Written by: Christopher H. McKinney Sr., Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
It's Increasing. Conflict. For many in the workplace, conflict is an ugly 4-letter word. The mere mention of conflict at work causes various negative responses, from acid reflux to an upset stomach, a throbbing headache, hives, and more. The stress of dealing with negative workplace conflict can be quite debilitating; unfortunately, negative conflict in the workplace is not decreasing.
In the article “Conflict In The Workplace Negatively Impacts Wellness: Here’s What To Do About It”, Cecilia de San Jose’ referenced a study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development from the United Kingdom that showed 26% of respondents and 20% of employers claim conflict at work is common.
In 2008, CPP Global commissioned a study, “Workplace Conflict and How Businesses Can Harness It to Thrive”, to examine the impacts. The researchers found that 85% of employees at all levels experience conflict. They found that in the U.S., we spend around 2.6 hours each week handling workplace conflict. In an August 2022 report published by the Meyers-Briggs Company, “Conflict at Work” their research showed that managers and leaders spend 4.34 hours a week dealing with conflict. This is a 54% per week increase from 2008.
It's Harmful
Negative workplace conflict can lead to Cortisol Dumps, large amounts of Cortisol released into our bodies. This is due to the body responding to workplace conflict with a fight or flight response. Short periods of Cortisol have a minimal negative impact, but extended periods of
Cortisol in our bodies can have harmful effects. The Mayo Clinic article “Stress Management” discusses what happens when the primary stress hormone, Cortisol, is released into our bloodstream. A “Cortisol Dump” driven by a fight or flight response to negative workplace conflict causes three immediate impacts:
It increases the amount of sugar in our bloodstream.
It increases the brain’s ability to use glucose.
It enhances the body’s ability to repair itself in the event of an injury.
The “Stress Management” article goes on to say, “Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system, and growth processes.” As these functions shut down, it is easy to see why routine “Cortisol Dumps” are bad for our health.
A friend and author, Dr. Michael Perry, wrote in his book “THEXPERT LEADER”, “If stressors like job security, being singled out, or fear of loss are the order of the day, the short-term impact of Cortisol can be any number of reactionary behaviors, including rushing to judgment, lack of creativity, and flawed decision making. Over the long-term, the result of a stressful work environment can be adverse physical consequences, like high blood pressure, heart disease, and organ problems.” This makes it painfully clear why unbridled negative workplace conflict is detrimental to our companies.
So as leaders in the workplace, this is not something we can avoid. We can see from the data, workplace conflict has been increasing over time and has harmful impacts on our people and us, so action on our part is critical. We must learn to deal effectively with negative conflict to facilitate good health and high-performance cultures. In this article, I will outline some practical steps to assist you in being even more effective as a leader.
"Negative workplace conflict left unresolved can deteriorate into an aggressive cancer."
Leaders Role
What role does the leader play in handling negative workplace conflict? The leader plays the most crucial role. My mantra is “leadership is relentless” because there is always something to address, and commonly it is workplace conflict.
In the Forbes Magazine article “5 Keys of Dealing with Workplace Conflict”, Mike Myatt stated, “… leadership and conflict go hand-in-hand. Leadership is a full-contact sport, and if you cannot or will not address conflict in a healthy, productive fashion, you should not be in a leadership role.” I wholeheartedly agree!
And much like bad news does not get better with time, negative workplace conflict left unresolved does not get better with time either. Quite the opposite is true. The negative workplace conflict left unresolved can deteriorate into aggressive cancer. Conflict does not typically resolve itself positively without intervention.
First: The leader must step into the gap to ascertain the problem and work with the involved parties to resolve it. When I say “leader”, this does not always mean the head of the company or organization. There are leaders at multiple levels; ideally, the leader closest to the situation should move first. Still, there may be situations where this person does not have the training or authority to resolve it. In this case, I advocate for solving the problem at the lowest level possible, so proceed up the food chain until you reach the right person.
Next: Friend and co-author of “Triumphant Transitions”, Henry Hayes, often says, “Leaders lead.” When we as leaders fail to step into the gap or hesitate to step into the gap, many potential undesired impacts are hanging in the wing. We will delve into those later. As leaders, we must clearly articulate the following:
We see the conflict.
Our desire to resolve the conflict.
We will actively engage until the resolution.
* This cannot be delegated.
"In times of chaos or disruption, people look to the leader to stand up and create stability."
Who Wants It Addressed
Even though it may go unspoken, everyone involved in the negative conflict wants the issue addressed. Even if the person involved is a bully, deep down inside, they want the issue resolved like everyone else. I will state again, the average person does not like conflict. All involved have some degree of a fight or flight response, which means everyone’s bodies are impacted.
* Sidebar: If you have someone on your team that does like to engage in negative conflict routinely, you may need to evaluate if they should be on your team or not. This may be a potential source of constant disruption.
The negative conflict makes it hard to concentrate and work on anything else effectively. If I get my dopamine hits by marking things off my checklist, the conflict will throw me off. All other employees, even those not directly involved, want the conflict to end because everyone in the workspace can feel the tension, and this tension disrupts production to some degree.
It makes things uncertain and, thus, will likely elicit the fight or flight response for many. As a result, they subsequently experience the effects of having primary bodily functions halted during the conflict.
As the leader, we want the negative conflict resolved for the aforementioned reasons. Additionally, it is hard to focus on the things we need to focus on (board meetings, strategic plans, strategic collaborations, etc.) when our thoughts are consumed by “Person A” being at war with “Person B”, and it is disrupting to operations.
"Your audio has to match your video."
What Happens When We Don’t Address It
Most people do not want to engage in conflict as a natural default. Most people want to exist in an environment where there is minimal tension. Well, at least I do. So, I understand why some leaders will attempt to avoid it. Again, it is a natural inclination, but when we avoid it, three main things tend to transpire.
Usually, the first area impacted is productivity. The production of the team or group typically decreases when there is unresolved negative conflict in the workplace. When things are terrible, most people are in survival mode. Even if they are not directly involved, they walk around trying to avoid getting caught in the fray. Which typically means minds are distracted from the main thing, production. This means our customers are not getting the best service possible (internal and external). This has implications for the bottom line.
Next, there will typically be a loss of innovation for the reasons above. Who has time to solve existing or emerging problems when everyone walks around on eggshells? And in today’s fast pace global economy most of us cannot afford to miss out on an opportunity to better serve our customers.
The third area to take a hit is the leader’s credibility. Now you might be saying, “Why would my credibility take a hit, Chris?” Glad you asked. Friend and author of “Turning Point Leadership”, Ronald Harvey, also has a simple quote: “Your audio has to match your video.” It means our words and actions must be congruent.
As leaders, we should be the chief advocates of the core values and culture we desire to see modeled in our companies and organizations. So, when there is an unresolved conflict, and we walk past it, our “audio is not matching our video.” This can lead to unspoken thoughts of “how can we be “team-focused” when one person is allowed to disrupt the whole team.” If we could read the bubble over people’s heads, it might read, “For real!??! Are you going to let John Doe completely disrupt the place? Are you going to do NOTHING!! I have work to do you know! I thought you were in charge but obviously not!”
In times of chaos or disruption, people look to the leader to stand up and create stability. People can become disillusioned and lose faith when we fail to step into the gap to address negative workplace conflict. Disillusionment leads to disengagement, which also has implications on the bottom line. People see who the real power broker is when we fail to act, so our credibility takes a hit.
What Happens When We Address It
As the leader, it is incumbent upon us to go first. Even though it can be very uncomfortable for the most seasoned leader to deal with negative workplace conflict, one of the first impacts of stepping into the gap is that we ease the tension and anxiety in the workplace.
Once the tension and anxiety ease, production will start to increase. People tend to focus on the main thing instead of thinking, “Is it time to go home yet?” The reduction of Cortisol in their bodies gives them the bandwidth to focus on other areas.
We will also tend to see innovation increase. People will have the capacity to better take care of the customer by eliminating tension. This will help put you back on the path to gaining more market share or establishing new markets.
Our action reinforces our established credibility, or we can start to repair the damage it sustained during our inaction. Most people are forgiving, and even if we hesitated initially, we could potentially remove the tarnish from our armor.
The bottom line is that we as leaders must proactively address negative workplace conflict and encourage and empower others to do the same. When we do not or if we delay, we cost our companies and organizations large amounts of money. The “Conflict at Work” research mentioned earlier identified that the total cost of conflict in the United Kingdom was £28.5 billion. In the U.S., it is estimated that the cost is $359 billion.
"Only 3 things happen naturally in an organization: friction, confusion, and underperformance; everything else requires leadership." – Peter Drucker
I hope this added value to you. If you are sitting there saying Chris, that sounds well and good, but I need help dealing with conflict as it is not a strong suit, I get it. You may have yet to receive training or mentorship on appropriately dealing with negative workplace conflict. My company 10X Leadership Consulting is poised to come alongside you to assist. I invite you to schedule a free consultation to explore the possibilities. Worst case scenario, I will offer you my best advice at no cost.
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Also, if you are looking for a dynamic speaker for your event, click HERE for a free consultation. I have spoken to thousands and inspired numerous audience types, from students to the military to senior executives to the workforce.
Christopher H. McKinney Sr., Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Chris is the founder and CEO of 10X Leadership Consulting (10XLC). 10XLC is a premier consulting company that identifies and diagnoses issues that impede the development and growth of businesses. 10XLC specializes in strategy, leadership, and culture development. Chris is also a co-author of the book “Triumphant Transitions” published by Trilogy Publishing.
As a 30-year Air Force veteran, he developed the mantras “Leadership is relentless!” and “When you add value, you become invaluable.” Both were key beacons that helped him navigate and have highly successful careers in two different industries. Success for Chris is seeing people around him grow, evolve, and become effective when they gain a seat at the table. His mindset is for his life to be at its fullest, others must release their gift(s) into the world. By releasing their gift(s), the world is made more complete.
