Ways to Resolve Work Friction

In this era that is a little more closely-knit compared to other generations in history, thanks largely to the internet, diversity is more widely accepted. The uncommon is now embraced. Social media and other online platforms have served as our global village.

The global village, in turn, is becoming the melting pot of ideas around the world. It is now a platform that people use to connect, communicate and understand each other. Diversity is slowly being established as an effective tool to a more progressive society.

In the bigger picture, this progressive approach towards diversity serves as a stepping stone towards creating a more open, all-accepting, and effective global community. People now willingly accept truths that may not necessarily be in line with those that were introduced to them in growing up.

However, even in the advent of this more accepting society, diversity in smaller populations can still cause friction. In fact, one common example of tension-causing friction is the workplace. While it may not be your religion or gender that causes the issues at work, your differences in ideas about how your work should be done and who should do it can still influence your team dynamics.

The Reality About Work

The workplace is a magnet of talent. It’s where people meet, utilize their skills, and work together to reach their collective goals. But it’s usually during the process of reaching those goals that people’s ideas collide. And then, arguments happen.

In the beginning, you’ll think it’s just a small argument. It happens. People don’t necessarily agree with each other one hundred percent of the time. But one argument is all that is needed to create tension between people that can eventually lead to more arguments. Or worse, divisive working habits.

What Can You Do?

Talk

It is perhaps the most basic method of solving issues. By talking about the disagreements, all parties get to freely express their point of view. They also get to explain how their perspective of things influenced their behavior.

While it seems like a common way to resolve issues, talking is actually a lot harder than it seems. Both individuals will have to drop their pride and be willing to face the issue confronting them. Unless both parties agree that communication and understanding each other is necessary, “talking” will be a little more difficult than usual.

Find a Common Ground

This is the main point of every potential solution to every problem: a middle ground.  Try to remember why you work and what larger purpose it serves. By finding a common ground, it’s easier for people to reevaluate the situation and come up with ways on how they can work better.

Management Style

Sometimes, the team management style can also be the culprit to the friction. Maybe the main reason you fight is because your team is forced to work with very little room for control and growth.

Fights are more likely to occur if the employees are not given the voice to express how they can potentially help the team and the company. If your company employs a more open management style like Holacracy or Sociocracy, employees are more likely to openly consider each other’s ideas. Therefore, they are also much more open about different ways they can solve existing and potential conflict.

Ask a Coach

The intervention of professional development coaches can help employees understand the issue as a whole. It can also help individuals understand what the underlying reasons for the conflict are. Is it because of a personal reason? Or is it because of a professional reason?

Either way, coaches can help employees understand their strengths and weaknesses. Aside from that, coaches can also teach them patterns on how they can work better.

In an environment with a huge pool of people whose ideas may be conflicting, friction is normal. A healthy working environment is not one without disagreements. Instead, it is one where people understand their work and constantly communicate and collaborate to do what needs to be done.