Guide to Managing Workplace Conflict

Managing Workplace Conflict will help your reps develop the skills they need to maintain office harmony.

The booklet guides reps through a three-step process for understanding the roots of office conflict, maintaining harmony, and resolving conflicts. The mini-section, Nip conflict in the bud, is reproduced below. You’ll see just how much useful, skillbuilding information is packed into a brief half page of this practical guide.

Nip conflict in the bud

If you are committed to working in a harmonious environment, understanding the root of conflict and learning how to resolve it quickly and effectively are essential. According to mediator and conflict resolution specialist John Ford, there is a difference between a conflict and a dispute. A conflict occurs when you have a difference with another person. A dispute occurs when one person makes a demand and the other person rejects it (as in “no” or “make me”). “We can’t prevent all conflicts, but we can prevent disputes,” says Ford.

Recognizing conflict early and dealing with it as soon as it’s feasible to do so can keep a simple disagreement from turning into a serious dispute. Having a discussion about conflict is not easy, but Ford warns against waiting for the “perfect moment” to have a challenging conversation. He uses an interesting metaphor to illustrate the benefit of dealing with conflicts in a timely manner. When the spring rains come and everything begins to grow in the yard and garden, inevitably you have some flora that you desire — lush grasses and beautiful flowers — and some that you don’t want: those pesky weeds. If you identify the weeds (conflicts) quickly, they are easy to pull out. If you wait until they are large and the ground is dry and hard, the task becomes much more difficult. So, as Ford suggests, “nip conflict in the bud” to avoid finding yourself in the middle of a full-blown dispute.

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