Conflict Resolution by Building Positive Energy

Conflict in the workplace is not a pleasant scenario.  It breeds stress which breeds lack of productivity which in turn just hurts everything for your company.  So what are you doing to build positive energy for your team?  Building positive energy is a team effort.  Leaving it up to one person typically never works because we all have good and bad days no matter who we are.  So what can be done to create a positive atmosphere in the workplace and build that positive energy?

One of the biggest things I highlight to folks is to never speak in absolutes.  In other words avoid expressions like “This will NEVER get done on time” or “This ALWAYS seems to do this or that”.  Those types of absolutes are exaggerations and only invoke negative feelings.  Therefore it is crucial that you think before your speak when discussing challenges you and your team may be going through.  Paint a realistic picture of what the issue is so that you and your team can get a good grasp on it and create a solution.

Be very careful of your tone of voice as well.  Do your best to keep emotions out of your statements.  This is especially difficult if a team member has been emotionally compromised already.  As a leader you need to be objective.  You need to listen clearly to the problem, pause for a moment if you need to, and respond in a calm and collective manner.  If you react in kind to the elevated emotional state that is present then no resolution will take place and the stress levels of the whole office will mount.  Your clear, objective and dignified approach will speak volumes for how the whole team will feel.

There is also always the old approach of asking the person who is having a conflict to put themselves in your shoes for a moment.  Open the dialog up so that they can appreciate numerous perspectives on why a certain direction or decision needs to be made.  In other words when appropriate be open about information regarding the challenge.  Share as much as you can.  A snap decision with no reasons associated typically inspires conflict. It does not prevent it.  So by being a sharing person this helps continue to build that positive energy up.

Written by Jonathan Saar

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