Conflicts can ruin even the most beautiful workplace environments, and even if they don't escalate this time, there is no guarantee as to what will happen the next time. This is why it is important for individuals to learn workplace conflict de-escalation techniques.
According to the specialists at peacefulleadersacademy.com, de-escalation training can help individuals in both their professional and personal life as the skills acquired transcend the workplace environment. With that being said, here are six essential steps for de-escalating conflict:
Remaining Calm
The fundamental aspect when dealing with any conflict and ensuring the first steps towards resolution are laid is remaining calm. Emotions can cloud our judgment easily, making it difficult to think clearly and make rational decisions.
Because of this, it's important to take a deep breath, relax, remain calm, and maintain your composure.
Listen Actively
The second step in de-escalating a conflict is active listening. When someone raises their voice or straight-up screams, it tells you one crucial thing: they want to be heard and understood, and most likely, the reason why they ended up to this boiling point is that no one listens to them and tries to see their point of view.
Don't assume they don't care or don't want to be helped. If that were the case, they wouldn't bother. Listen to their perspective and understand their feelings and concerns. Try to use open-ended questions to encourage them to share more information.
Use Your Empathy
You have to show empathy if you want to de-escalate a conflict. Nothing can diffuse a conflict more than showing the other person that you care and understand their feelings, acknowledging them. Let them know that you care and that you want to find a solution that works best for all parties involved.
Be Respectful
If you remain respectful and professional during the conflict, it's less likely that it will escalate further. If you begin using inappropriate language or you don't control your behavior adequately, it can be interpreted as disrespectful and dismissive. This will only pour more hot oil into the water.
Search for Common Ground
Once you have enough information from the parties involved, you should begin looking for common ground. Build a bridge between you and the other party or the conflicting parties. Try to focus on areas that everyone agrees about or shared interests. Use these things as a starting point to find a solution.
Work Towards That Solution
If you reach this point of de-escalation, then it's unlikely that something else will go wrong. What is important now, and the whole reasoning behind any de-escalation actions, is to find a solution, a common ground, and work towards a mutually acceptable outcome.
This might mean that some parties may need to let go of certain things, but if you reach this point, then they are more likely to consent. However, make sure that all the parties involved in the conflict will be happy about the final outcome. Otherwise, new conflicts will inevitably emerge later, and you might not be so lucky next time. Consider working with a conflict de-escalation coach.
