One of the interpersonal conflicts I saw in the workplace was the case when all employees were supposed to discuss a long-term project on attracting clients. Meanwhile, some of them were unaware of the decisions made by the majority of the participants. As a result, their growing discontent led to the ultimate refusal to work with others and the neglect of their duties, which they were actually incapable of performing in the absence of information. This situation was critical for the outcomes of the elaborated initiative, and the expertise of people who could have advantageously shared their knowledge of the subject was ignored.
The resolution of the conflict was ensured by the actions of one of the managers who proposed using digital solutions to involve everyone in the discussion. Hence, the idea was to consider only the decisions made collectively when using the chosen program as valid, and other suggestions should have remained at the stage of examination. This approach promoted the inclusion of all workers in the process for receiving better results. At first, some of them were unwilling to negotiate due to the previously formed negative opinions, but the manager’s efforts led to the ultimate change of attitude.
The method used for overcoming the challenge was extremely beneficial for the company, but it can be complemented by other tools allowing to prevent similar occasions alongside addressing the already emerged crises. Thus, the use of questionnaires at all the stages of project elaboration can help timely detect any negative emotions and reveal their sources (Chen & Tang, 2018). In this way, the effectiveness of subsequent measures in the case of appearing problems in this regard will be increased due to a better understanding of the causes by managers.
Reference
Chen, C., & Tang, N. (2018). Does perceived inclusion matter in the workplace?Journal of Managerial Psychology, 33(1), 43-57. Web.