3 important tools to manage Workplace Conflict

Meera is a dedicated employee, and as usual, she has planned her day.

9:00 a.m. -10:00 a.m.  Activity A

10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.  Activity B

She logs into her system, and while she was in the middle of activity A, her friend comes and ask her for a coffee. Meera is in a dilemma as she has already planned her day. She tells her friend,” No, I can’t come I have a task to finish.” However, her friend insists her to come to the canteen only for ten minutes. Meera obliges and says “Ok, I will come.” They go for a coffee and meet a few other colleagues, and in a chit-chat, Meera realizes its already 20 minutes.

1. Assertiveness to handle workplace conflicts

What went wrong with Meera? Meera did communicate with her friend that she cannot come, but the message was not crisp. On the contrary, if she would have replied, “I am sorry I can’t come now. I have to finish this task and mail the report to the manager by 11 o’clock. Why don’t we go for a coffee after that? I would love to accompany you.” Her friend would have understood that she is swamped.

Giving another option would also have made her comfortable because it would have conveyed the message that Meera wants to join but she can’t, due to other priorities.

What is most important when it comes to the workplace and getting the work done at your workplace? My answer would be Communication and if I have to be more precise Effective Communication.

Whether you are an individual contributor, team member or a manager your way of communicating things play a significant role in your daily tasks and determines your efficiency.

Be Assertive in your Communications!

 2. Communication Barriers triggers conflicts at workplace

Gaurav is a team member of 5 employees. He is energetic, young and disciplined. His team is working on a customer satisfaction survey. His Manager calls him and asks him to get the latest sales report from the Marketing Department, which they will use for preparing the survey questions.

He writes an email to the concerned department which is something like below-

Hello Sir,

Myself Gaurav, from Corporate Communication. We are planning to conduct a Customer Satisfaction Survey. We need the latest Sales report for the same.

Request you to share the details please as soon as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

After 3 Days, the manager asks Gaurav to share the report. Gaurav realizes that he has not got the details. What do you think is the mistake in Gaurav’s email?

He has communicated the requirement and the need, but he missed on some key details.

Hello Sir,

Myself Gaurav, from Corporate Communication. We are planning to conduct a customer satisfaction Survey by the end of this month. We need the latest Sales report for the same.

Request you to please share the details latest by tomorrow end of the day.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Just by adding time to the written communication the same information becomes crisp and precise. The Receiver can understand the priority and the urgency of the data. In case, if the response is still not received Gaurav can send a reminder and ask for the reason for the delay.

3. Communication as an Art

Mr. Iyer is the manager of the 15-member team. All of his team members are outstanding and productive employees. Recently Mr. Iyer and his team have been given the responsibility to complete a significant project - Project X. This project also has high risks involved. The team started off well but off late Mr. Iyer is experiencing some discontentment and dissatisfaction within the group. He was discussing the same to his Leadership counselor, and the counselor after asking specific questions to Mr. Iyer tells him to change a few things in his way of communication.

He asked Mr. Iyer to communicate all decisions taken at management level clearly and with the reasons behind them to his team.

Secondly, he asked Mr. Iyer to make his team member accountable for the work they are doing in the project X. Such action is primarily for a simple reason - everyone cares for his baby more.

Thirdly, he asks Mr. Iyer to develop trust within the team and to assure them that if anything goes wrong, he as a team manager is there to take care. 

So first think about the answer to the below questions which will lead to a positive work environment.

1.       Are you communicating all the critical information?

2.       Is the message crisp and clear?

3.       Have you identified all the Priorities?

4.       Are you afraid of saying NO?

Remember, Saying a NO is not being rude. The way you are communicating is where the secret lies.

Assertiveness- A 'Must Have' Quality In The Workplace

    

Just the other day I was talking to one of my friends. She was heading for a much-awaited vacation but seemed quite upset. When I inquired about what the matter was; she said her boss who was ‘well aware’ that she was going on leave, dumped a pile of work on her that morning…

If only she had firmly said that the work would be done, but only after she returns from vacation… She would have saved herself from trouble!

"Such difficult conversations are quite common in corporate scenario....How can one escape?"

Why being ASSERTIVE in your workplace is IMPORTANT?

When you stand up for yourself, it doesn’t make you a rude or an aggressive person. Instead, you will be respected by your colleagues for your confidence and straightforwardness - Yes…It’s true!  

Okay, maybe as children, we’ve been taught to be polite and not react if we don’t like something that someone said or did. However, LISTEN; don’t confuse yourself between being ‘aggressive’ and being ‘assertive.’

You are aggressive when you do something to satisfy your interests without any consideration for the rights or needs of others… Assertiveness, on the other hand, is being forthright about what you want without disregarding the rights or feelings of people.

This is just one of the many scenarios that many professionals face today in their workplace. When you shy away from being transparent about what you think; when you fail to communicate what you want clearly… it can affect your work negatively.

"Do you find it arduous to convey your thoughts to someone who is in a higher power or authority in your workplace? 

Do you often say ‘yes’ when you wanted to say ‘no’ just because you feel it would seem ‘offensive’? 

When you are upset with someone, do you refrain from letting that person know and keep it to yourself?"

Assertiveness is the term here.......

Remember; this is a crucial communication skill required in your workplace. If you’re not assertive enough in certain situations, it’s easy for other co-workers to take advantage of you…What happens after that? - You get frustrated and often that will reflect in your work! 

How to be ASSERTIVE without sounding aggressive?

Sometimes it may seem hard to ‘speak your mind’… 

It is essential to value others’ thoughts, but does that mean you need to undermine yours

“Value yourself…You are as important as anyone else.”   

Everyone needs to be treated with dignity and respect, and that includes you. ‘Believe’ in yourself. It’s good to be kind to others, but never so generous that you end up accepting your colleague’s demands although you know it’s not the right time for you.

“Be confident ... Recognize your priorities.”

If you feel that you’re long due for a promotion, don’t wait for your boss to realize it. You may end up waiting forever! Be confident in expressing your wants and needs, but do it 'sensitively’ and ‘positively.'

That excellent balance may seem complicated, but with practice, you’ll be able to master the art. Try and build on your communication skills. Run your mind through what you want to say at home; it really works!  When you exhibit confidence and clarity, people around you will treat you with more respect.

“Don’t let anyone force it on you… Learn to say NO. ”

Remember, you cannot go about pleasing everyone; so learning to say ‘NO’ when necessary is essential. Explain why you’re saying so and if possible try to create a win-win situation - but be firm.

“Welcome Compliments as well as Criticism.”

In a professional environment, we’re bound to receive both positive and negative feedback. Accept both ‘humbly’ and ‘positively’ If you believe that some criticism that came your way was unfounded, be prepared to openly say so without being ‘defensive’ or ‘aggressive.’  

“Familiarize yourself  with Assertive Statements.” 

When you want to convey something strongly and firmly, use more  "I" statements like “I have to” or “I want”. Avoid, “I  think” or “I may” as this may portray uncertainty. 

Occasionally, some incident may make you feel too emotional or angry. It is best not to react right away as you may be unsure of what you want and may mess up. Take your time, compose your thoughts and then go and speak to that person. 

Avoid ‘sugar coating’ when you talk in a professional environment. People may not take you seriously. Instead, send out a ‘clear message.’ Choose verbs like ‘want’ instead of ‘need’ and ‘will’ instead of ‘could’. 

Learning to be assertive will not happen overnight… However, believe me, with practice it will become a part of you. Be consistent and over time, you will see that you’ll be able to take proactive stances effortlessly.

Voila! You’ll find yourself becoming more productive and being able to face workplace challenges much more efficiently!