Are You Scared of Conflict?

There is no denying that fact that conflict can be disruptive, regardless of whether it is in your personal life or career. Most of us are afraid of conflict because it suggests that we may have done something wrong and it just makes life that little bit harder. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Here, we have compiled some useful tips to use when a conflict arises.

Communicate – When it comes to handling conflicts, one of the best things you can do is ask questions. Often, the common response is to stay as far away as you can but this will just make the situation worse. One of the most common causes of a situation like this is poor communication, by asking questions you can potentially deal with things before they escalate.

Review Expectations – Another common cause of conflict can be that either party’s expectations have been set too high. If you feel as though this might be the case, sit down with the other person and discuss whether this may have been the cause of the tension. Sometimes, all it takes is a small adjustment in expectation levels to resolve any situation.

Be Honest – Other times, it may just be a mistake that causes conflict. When this occurs, you have to put your hand up and admit any errors before temperatures can rise and relationships can be ruined. Before you depart each other’s company, make sure you both fully understand what has happened and where the next step will take you both.

Analyze Perspectives – When we get into a potential conflict, we think that our perspective is the only one that exists but sadly this isn’t the case. Two perspectives can vary greatly so it is worth discussing what each of you believe before moving any further. By doing this, you can correct each story and hopefully find a common ground. If this cannot be done and the perspectives are too far apart, it might be wise to ‘agree to disagree’ and move on whilst leaving the tension behind.

Prevention is Key – The resolution to any conflict has to start with the prevention of further damage; both parties have to stay calm and analyze the situation rather than potentially risking permanent damage. If both parties have this mindset, you can start to review what has happened rather than looking to delve deeper into a conflict.

Make a Commitment – By announcing your commitment to resolving a fiery situation, you can immediately cool the waters. By stating this to the other person, they don’t have any other option than to agree. Once this is done, you can both cool down and resolve.

Take Charge – When neither party wants to take charge, this is when a conflict can go on and on for a long time. For this reason, you have to take charge by separating at first before deciding to come together again in a different location to carry out the steps above.

On the whole, conflict can be scary if you don’t know what you are doing but if you follow these steps, you will have the ability to defuse any situation, even if you aren’t involved, in a short amount of time. The sooner you resolve conflicts, the sooner you can move on and Live Life Fully!