Conflict in the workplace can happen – particularly when passionate people have opposing ideas. But the approach to resolving conflict, while simple, is often overlooked. During a recent leadership course, the trainer said very matter-of-factly that “an issue isn’t an issue until it is communicated.” He gave the example of an employee sitting in a pod of desks, who was annoyed by the regular sighs of one of his colleagues. Yet instead of raising it with that colleague, he broached the subject with other colleagues sitting nearby.Before long, the entire office was betting on how many times their colleague would sigh in a given day – all while he remained blissfully unaware of the distraction he was creating.
Why people fail at conflict resolution
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