Perception and Conflict Management

Imagine you are having a great day at work, where the ideas are flowing, the deadlines are being met and there is a serious up tick in your ability to do great things. You move forward in your work day basking in the glow of career utopia only to have your peer stop you with an “issue” about sharing office tasks. This is also referred to as “sharing the office spotlight.”

There are several paths to take when a peer comes to you with a work place conflict and ignoring their concerns is not an option. First, have an open dialogue with the person to determine if the issue is real or perception. According to Merriam-Webster, perception is the process of noticing or understanding something or someone based on a person’s senses. While it may be easy to dismiss someone’s concerns over a perceived workplace “wrong”, it helps to know if it is feelings of fact that is the root cause.

The “conflict-intervention” conversation is not an easy chat, as there may be moments when you will feel like you want to yell, defend and deflect blame. While all valid feelings, you are encouraged to approach a new perception-riddled conflict by suspending judgment that your accuser is “out to get you.” This process sounds easy, but in theory it only works over time via constant practice.

Moreover, a Harvard Business Review  work place conflict article by Jeffrey Pfeffer suggests that a prepared employee is one who realizes that despite your best intentions, work place conflicts will happen because of competing employee agendas. This type of reality check will help keep staff grounded in the fact that while conflict happens, it is the effective management of these issues that makes or breaks an office environment.

In addition, effective workplace conflict management includes taking the time to assess issues using an unfiltered lens to determine if it is a personality conflict, actual harassment or a simple misunderstanding. Then you can determine if the conflict merits a full on blitzkrieg because of a potential hostile work environment versus a conversation with a peer about their concerns. The ability to leverage emotional intelligence and honest dialogue may result in a teachable moment for both you and your colleague.