You can’t escape from the political chaos at the moment. I’d bet that whatever your views and political beliefs are, you are sick and tired of the unproductive conflict that has been apparent over the last few months. Watching scenes from the House of Commons can be similar to that of the school playground, just with a lot of pomp and ceremony thrown in.
Conflict is an interesting theme….and it is not something to always shy away from. Healthy conflict shows commitment, is a catalyst for change, can relieve tension and when harnessed, create energy. However, it’s the unhealthy kind of conflict we often see in Westminster and we see a lot of in work environments too.
To be clear, healthy conflict is always focused on a goal or particular task. It is always a constructive and open conversation with the aim of progress. This is opposed to unhealthy conflict that is about power, often personal and can be covert and un-constructive.
At Thrive we work with individuals and teams to help them manage conflict. From our experience there are 5 key tips to ensuring conflict remains healthy.
- Separate problems and people: Keep focused on the facts, the task and your goal – keep the person out of it
- Listen first, then talk: Listening is a core skill you need to learn in order to show empathy to others and is crucial to demonstrate when you are in a conflict scenario
- Collaborate: Being open and exploring options together helps to neutralise any conflict
- Self-awareness and control: Being aware of how you behave and managing your emotions is key to remaining in a productive place when you’re faced with challenges
- Objective thinking: Be aware of any bias and opinions you have and try and look at the situation objectively
One thing is for sure, we aren’t seeing much healthy conflict at the moment in the House of Commons or the European Commission. We are certainly living through stressful times…..