In this SHARE Blog Review,
Union co-president Sherry Nguyen describes a useful article for weighing
options in dispute resolution. As a SHARE member you can also use our Problem
Solving processes, as well as receive support from SHARE representatives. Please
contact the SHARE office for help.
And, if you would like to
submit an idea, a request, or a submission for publication on the SHARE UMMS
blog, please email your thoughts to kirk.davis@theshareunion.org
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When to Pick Workplace Battles
Submitted by Sherry Nguyen
A few weeks ago I read an informative article in the
Wall Street Journal by Sue Shellenbarger, and I’d like to share some of the key
points with you. We’ve all experienced tensions in workplace, whether
with coworkers or superiors. The question is what to do about it.
Although most people try to avoid conflict, this is neither the most productive
nor healthiest route. Avoidance can create more useless tension that has
a negative effect on productivity and creates unhealthy stress levels.
So what can be done? In the article, “To Fight
or Not to Fight? When to Pick Workplace Battles,” Shellenbarger emphasizes that
the best action depends on the situation. There are definitely some
situations where waging war would be a losing battle and retreat is the most
prudent action. Some of these situations include:
- Picking fights over issues that are not relevant to your work or outside of your area(s) of responsibility
- Battling over trivial issues based on personality or power
- Waging war without offering solutions or suggestions
(Read the article at http://www.wsj.com/articles/picking-your-workplace-battles-1418772621
for more situations and details.)
Along with these suggestions as when not to do battle,
the article offered winning strategies when you do decide that confronting the
situation is the best way to proceed. These winning strategies include planning
ahead, talking with your colleagues, and knowing when it is appropriate to
disagree. I highly recommend you read
more (link) about these winning strategies.
Conflicts are a fact of life. While it can be
risky to speak up – hurt feelings, a damaged career -- not speaking up,
especially if the annoyance is shared by others, can result in simmering
frustrations which can lead to passive aggressive behaviors such as slacking
off and backstabbing. While learning when to pick a battle is an art
worth learning, you have
the benefit of SHARE
staff who has the experience to help you through it, either with you in
meetings with your supervisor or behind the scenes as a coach.
The article “To Fight or Not to Fight? When to Pick
Workplace Battles” was written by Sue Shellenbarger, and appeared in the Wall
Street Journal on 12/16/14.
