Conflict Resolution Myths In The Workplace
Conflict is inevitable when people work together. Whether it be personality clashes, power struggles, or disagreements over ideas, nobody is immune to conflict in the workplace.
It can be a complex situation to navigate. If these conflicts do get out of hand, they can cause employees to feel alienated from one another, or in worst case scenarios, even lead to mass resignation.
Because of this, many become conflict-avoidant and end up believing certain misconceptions about conflict. The truth of the matter is, running away from conflict is never the solution. And conflict shouldn’t be perceived as a “monster” to avoid at all costs. When handled properly, it can be a valuable tool for improving communication between employees and building team dynamics in the workplace.
Let’s begin to explore the five myths about workplace conflict resolution:
Myth #1: Conflict Is Unhealthy
Many might view conflict as something unhealthy that all teams should weed out. And this is true when they do not have the correct view of what conflict can bring to a team and how conflict can be dealt with. When conflict is mismanaged, it can lead to “unhealthy” outcomes in the form of toxic workplace cultures and unresolved tensions in relationships amongst team members.
Contrary to that perspective, conflict should be viewed as a healthy sign of growth in an organisation. Teams should use conflict as an opportunity to learn, collaborate and grow. This paves the way for better team dynamics and more productive communication.
The key is to be equipped with conflict resolution skills so that conflicts can be managed effectively in a team and be translated into a positive growth experience for all involved.
Myth #2: Conflict Tears A Team Down
Another common misconception about workplace conflict is that it will threaten team dynamics and can tear a team down. This happens when people clash because of differences in working style or personality but do not address the conflict upfront and end up gossiping about it behind a team member’s back.
Gossip, not conflict, is what tears teams down. The very nature of gossip is negative and it spreads like wildfire. It tears down the reputation of the people involved and sows distrust amongst team members.
The goal of conflict management is to encourage constructive conflict — encouraging your team members and managers to be assertive about their needs and opinions rather than passively aggressive about their feelings of resentment or frustration.
When conflict is directed constructively, the tension between team members can become a unifying factor that encourages them to think out of the box and engage in productive debate to enable the team to collaborate more efficiently and creatively.
Myth #3: Conflict Is Not Normal
Conflict is all too often viewed as something abnormal in a team. Because of that, team members might try to put on a facade that all is fine when in fact, there are unresolved issues below the surface. Over time, these unresolved issues become trigger points that can cause all the associating negative emotions to erupt when someone is triggered.
Teams grow through conflict when they understand that conflict is normal and inevitable in the workplace. The fact is that no two humans are the same. Our backgrounds, personalities, and values influence our world view and the way we work. These differences are what accounts for the friction and tension points in the workplace.
Instead of demanding uniformity (i.e. to create a team where everyone has the same thinking and working styles), teams should focus on leveraging the diversity to push for higher levels of performance.
Myth #4: Conflict Will Go Away With Time
Because of the many misguided assumptions about conflict, this leads to people becoming conflict avoidant, where they choose not to address conflict in the hopes that it will be solved with time. But the fact is, conflicts don't just go away. In fact, many workplace conflicts are actually made worse by this myth, which leads us to believe that all we need to do is wait for the situation to resolve itself.
The reality is that conflicts can resurface months or even years after they've been resolved. And if you're not prepared for it, the conflict could be even more difficult and painful than it was before.
So don't expect a quick fix. Prepare yourself for the possibility of future problems by addressing them head-on as soon as they occur.
Myth #5: Conflict Is A Sign Of Bad Teamwork
The presence of conflict in a team is not an indicator of how strong or weak their team morale or team dynamics are. Just because there are disagreements on how a project should be approached does not mean that your team has bad teamwork. When conflict management is handled well, the presence of conflict can be an indicator that a team is thriving and working effectively together.
It shows that team members are unafraid to voice their opinions and make suggestions, even if it comes at the expense of disagreeing with someone else in the team. That is a sign of a healthy team — where feedback is valued.
Conflict can lead to better teamwork because decisions are made collectively and team members understand how to collaborate effectively to reach mutually agreed-upon goals. It can also help managers understand what motivates their employees and how they work best so that managers can make good use of their talents at work.
Final Thoughts
The next time you are tempted to put a label to conflicts that arise in your workplace, catch yourself in the act! Stop trying to eliminate or avoid conflict in the workplace. Instead, learn what it means to manage conflict well, so that it can be wielded for fostering better teamwork.
If you need help with conflict resolution in your workplace, we are corporate team-building specialists based in Singapore that offer in-person, virtual, and hybrid corporate team-building workshops and team development programs. Engage us to help you make sense of what workplace conflict is all about — rather than the painful experience it's often perceived to be — and give you tools to boost your team bonding through it.
Written by Rachel Chai
Connectedness • Empathy • Strategic • Belief • Context
Rachel is a Strengths School™ Certified Strengths Trainer and the Content Lead at Strengths School™. Being deeply introspective, she believes in helping others draw connections between how their unique strengths play out in their lives.
