I have had my fair share of conflict at work over the years! It is very unpleasant. It damages relationships and can even make you physically sick because conflict is a source of personal stress and anxiety.

Conflict at work is more common than we realise, sometimes taking the form of a disagreement between colleagues; dealing with a customer complaint; a personality clash resulting in conflict or even an incidence of bullying, violence or dismissal. Conflict is everywhere, and if managed poorly can result in negative outcomes for the workforce and the organisation.

Some of the results of unresolved conflict in the workplace include:

• Grievances and litigation
• Employee turnover
• Loss of productivity
• Increased client complaints
• Absenteeism
• Sabotage
• Injury and accidents
• Disability claims
• Sick leave

So what can you do about conflict? There are many ways to prevent conflict from becoming a real problem. Here are some good guidelines to remember when you are at work:

1. Respect other people’s differences. We are all unique and that is okay.
2.  Establish and respect personal and professional boundaries. Set healthy boundaries for your workload, time commitments and personal privacy.
3.  Know what triggers your frustration and anger. Avoid these situations, people and places as much as possible.
4.  Choose your battles. If it is a misunderstanding, one-off incident or mild offence, let it pass.
5.  Improve your communication skills. Take responsibility for communicating well so there is no cause for misunderstanding.

I have put together lots more tips in my free Practice Guide, so why not read it and develop some healthy and positive ways of preventing and dealing with conflict at work!