplace stressors such as deadline pressure, sales quotas, personality conflicts, and office politics to the mix, and the likelihood that anger and frustration are going to make an occasional appearance is even greater.

Although we’ve all experienced negative emotions from time to time, they can be particularly hard to cope with in the workplace. Because our livelihood is on the line – and because we often have relatively formal relationships with our supervisors and colleagues – figuring out how to express anger in a constructive way can be challenging.

But according to experts who specialise in workplace dynamics, the alternative can be even worse. Employees with a tendency to bottle up or internalise their anger often fare poorly in terms of overall stress levels, emotional wellbeing, and long-term health.

So how can you minimise the negative effects of anger and other adverse emotions in your workplace? Use these conflict resolution techniques to tackle the problem head-on – without letting things get out of hand.

• Discuss the issue in advance.  The funny thing about workplace conflict is that it tends to rear its head when it’s least expected. Talk with your team about how disagreements should be handled before a problem exists.
• Establish a routine for dealing with conflict. Work together to create a systematic approach through which employees can air grievances and discuss disagreements. The reassurance of having an established routine to fall back on can help diffuse tension when a problem arises.
• Promote communication skills with techniques like assertiveness training and active listening. Experts say that specific shortcomings such as being unable to convey one’s needs clearly or being unwilling to hear out others’ complaints can be blamed for many instances of workplace conflict. Training in a few simple communication techniques could drastically reduce the incidence of conflict among team members.
• Recognise employees and colleagues who resolve conflicts in a positive way.  According to psychologists, positive reinforcement is the single most effective way to encourage specific behaviours, so be sure to lavish praise on team members who express adverse emotions constructively and take steps to resolve conflicts in a respectful, mutually beneficial manner.

Conflict in the workplace is inevitable – but hurt feelings, stress, and other long-term adverse outcomes don’t have to be.  Use these tips to resolve office anger and tension in a more positive manner.