Clashing Personalities | Leila’s House of Corrections

Do you feel that personalities sometimes get in the way at work? Have you ever struggled to work with someone and then given up because they rub you the wrong way? If so, before you throw in the towel or worst yet, throw some punches, Come on managers, it s time to learn how to face personality conflict.

Personalities get in the way of business, and when personalities clash, conflict occurs. Unchecked conflict within organizations leads to poor productivity, low employee engagement, and decreased profits. Choosing to ignore the situation is a common yet misguided tactic. When was the last time ignoring a problem made things better? Instead, here are 5 steps to address a personality clash.

Step 1: Own it.

Stop playing the blame game. Blaming the other person for the clash is an excuse for choosing not to address the conflict. Take ownership for being part of the problem and part of the solution.

Step 2: When speaking, use the first person.

In owning your part, you stop pointing fingers. Express your thoughts using I. For example, I think we are struggling to work effectively. This sets a positive, productive tone for building an effective relationship.

Step 3: Find common ground.

What s working in this relationship? What are some of the strengths this person brings? And how can you use those talents? Come prepared to discuss what IS working in the relationship. Here are some things you do well that help me and my team would be an example.

Step 4: Express your needs.

Now, it s time for you to express YOUR needs. Start small and have rationale ready. For example One thing I feel will help achieve department goals together is to have cooperation from you and your engineers when we do a needs assessment. How can we work together so that we share data?

Step 5: Listen.

You need to do a lot of listening when dealing with personality conflicts. Sit back and listen to the other side of the story. Absorb. Try not to interrupt zip your mouth!

One final thing to remember is that this is business, no one is asking you to be best buddies with everyone at work. But a great manager knows she needs to get along with people in order to get things done.