Conflict at work is a natural part of any environment. Two people may have opposing ideas, someone may take credit that isn’t theirs to take, or any number of disagreements may happen between a group of individuals. Tempers can run hot when you’re spending 40 hours a week with the same people, and it’s almost impossible to be friends with absolutely everyone in your office.
Conflict handling is an essential soft skill to have. Mastering it enables you to have better collaboration and increased productivity at work; which means that you can use your conflict handling skills to keep your colleagues focused on finding a solution and completing a project, rather than arguing about it.
As a person, knowing how to properly handle situations where there is conflict means that you’ll have a better quality of life. You’ll see a reduction in your stress levels, and you’ll be more likely to stand up for yourself.
The best thing to do in a situation where there is conflict is to take a moment to centre yourself and understand both sides of the argument. From here, you should start asking the right questions and trying to find a middle ground between the two conflicting points. Always ask why, instead of making demands. For example: Why can’t the project incorporate both ideas? As a conflict handler, it’s your job to be the mediator in a situation that could quickly get out of hand; especially one that could be solved by everyone just taking a second to be reasonable.