Experts on resolving conflict in the corporate workspace

Oops he did it again After constantly attacking his own party in public BJP leader Varun Gandhi threw fresh muck in the central governmentrsquos face at a recent rally when he questioned it for letting fugitive businessmen including Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi live a life of riches when there are cases of embezzlement lodged against them Earlier he had hit out against the party over its alleged mismanagement of the farmersrsquo crisis apart from disparaging it over rising unemployment and inflation This when his BJP colleagues either choose to remain silent over these perceived lapses or go to town defending the party in a vocal manner saying that their house is completely in order and these allegations are made with vested interestsItrsquos important for managers to give disgruntled employees a chance to voice their grievances Representation picBut itrsquos not just in the sphere of politics Employeesrsquo refusal to toe their companyrsquos line is a common occurrence in the corporate space as well But what can organisations do in such cases to ensure that one small spark doesnrsquot turn into a raging inferno What can they do to resolve any conflict that the employee might have so that he or she feels as if their concerns have been dealt with in a just and empathetic manner Two experts mdash victory coach Farzana Suri and psychologist and success coach Sushma IR mdash show the waygtgt Recognise the reason Suri says that a lack of self worth is one of the key reasons why employees feel disgruntled and hence act out ldquoThey feel that they arenrsquot being recognised for what they bring to the table When they see that other people who arenrsquot worthy are getting the spotlight thatrsquos when they feel that they need to stand out and seek attention by doing something rebelliousrdquo she says while Sushma adds ldquoThe management being unapproachable or employees feeling that something is going on behind closed doors that they arenrsquot aware of can also affect them negativelyrdquogtgt Lend an ear Active listening on an employerrsquos part is an important part of conflictresolution Suri continues She says ldquoSometimes the employee just wants to be heard so give them the opportunity to vent especially if what they have to say is unpopular or controversial See if you the employer can clear the air without putting the employee on the defensive Itrsquos an art to be able to carry out such a conversation But if somewhere the employee gets too personal and the conversation goes in a different direction itrsquos important to let them know that there are consequences though you have to be fair The moment you start taking discretionary or partisan actions thatrsquos when employers can poison the wellrdquoFarzana Suri and Sushma IRgtgt Emotions hold the key On the employeersquos part if they are to deal with the situation in a mature manner they first need to break down the disgruntlement in terms of emotions Sushma advises ldquoAsk yourself lsquoAm I feeling disappointment frustration anger or anxietyrsquo While all of this falls under the umbrella of being disgruntled each elicits a different reaction For example if yoursquore sad you withdraw into a shell while if yoursquore angry you might have an outburst that isnrsquot connected to the core issue So the first step is to identify the emotionrdquo she says adding ldquoThe second is to identify your thoughts based on the emotion because say in the case of anxiety you might be building scenarios in your head The third step is to figure out the reason why this thought is occurring at all and finally the fourth is to find the right person to talk to like a trustworthy source within the organisation The HR department is supposed to have an opendoor policy anyway even if the manager doesnrsquot But it might even help to talk to someone like a friend or therapistrdquo she says adding that if the issue isnrsquot resolved there are possible psychological and physiological repercussions for the employee including disturbed sleep anxiety fluctuations in blood pressure engaging in binge behavior and mdash in extreme cases where they are feeling completely trapped and helpless mdash suicidal tendencies gtgt Managing the situation Sushma also warns against both sides mdash the employee and the manager mdash taking things personally She says that this usually sets off a chain reaction ldquoThe employee might say or do something that triggers the immediate supervisor who makes it personal by sabotaging the employee whether through harsh words or a hostile working environment The subordinate then feels further disgruntled and thatrsquos what sets off the chain reaction The most important thing is thus for both sides to avoid a personal war Having an objective goaloriented approach to see what can be done to salvage the situation rather than worsen it is the first step that the manager needs to take And if they feel that itrsquos beyond their capability they can speak to their own manager or HR in such a situation so that they can step in with their guidance The main thing is to look at it in a holistic way rather than making it personalrdquo