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Compromise is key to solving work conflicts

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The cause of dispute must be addressed before it can be resolved, but many firms are too quick to placate

DEALING EFFECTIVELY WITH conflict is similar to treating an illness. You must look beyond the symptoms and find the underlying cause, according to a leading expert in the field of mediation.

'Conflict is a symptom only, and in the workplace it is a clear indication that there is something wrong with the system,' said Norris Yang, a partner in law firm Boughton Peterson Yang Anderson, and chairman of the Hong Kong Mediation Council.

He believes that in many work environments people are often too quick to placate colleagues when a dispute occurs. This is done in an attempt to resolve the issue as soon as possible, but such an approach usually fails to tackle the source of the problem.

'It is much like taking an aspirin for a headache without looking at what caused the headache in the first place. It is important to look at why the conflict came about. Some people like to complain for no good reason, just as others like to see a doctor when nothing is really wrong. So you have to identify the cause,' said Mr Yang.

Once the reason for the conflict or dispute is known, a mutually agreed upon resolution is possible.

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