6 ways to manage conflict

Most people say they hate conflict, yet avoiding it causes more problems. In today’s culturally diverse, multigenerational workforce it’s bound to happen. Conflicts can be frequent, often petty and very costly between people speaking different languages, from different generations and having different religious beliefs and cultural norms.  Tempers flare and regrettable things are said.

You don’t have to like conflict but you can learn to manage it and not try to escape from it. Here are some tips. 

1. Understand that big conflicts are made up of little conflicts.
It's like a circuit board. Looking at the whole is complicated, but piece by piece it’s easy to connect it all.

2. Remove emotions from the situation.
Emotions are to conflicts like air is to a fire -- it causes it to grow out of control. Don’t let drama or emotional responses inflame the situation. Instead…

3. Choose to be generous.
Whomever or whatever started the conflict, give the benefit of the doubt that best intentions were involved. Instead of judging or blaming, give liberal feedback as to where someone or something could have taken a different course of action.

Click here to read three more tips on Entrepreneur.com.