by Sonce Reese

Created on: August 09, 2011   Last Updated: February 11, 2012

How do you survive in an office filled with conflict? Tough question...

Considering the fact that offices filled with conflict are full of strife, anger, hatred and negativity; that, in itself, is a minefield. In an office filled with conflict, you never know when you're going to be the recipient of today's temper tantrum. 

The fact that you're walking into the unknown - almost on a daily basis - can be quite daunting. How do you defend yourself against attacks that may be unwarranted and if the attacks are warranted, how do you arm yourself in this sense of unseen danger.  Is this the time when you put up your dukes and fight or will you turn, run and take flight? To be honest, most people don't like to deal with any kind of negativity on a daily basis, they will either quit the job - moving to another company or department (flight) or come to work and try to deal with the issue (fight), but how do you survive in an office filled with conflict?

It's possible to survive an office filled with conflict by realizing that employees are treated unfairly by employers and to add insult to injury, they are left to deal with hurt, damaged or bruised feelings while still having to perform job duties. No recourse for the employee who has been offended. Survival happens by trying to understand how the equation would be if it were you and by recognizing that you are there to perform a job and/or tasks for your employer. Befriending the person who was left wounded may help the offended, but not if it gets worse instead of better or if that is not a possibility/option - employee assistance programs are available. 

More often than not, more people will run away from the conflict than into it. Many don't want to get caught up in the politics of office conflicts; especially if it means that by becoming involved, they may lose their job, sense of worth or steady income. No one likes to run with the unpopular crowd. 

Surviving any office filled with conflict may mean first finding a way to get to the bottom of the office conflict or at least a way to clear the air, recognizing that there are still job duties and tasks to perform and possibly bringing the employee assistance programs into the workplace to dispel some of the tension/conflict.

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