Conflict at Work: Going Viral Isn’t Always Good

Dealing with workplace conflict is one of the main fears employees have. Teams that operate on trust and open communication will certainly have the occasional disagreement, but ongoing conflict is a different animal. It affects work culture and can drastically impact productivity. One study found that conflict can consume up to 2.8 hours of a U.S. employee's weekly worktime.

Respectful disagreements are necessary for creative problem-solving and effective interpersonal relationships, but you don’t want disagreements to spread into actual conflict that “goes viral.”

To keep conflict from turning into an epidemic and overrunning your team, it’s helpful to be on the lookout for its symptoms. Symptoms of conflict can take many forms. Sometimes they’re superficial and sometimes quite serious; sometimes they’re apparent and sometimes hidden. Regardless, they can all be disruptive to the work environment. Unless you can recognize the warning signs, conflict may sneak up and sabotage you and your team.

The following can all be signs of trouble brewing:

• Raised voices

• Excessive politeness or formality

• Increased blaming

• Increased gossip

• Decreased productivity

• Negative attitudes

• Increased missed days

• Nonverbals such as:

  • Lack of eye contact

  • Reddening faces

  • Tense body language

Once you’ve recognized the symptoms, it’s important to figure out what’s behind it all. Identifying the cause of an impending outbreak is the first step toward keeping it from escalating into a bigger issue.

Workplace conflicts typically fall into two basic categories, both of which can result in a communication breakdown.

Conflict Category One: Style and Personality Differences

This is how a person “shows up” at work. One person may value "doing it right," acting methodically and deliberately, while another may value "getting it done," acting quickly and spontaneously. One leader may be open and transparent, while another is more direct or even critical. Maybe you like to get right down to it in the morning, but a coworker prefers to chat about personal things for a few minutes. Our responses to others’ personalities and styles are often colored by our own biases, perceptions, and emotions.

Conflict can arise when a team member's quirks push our buttons and things devolve into annoyance or even a heated situation. In these conflict moments, our brains are triggered into "fight or flight", releasing chemicals that inhibit memory, decision-making, and reflection.

Conflict Category Two: Performance 

This is more about the work itself. Maybe someone on your team isn’t performing at the same level or on the same timetable as other team members, causing a domino effect with deliverables that results in friction. There are several factors that typically create performance gaps which can snowball into conflict.

It’s all well and good to see that conflict is coming and to identify where it fits. But how should you actually handle it when it erupts?

We have some ideas on that, so stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll discuss how to resolve conflict effectively. In the meantime, if you’ve identified conflict on your team that needs to be addressed immediately, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help!