COPY - Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 57
Developing mutual
understanding
When thinking about conflict it is important
to remember that while it does eventually
pass in many cases, there is not always
learning or healing. In order for this to occur,
a catalyst has to be the willingness to step
into the other person’s shoes.
This shift in perspective has actually been
facilitated by the pandemic, with most
people having been unsettled in some way.
As mediators, we’ve seen people begin to
soften their approach towards one another
when they have learned about the
heartaches triggered by the pandemic. This
does not mean that they would necessarily
excuse certain behaviours, but they do see
that the person in front of them is fallible
and is trying to manage a difficult situation.
In essence, they appear more like
themselves, more human.
Customers
Another area where conflict has heightened
has been for teams working directly with
customers or the public - facing a regular
stream of people who are tired, frazzled,
distressed, angry or demanding.
Practicing listening and applying conflict
resolution skills becomes an important part
of one’s toolkit in these frontline settings.
However, one of difficulties is that while a
person may skillfully defuse a conflict with a
member of the public, they may be overly
sensitive to the tone of voice or behaviour of
colleagues. This highlights the importance for
workers in these settings to recognise that
the current work situation is uniquely
challenging and that proactive practices are
needed to manage the demands of the role,
including conflict resolution.