60 SECONDS ON BUSINESS
To resolve conflict, look at the causes

By Dr. Drake Beil
President, Solutions Inc.

When was the last time you had a disagreement at work? Remember the feelings associated and how long they lasted?

Conflict can be pretty expensive. More than 11 million workers report health-endangering levels of stress. Recent estimates put the costs of depression alone at $47 billion a year in disability claims.

Add that to the costs of stress-related claims, worker absenteeism, overuse of sick leave and personal days, and accidents caused by carelessness and distraction. Such problems make conflict management essential to maintaining a healthy workplace.

To learn about conflict, start with the causes. I believe there are six primary causes that can be grouped into three categories:

• A disagreement over the facts, and differences in what is valued. Factual disagreements can be easily resolved, unless value differences are producing different perceptions of what the facts actually are.
• Goals and methods. Different goals will certainly get you conflicts, but even when people agree on goals, they can disagree wildly on the methods to use.
• Roles and status. You play different roles each day, and each one comes with a perceived level of status. When either the role or the status is questioned, conflicts can either emerge or simmer for years.

Reach Dr. Drake Beil at drake@60secondsonbusiness.