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3. Supervising & Management
4. Conflict Management
5. How to Handle Conflict in the Workplace

How to Handle Conflict in the Workplace Last Updated: July 24, 2025 11:38:45 AM PDT Give feedback

Learn about some practical strategies you can use to handle conflict in the workplace.

1. Talk with the other person.

• Ask the other person to name a time when it would be convenient to meet.
• Arrange to meet in a place where you won't be interrupted.

2. Focus on behavior and events, not on personalities.

• Say “When this happens …” instead of “When you do …”
• Describe a specific instance or event instead of generalizing.

3. Listen carefully.

• Listen to what the other person is saying instead of getting ready to react.
• Avoid interrupting the other person.
• After the other person finishes speaking, rephrase what was said to make sure you understand it.
• Ask questions to clarify your understanding.

4. Identify points of agreement and disagreement.

• Summarize the areas of agreement and disagreement.
• Ask the other person if he or she agrees with your assessment.
• Modify your assessment until both of you agree on the areas of conflict.

5. Prioritize the areas of conflict.

• Discuss which areas of conflict are most important to each of you to resolve.

6. Develop a plan to work on each conflict.

• Start with the most important conflict.
• Focus on the future.
• Set up future meeting times to continue your discussions.

7. Follow through on your plan.

• Stick with the discussions until you’ve worked through each area of conflict.
• Maintain a collaborative, “let’s-work-out-a-solution” attitude.

8. Build on your success.

• Look for opportunities to point out progress.
• Compliment the other person’s insights and achievements.
• Congratulate each other when you make progress, even if it’s just a small step. Your hard work will pay off when scheduled discussions eventually give way to ongoing, friendly communication.

Need help?

If you have questions, please reach out to [email protected]. For more information, contact Employee Relations, (858) 534-4115.

Conflict Management

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