Career Planning and Dealing with Conflicts in the Workplace

Having tight deadlines, being overworked and underpaid, and keeping the balance between personal life and professional life are some of the most common challenges we all experience in the workplace. But there is another thing that causes many of us to have a really hard time at work – conflict with coworkers.

While there are no perfect relationships in the workplace, we should continue to strive for at least a peaceful coexistence with our colleagues. Aside from the fact that having misunderstandings and personal conflicts with others can be very stressful, you also don’t want such negative relationships make your job less enjoyable.

And while it is possible for you to influence someone through your behavior, the only thing you can control is your own behavior. You cannot dictate how another person should respond to a situation, but you can choose your reaction. Every situation will require a unique response, but you can do something to determine what response is appropriate. Follow these tips:

1. Listen to what they are saying about you.

If someone keeps saying something about you and how you perform at work, you may just ignore it to avoid conflicts, but you shouldn’t ignore what is being said about you. Be honest to yourself and think whether there is truth to what they are saying or not. If they have basis for saying that about you, then use this as an opportunity to be more self-aware so you can change for the better.

2. Try to know the source.

We all know that the only way we could stay employed is to impress our managers with our quality performance and high value. However, it is also a fact that some people just can’t contain their jealousy, and so they opt to make you look bad or magnify the small mistakes you have. In this case, you have to make sure that the opinion of others will not affect your confidence and self-concept. What’s important is that you know who the source is. This way, you may find a way to deal with the person who seems to be threatened by you.

3. Weigh your options.

After you have considered the source and the feedback, you’ve got to make a choice as to how you are going to respond. Again, both your mental and outward response in such situation is all up to you and controlled by you. You can simply ignore these conflicts, and have no interpretation of them whatsoever, or you can use them for your own personal growth.

When it comes to career planning, it is not only about finding the job that suits your qualifications and pursuing a career that gives you self-fulfillment. More importantly, you have to be prepared to deal with different kinds of people and situations that will challenge your belief in yourself.