From Negative to Positive: 5 Tips to Turn Conflict Into Creativity
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Conflict is a natural part of life, and it’s certainly not missing in the workplace. From putting out organizational fires to collaborating with clashing personalities, professionals deal with some form of conflict on a weekly basis. But not all conflict is bad, and sometimes, even the most sticky difficulties can be turned into situations that facilitate progress and creativity.
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conditions First, there needs to be time to discuss and debate the issue. If an immediate decision is needed, you'll need to find a way to suppress the conflict or put it off temporarily. Second, both you
and your colleague need to care about your relationship, and, though you may be angry with each other, you have enough trust to have an honest conversation. "If we don't trust each other enough to talk about our real needs, we can't engage with each other," Mir says. 2. Spend time face to face Ideally, arrange to meet several times with the other person, preferably in a casual setting. If in-person meetings aren't possible, pick up the phone. "Email, text, and social media interactions are easily misinterpreted," Mir says." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inc. contributor Minda Zetlin talked to Kaveh Mir, author of Wars at Work: An Action Guide for Resolving Workplace Battles
, on how to use situations of conflict to rev up your creative juices in the workplace. She writes:
1. Make sure you have the right conditions
First, there needs to be time to discuss and debate the issue. If an immediate decision is needed, you’ll need to find a way to suppress the conflict or put it off temporarily. Second, both you and your colleague need to care about your relationship, and, though you may be angry with each other, you have enough trust to have an honest conversation.