{"id":1389,"date":"2019-10-01T09:21:39","date_gmt":"2019-10-01T16:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/?p=1389"},"modified":"2019-10-01T11:10:30","modified_gmt":"2019-10-01T18:10:30","slug":"navigating-conflict-in-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/navigating-conflict-in-the-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating Conflict in the Workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>By <strong>Erin Bair<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conflict.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just the word itself is enough to make many of us feel uncomfortable. It conjures images of yelling, hurt feelings and damaged relationships. However, not all conflict is bad. In fact some conflict is absolutely necessary for teams and organizations to thrive. In this article we\u2019ll examine the difference between productive and unproductive conflict, why conflict is important, and how to make conflict more constructive and less scary in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"654\" data-src=\"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM-1024x654.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1390 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM-1024x654.png 1024w, https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM-768x490.png 768w, https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM.png 1454w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/654;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"654\" src=\"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM-1024x654.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM-1024x654.png 1024w, https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM-768x490.png 768w, https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-9.21.02-AM.png 1454w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people associate the word \u201cconflict\u201d with the word \u201cfight.\u201d I think it can help to instead think of conflict as a disagreement. That\u2019s all it is. Two or more people having different opinions about something that at least one person thinks is important. And thank goodness we do have different opinions and perspectives! Otherwise we\u2019d have group think. We\u2019d have an echo chamber. We\u2019d have a team or an organization without innovation, simply because we\u2019re afraid to disagree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not surprising then that two of the most well-known and respected models on teamwork emphasize the need for conflict. It\u2019s the second rung of Patrick Lencioni\u2019s hierarchy of team needs in his classic Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The Tuckman model of teamwork includes \u201cstorming\u201d (a.k.a. conflict) as one of the four main stages of team development (along with forming, norming and performing.) Both models recognize that without conflict, there can be no true buy-in for any idea, project or change initiative. People may nod their head to be polite, but they will not invest the time and energy to see something succeed that they don\u2019t believe in. The only way you can change someone\u2019s mind is to talk about it, to talk about your disagreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, there is productive conflict and unproductive conflict, with the main difference being about whether disagreement is perceived as being respectfully communicated. I say perceived because no two people have identical standards for what constitutes \u201crespectful conflict.\u201d Maybe two people can agree that yelling is a no-no, but at what point does \u201craising your voice\u201d become \u201cyelling\u201d? Further, our families of origin, our culture, and professional norms all impact us and shape our concept of respect differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to our varying conflict preferences, our very bodies can turn productive conflict into unproductive conflict through our natural neurobiological response to stress. Once our stress response is triggered \u2013 and it is triggered very easily \u2013 we go into flight or fight mode. We bypass our brain\u2019s prefrontal cortex, the most evolved part of our brain, and react from our limbic system. Essentially, our ability to filter what we say is diminished and we\u2019re more likely to say something we\u2019ll later regret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To review, conflict is both difficult to navigate well and totally necessary. Despite the opportunities for misunderstanding and for stepping on toes, the total avoidance of conflict is not the answer. Instead, there are ways to make productive conflict a more common occurrence in the workplace. While Cascade offers a much more extensive examination in our trainings, such as Turning Conflict into Teachable Moments, here\u2019s one idea to get you started:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Talk about conflict before it happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether at a group level, a team\/departmental level, or one-on-one, it helps to talk about conflict before it happens. That way we can learn about conflict styles and preferences before things get heated. I suggest saying something like, \u201cThere are bound to be times when we disagree about something. I want to make sure that when we do I\u2019m as respectful as possible so that we can have a really good conversation and come to a good decision. What are some of your preferences?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the person may not have considered it before, I often suggest starting with your own preferences. For example, I may admit that I avoid conflict and it\u2019s something I\u2019m working on, or that I like to have processing time after I learn someone\u2019s point of view rather than continue to hash it out in person. You can also consider using workplace behavioral assessments like \u00a9The Predictive Index to better understand individual preferences and build self-awareness. Taking this action not only increases the odds of productive conflict taking place, it also builds relationships as individuals learn more about one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, conflict may never be something we look forward to or consider \u201cfun.\u201d That said, avoiding it is not the answer. Rather, being proactive and taking the time to explore what productive conflict is, and is not, with colleagues can go a long way in ensuring better team dynamics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-11.09.23-AM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1466 lazyload\" width=\"187\" height=\"119\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-11.09.23-AM.png 346w, https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-11.09.23-AM-300x191.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 187px) 100vw, 187px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 187px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 187\/119;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-11.09.23-AM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1466\" width=\"187\" height=\"119\" srcset=\"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-11.09.23-AM.png 346w, https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-01-at-11.09.23-AM-300x191.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 187px) 100vw, 187px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Erin Bair, Director, Training &amp; Organization Development<br>\nCascade Employers Association<br>\n<a href=\"mailto:training@cascadeemployers.com\">training@cascadeemployers.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Erin Bair Conflict.\u00a0 Just the word itself is enough to make many of us feel uncomfortable. It conjures images of yelling, hurt feelings and damaged relationships. However, not all conflict is bad. In fact some conflict is absolutely necessary for teams and organizations to thrive. In this article we\u2019ll examine the difference between productive&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":1390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Navigating Conflict in the Workplace - Southern Oregon Business Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/navigating-conflict-in-the-workplace\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Navigating Conflict in the Workplace - Southern Oregon Business Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Erin Bair Conflict.\u00a0 Just the word itself is enough to make many of us feel uncomfortable. 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