Conflict at work is a mental health issue. According to a CIPD report, just over one-third (35%) of UK employees experience conflict each year, and 56% of these report experiencing stress, anxiety, and/or depression as a result. Research with workplace mediation parties backs this up, with 75% stating that workplace conflict affected their mental health and 65% stating it affected their physical health.
Conflict in teams is becoming more complex. Global trends, such as increased disconnection and Gen Z entering the workforce, are changing team dynamics. Although conflict, when managed constructively, is beneficial to high-performing teams, harmful conflict will negatively affect the health and productivity of individuals and teams. With managers juggling multiple pressures, ignoring interpersonal challenges at work can be tempting. However, sweeping issues under the carpet is not the answer. For any manager seeing the warning signs, here are three tips to help navigate team conflict.
Feeling disrespected at work can be tough – whether it's the abrupt email you received, the way you were undermined in a meeting, or the series of microaggressions that have eroded your confidence. If there’s one word that comes up repeatedly in workplace mediation, it’s respect. “You don’t respect my opinion.” “You treat me with a complete lack of respect.” “If only you’d shown me a modicum of respect!”
The ability to relate to others is more than a nice-to-have. It’s a powerful tool for successful leadership. Alexandra Efthymiades shares the tips you need
The workplace has experienced significant changes over the past few years. The growth of hybrid working has blurred the lines between work and personal life. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends, the workplace is not always a specific place, and many employees are no longer traditionally employed. This means boundaries are falling away. Technological developments and AI enable people to be more interconnected, yet reduced real-life social interaction means more disconnection. These global shifts affect how workers relate to each other and how conflict is dealt with when it arises. In this new, evolving landscape, three key global trends are particularly impacting conflict in the workplace.
It’s likely to be another polarising year, with elections in the US and UK. The US presidential election process is in full swing, with candidates exchanging opposing views on key issues and sparring in front of the media. In the workplace, there are bound to be issues on which co-workers will disagree, either work-related or inspired by broader world events. On opposing sides of an argument, there’s a tendency to fall back on habitual patterns of attack and defense, which can sometimes lead to deep divisions and conflict. However, a different approach can help foster meaningful debate and strengthen relationships, even if disagreement remains. Here are three questions to ask someone when you don’t agree.
There has been so much conflict around the globe in 2023. As individuals, our ability to influence events on the world stage is limited, leaving many of us feeling powerless, disheartened, and hopeless. Even if the conflicts we encounter every day in our working lives don't relate to current events, they often make us feel the same emotions. While there’s much that will still feel out of our control, in the issues we face at work, many more options are open to us. Here are three strategies for resolving workplace disputes in 2024.
Recently, news headlines have included many union wins. The United Auto Workers (UAW) negotiated historic wage deals with US car manufacturers. In the UK, the RMT declared victory by agreeing a deal that could end 18 months of crippling rail strikes. Commentators point to unions ‘winning big,’ alongside talk of employers ‘losing’ or ‘taxpayers paying the price’. The labels of 'winners and losers,’ ‘victory and defeat,’ or ‘attack and defense’ are often assigned to these types of union and employer negotiations, but they miss the point. Regardless of who is perceived as winning or losing, partnership working is critical to an effective organizational conflict strategy. As a new federal law comes into effect shortly, which could allow millions of US workers to unionize, how can employers and unions develop a more collaborative working relationship?
At the start of 2023 we asked a selection of TrainingZone’s top guest writers to make a prediction about the world of learning and development for the year ahead. With the close of 2023 creeping in, these nine writers look back at their forecasting and assess its accuracy.
