Workplace Conflict and How to Deal

We have all faced it and hopefully we have not all be fired or written up because of conflict in the workplace. This nasty little surprise is seldom seen coming, is never fun and never without consequences. It can take the form of coworker to coworker, employee to supervisor or vice versa. There are several way to handle this workplace stressor and several ways to let it handle you. If the conflict is between coworkers, ideally they should have a bit of time to work it out. If the conflict is between an employee and a supervisor always follow the employee handbook on conflict resolution.

First and foremost, neither party should ever lose their temper no matter what has been said or done. That is the worst mistake anyone can make. Many have lost their jobs, not due to the conflict but due to the way it was handled. Second, consider the source. Is this person miffed because you got a promotion or project they wanted? Is this person just a drama queen that continually stirs up trouble and you happened to be in the crossfire this week? Have you offend this person in some way? If that is the case then maybe a talk and an apology between the two of you is in order. Third, does this situation need to be escalated to your supervisor? Sometimes a situation between coworkers just cannot be resolved without a superior present to act a mediator.

If the conflict is between a coworker and a supervisor this situation is somewhat different. The coworker may have many different reasons to be mad at his/her boss most of which can be just because he/she does not like said boss. Sometimes, however, the complaint is justified but the resulting anger is not. Sometimes, the supervisor takes an intense dislike to an employee and the result is an unfair or hostile workplace. All of these situations are hard to deal with and can only be resolved when the proper chain of command is followed. This must be done anytime a worker has a complaint with a supervisor. Before any action is taken, pull out the employee handbook and read up on this particular chapter. There may be special rules regarding how to submit complaints, such as in writing, or to whom.

The chain of command can vary from company to company but one thing will remain constant. The first thing to do is going to your boss and making the complaint to him/her. Yes, it is a daunting task but maybe they don't know, maybe they will be open to your feelings and

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