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Work Effectively with Others
Deal Effectively with Issues, Problems and Conflict
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Causes of conflict in the workplace
Respect differences in personal values and beliefs in the development of
relationships
Causes of cross-cultural misunderstanding
Identifying any linguistic and cultural differences in communication styles
Other strategies to deal with misunderstandings
Strategies that can be implemented by individuals
Identifying issues, problems and conflict encountered in the workplace
Seek assistance from workgroup members when problems and conflict arises
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Introduction
Internal customers are your colleagues and the people in other departments of your
organisation. How you communicate with people within your organisation is just as
important as how you deal with external customers. If their needs are not satisfied then
their service to outside customers will be adversely affected.
Conflict between colleagues has the potential to completely disrupt the workplace and the
team spirit. Conflict in the workplace is corrosive and if left unchecked can weaken an
organisation and perhaps even destroy it. To prevent what may start out as a relatively
minor issue from escalating in to a major one, conflict situations need to be identified and
dealt with.
Good conflict resolution skills include a willingness to meet the needs of others. The issues
involved in the situation must certainly be discussed and addressed, but so should a
person’s human needs.
Causes of conflict in the workplace
Workplace conflict is a specific type of conflict that happens in organisations. The conflicts
that arise in workplaces may be shaped by the unique aspects of this environment, including
the long hours many people spend at their workplace, the hierarchical structure of the
organisation, and the difficulties (e.g. financial consequences) that may be involved in
switching to a different workplace. In this respect, workplaces share much in common with
schools, especially pre-college educational institutions in which students are less
autonomous. Some of the other causes of conflict include;
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Poor communication
Lack of information
Changes to practices and procedures
Cultural misunderstandings
Colleagues vying for power
Staff dissatisfied with management
Weak leadership or change in leadership
Lack of empathy from colleagues or supervisors
General complaints that are not dealt with.
If a dispute goes unresolved, it can cause a conflict situation. This state of affairs, if left
unresolved, can escalate quickly and create a potentially dangerous workplace situation.
In a conflict situation, different types of behaviour might include:
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Anger
Physical aggressive acts
Verbal threats or aggression
Signs of distress
Intimidation
Sarcasm or ridicule
Resentment.
All of these issues can cause dissatisfaction and a lowering of staff morale. If acted upon
sensitively and quickly they can be resolved without disruption to work. If these conflicts are
ignored then what may have started out as a minor problem has the ability to completely
break down the harmony within the workforce. This in turn can affect an organisation’s
productivity as staff become demotivated. Poor productivity affects the organisations
revenue earnings and this could result, in extreme cases, in the downfall of the business.
Respect differences in personal values and beliefs in the development of relationships
The worlds increasing globalization means more interaction among people with diverse
cultures, personal values and belief systems. People no longer live and work in an insular
marketplace; they are not part of a worldwide economy with competition coming from
nearly every continent. Respecting differences in personal values and beliefs has an
important impact in the development of relationships.
It is unlawful to discriminate against anyone in the workplace on the grounds of:
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Race or ethnic origin
Physical, intellectual or psychological impairment (including having or being thought
to have AIDS or being HIV positive)
Pregnancy
Parental status, and having or not having children
Marital status, including being a de facto spouse
Religious belief or activity
Age or sex
Being a member of a union.
Discrimination is treating someone less favorably than someone else:
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In the same or similar circumstances on one or more of the grounds listed above
Because of characteristics that apply to a person of a particular group
By imposing an unreasonable condition that some people of a particular group are
less able to meet than others.
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Also, it is discrimination if you are prevented, because of your gender, race or disability,
from:
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Joining a training program
Applying for a promotion or transfer
Taking part in meetings
Having equal access to facilities.
To deal effectively with issues, problems and conflict it is important as a team member to:
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demonstrate respect and empathy when working with others,
be sensitive when dealing with other points of view,
constructively raise and discuss ideas,
be cooperative and establish good working relationships,
Have knowledge of work group member’s responsibilities.
Causes of cross-cultural misunderstanding
Common causes of misunderstanding between different cultural groups include:
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the understanding and interpretations of nonverbal behaviour
religion
customs, beliefs and values
dress and personal grooming
product/service preference
levels of formality
family obligations.
Identify any linguistic and cultural differences in communication styles
When working with people with different cultures and beliefs from your own, you should
use the following techniques:
Listen actively and effectively and provide feedback in order to avoid misinterpretation of
instructions and directions. Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication and
show empathy and interest in the other person’s cultural background. You will find many
things of fascination and in some cases customs that are far better than in your own
country.
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Other strategies to deal with misunderstandings
Strategies to deal with cross-cultural misunderstandings in the workplace can come from
across the workplace/organisation itself or be implemented by individuals.
Strategies that can be implemented across the workplace/organisation include:
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staff training
using staff cultural skills
providing written communication and signs in various languages
promoting cultural celebrations
using a variety of communication methods
fostering a knowledge of cultural support agencies.
Strategies that can be implemented by individuals include:
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learning basic terms in another language
developing an understanding of and tolerance for cultural diversity
overcoming prejudice and assumption
using nonverbal communication skills
actively seeking to break down barriers.
Identify issues, problems and conflict encountered in the workplace
Most people in an office environment work with other individuals fairly agreeably most of
the time. Accommodation or adjustment can be reached to achieve and maintain group
harmony. But conflict can arise between workers, and this has to be solved before it affects
the effectiveness of a working environment. Conflict can arise in three different ways, as
described below.
1. Interpersonal conflict occurs when two or more people disagree over an issue or
when they experience emotional opposition to one another.
2. Substantive conflict involves disagreements over resources, rewards, policies and
procedures, and the allocation of roles.
3. Emotional conflict occurs when there are feelings of anger, dislike, resentment
and distrust, resulting in personality clashes. We all experience the feeling of
liking some people better than others. You often meet someone for the first time
and either like them or instinctively dislike them.
Seek assistance from workgroup members when problems and conflict arise
Conflict resolution, otherwise known as reconciliation, is theorised as the methods and
processes involved in assisting the peaceful ending of conflict and retribution. Often,
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dedicated group members try to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating
information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest of the group (e.g.,
intentions; reasons for holding certain beliefs), and by engaging in collective negotiation.
Ultimately, a wide range of methods and procedures for addressing conflict exist, including
but not limited to, negotiation, mediation, diplomacy, and creative peacebuilding.
Should you find yourself in conflict with a colleague, or aware of general dissatisfaction,
here are some steps to help calm and resolve the situation:
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Avoid jumping to conclusions – let the other person have their say, without
interrupting or imposing your own thoughts or ideas on them.
Find some common ground with the other person – look for something you can
agree on. This will keep the process on a positive footing.
Make sure you can keep only to the facts and don’t let your emotions get in the way
– allowing emotions to surface can often break down the communications process.
Avoid placing blame – during conflict resolution, determining who’s right or wrong or
who’s at fault is not what you’re trying to do. A problem exists, what you are trying
to do is to find a solution to the problem that will be satisfactory to all persons
concerned.
Consider cultural differences – perhaps the conflict has arisen due to a
misunderstanding over different beliefs or customs.
Check to see if anything has been left unsaid – issues, even minor ones, that have
not been dealt with, or that have not been resolved satisfactorily can fester and
spring up again without warning.
Show the other person courtesy and respect – allow them to state their case without
interruption or interference.
If you cannot resolve the situation, then a third party, like a supervisor or manager,
might need to be consulted.
Conflict resolution solves interpersonal conflict in three ways
win/lose strategy or win/win strategy.
Conflict Type
Possible Solutions
Lose/Lose
Avoidance of conflict.
‘Smoothing – recognizing
both sides of the conflict.
Compromise – each party
gives something of value.
Win/Lose
Competition – conflict
resolved through force by
someone with superior skills.
Authoritative command –
someone with authority
specifies the outcome.
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– through lose/lose strategy,
Results
Conflict may appear to have
been solved; disagreements
are smoothed over; future
conflict over the same issue
will arise again.
Only one person has gained
anything and the problem is
not resolved; future conflict
over the same issue may
arise again or lead to related
conflict.
Win/Win
Confrontation of the issues,
problem-solving to resolve
the conflict issues on both
sides.
Conflict has been resolved
on both sides; each person,
or side has won something
and the conflict is unlikely to
arise again.
This is where reciprocal effort and cooperation will come into effect and when assistance
might also have to be sought from a supervisor or manager to achieve a win/win outcome.
Arriving at a positive resolution of conflict is always the ultimate goal. In resolving conflict, it
is important to make sure you do the following:
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Clearly articulate the causes of the conflict – openly acknowledging there will be
differing perceptions of the problem(s).
Make a clear statement of why you want the conflict resolved and reasons to work
on conflict.
Communication of how you want the conflict resolved.
Address the issues face-to-face (notes, email correspondence, memos are not a
productive way to resolve differences).
Stick to the issues. In trying to resolve conflict, it is tempting to resort to name calling
or bring up issues from the past. It is important to address specific behaviors and
situations if change is to take place.
Take time out if necessary. In the resolution of a conflict, our emotions may interfere
with arriving at a productive resolution. If this transpires, take a time-out and
resume resolving the conflict at another designated time.
Evading conflict is often the easiest way to deal with it. It does not however make it go away
but rather thrusts it underground, only to have it resurface in a new form. By dynamically
resolving conflict when it occurs, we can create a more positive work environment for
everyone.
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