Conflicts of Interest

Continuing the Dirty Dozen list of 12 behaviors that cause conflict at work and then are attributed to the catchall phrase, “personality clashes”, I’m adding:

#3 Pitting People Against Each Other

Building a cohesive work group is nearly impossible when behaviors that divide and conquer take over.  If your supervisor has a tendency to pit people against each other in what she thinks is merely a friendly competition for more sales or better customer service, she may not know that she’s tearing her team apart.  Dividing coworkers can cause deep divides that are hard to bridge.

Bringing up sensitive issues in a team meeting (like what’s-his-name’s inability to meet deadlines), or ignoring tension, playing favorites, and using sarcasm to make a point are all ways we can stir up issues at work.  Those specific behaviors do nothing for creating a productive workplace and when the victims of such actions clue into what’s happening they can sometimes turn on the culprit—creating a scene that doesn’t often end well.

No one likes to feel small in front of their peers; even if you think it’s the push they need to improve.  If you’re looking for ways to motivate an individual, start by seeing him as an individual.  Private discussions about shortcomings or areas for improvement will help him hear your message while you tailor your comments to his specific situation.  Let’s be honest; public displays that result in winners and losers are only fun for the winners!

And, then there’s gossip.  It’s the ultimate way to divide people and one of the most common behaviors that even the best of us have participated in.  If you do it, it’s time to stop it.  If a coworker comes with a juicy bit of information or you notice he’s good at throwing barbs at others when he has an audience, don’t participate.  Instead, say something like, “I’m not sure how necessary that was,” or “I think I’ll pass on this conversation.”  A good response that works almost every time is, “Oh”; followed by a prolonged period of silence.   That sends a clear message that you have no intention of participating in destructive behaviors that divide, rather than unite, the working relationships around you.

Why concern yourself with changing these behaviors? Consider that friends and allies come from all corners of the workplace.  The individuals affected today may be the very folks sitting on the hiring panel for your next position or, worse yet, the seemingly innocuous coworker who stealthily thwarts your every move as a way to repay you for the hurt you’ve caused.  Plus, there’s power in numbers and a united team is far more powerful than a divided team.