Conflict Resolution at Work for Dummies®

Chapter 1. An Overview of Conflict Resolution at Work

In This Chapter

• Looking at causes of workplace conflict

• Using a mediation process to help employees through problems

• Finding and using conflict expertise

• Managing a conflict between you and another person

You may love your family and friends, but truth be told, you spend much of your time with the people at work. Not getting along with co-workers, or having members of your team at odds with one another can be stressful and distracting. In addition, problems in the workplace rarely stay at work; they can permeate every aspect of your life. So it behooves you to take the time to understand what's behind a conflict, to get beyond the surface issues, and to work to find satisfying resolutions for everyone involved.

Being curious about how to resolve conflict means you're probably ready to try something different. And being open to trying something different means you have a good shot at getting closure. Settling differences effectively requires you to step back and look at the broader picture, be mindful of another person's point of view, and take into account peripheral factors that may be creating or provoking problems, like group dynamics or workplace norms.

In this chapter, I give you an overview of conflict resolution so you can successfully mediate problems in your workplace, whether those problems are between two individuals or within a larger group. I also tell you about additional conflict resolution resources you may have at your ...