Introduction
People have to deal with others whom they do not like at the workplace
There may also be issues while working together
Personality clashes are the root cause for such differences
Some put efforts to resolve, but still cannot workout
At this end, no enjoyment at the workplace
The presentation is an educative material for managers
Managers have to deal with others whom they do not like at the workplace due to various issues. The conflicting points are be based on work styles, background, attitudes and motives diversity. The existing research suggests that personality clashes are the root cause of such differences, and managers should always put efforts to resolve them. It reaches a point where the victims feel that personality clashes cannot be resolved, however it much possible when the management is involved. The results of disputes among members are unbearable in addition to lack of enjoyment at the workplace. This presentation is an educative material for managers on how they can resolve personality-related clashes among their peers.
Cause of personality conflicts
Workstyle differences- employees have different ways of executing duties
Background differences- ethnicity, gender, political views
Attitude difference- arrogance, irritability
Cooperative versus competitive differences
Among the significant causes of personality conflicts in the workplace is based on work style differences. Jeong (2018) suggests that managers have different ways of executing duties, which may, in turn, bring conflicts. Personality conflicts may also come in as a result of background differences. Differences in ethnicity, gender, political views, social, economic status and religious perspective are the significant causes of background-related differences. According to Farrell (2014), personality clashes in the workplace are triggered by attitude diversity, including arrogance and irritability. Additionally, managers have different motives in the sense that some may have the mentality of cooperating to achieve a common goal, while others have competitive minded goals.
Personality clash consequences at workplace
Personality clashes trigger severe consequences
Stress- leads to anxiety and tension
Lower productivity- adverse impacts on the entire project
Now that we know personality conflict exists, it also vital to understand that they lead to adverse consequences. Farrell (2014) opines that personality conflicts trigger stress to the victims due to continued tension and anxiety. Again, the victims are always alert in preparation for the next unpleasant encounter. The victims may go to the extent of leaving jobs if the situation is not managed early in advance. It is important to note that personality clashes lead to low productivity on the duties handled by affected members (Jeong, 2018). The projects under the control of the victims stand a higher chance of underperforming due to restlessness.
Handling personality clashes
Conflicts in the workplace are inevitable
Your personality is not always right
People have different perspectives, and all are right
When handled effectively, diverse characters leads to productivity
Personal clashes can be resolved, should not be allowed to disrupt the work environment
It worth for managers to understand that conflicts in the workplace are inevitable, a situation that one cannot avoid. Again, it is vital to note that people have different personalities, which are not always right. Jeong (2018) further states peoples have diverse perspectives, which are not still in line with those of others. Importantly, personality diversity can contribute significantly in attaining success when handled effectively. Jeong (2018) advises managers to always work towards diffusing conflicts and should not be allowed to disrupt conduciveness in the work environment.
Strategies
Acceptance
Find source
Stay professional
Acceptance is among the primary strategy for diffusing personality clashes. Acceptance goes a long way with kindness and acceptance, and its absence leads to defensiveness and friction. Conflicts resolution among the managers should begin with identifying its root source. The involved team should identify all the underlying problems with the aid of information from victims (Farrell, 2014). Advocating for professionalism is yet another strategy for resolving conflict. Being professional involves the parties observing courtesy and listening to each other opinions. Listening to each other provides a basis for conflict resolution. Interested parties should also avoid reacting to the emotional feelings of the other party; rather they should understand them (Farrell, 2014). Being professional also involves avoiding premature judgment and focusing on more inquiry and gathering more information
Strategies
Management involvement
Brainstorming solutions
Evaluation of proposed opinions to arrive at the viable one.
It may reach a point where managers cannot arrive at a reasonable consensus. At this point, it is much necessary to involve the management team as a third party to diffuse the conflict. Alternatively, the management team can organize a workshop training, rather than focusing on victims only (Jeong, 2018). Additionally, training in conflict resolution involves brainstorming of solutions. Once the root cause of the conflict has been identified, and effective communication has been facilitated, the involved members should then engage in identifying possible solutions to the underlying issues. After generating a variety of solutions, the interested parties should evaluate them in order to determine the most viable solution (Jeong, 2018). The most feasible solution is the one that results in a mutual agreement between the involved parties.