Conflicts at the office are inevitable. When you have a lot of people with varying personalities and preferences working in the same vicinity for forty hours a week, disagreements are bound to arise. Knowing how to handle these conflicts before they arise can allow you to be prepared when these situations occur. Below are some easy to follow tips when it comes to resolving conflicts in the office.

Keep Lines of Communication Open and Honest

Many disagreements come from co-workers inability to communicate in an effective and honest way. When talking to your coworkers, make sure you always respond in a respectful and honest way. Avoid passive aggressive behavior at all costs, and keep an eye on your sarcastic comments.

In today’s digital age, communication via email and instant messaging is becoming more and more common. Without face to face communication, it’s hard to read body language or hear subtle inclinations in a person’s voice. This can lead to the other party being confused or offended by something you said.

When it comes to lines of communication, you should always let people know how you feel or if something is bothering you. Keeping small things that bother you to yourself can lead to grudges being held and make confrontation later on even more difficult.

Don’t Make Disagreements Personal

When you do find yourself in the middle of a heated argument or conflict, always keep the discussion professional. Never bring up personal information a person told you or use past situations to your advantage.

Not only is making an office conflict personal a low blow to your coworker, but it can lead to an environment of distrust in the office. Always keep your disagreements clean and respectful.

Bringing Back Team Mentality

With an all time low in employee motivation and engagement, many workers have lost sight of their ultimate goal and the team mentality it takes to get there. A lot of workers are afraid of losing their jobs or just don’t care enough about them to engage in a positive way.

Bringing back a team mentality to your office can reduce work related conflicts when everybody is there for each other and working for a common cause. When the whole office is working towards the same goal and needs to help each other out to get there, disagreements and conflicts quickly diminish.

Resolving conflicts at the office doesn’t have to be as difficult as it seems. All it takes is open and honest communication and a mutual respect among employees. For more tips on how you can make your office an effective workplace, check out our blog post “Creating a Minimalist Work Environment—It’s Easier Than You Think.”

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