Conflict happens in every workplace. It’s a normal part of the dynamic among co-workers.
Understanding Workplace Feedback Dynamics
It’s a fact: we all have different personalities, preferences, and perspectives. We don’t always agree, and that can lead to conflict. So, what’s a person to do? It comes down to being open to feedback. If you’re open to feedback, you’re more likely to be able to resolve conflicts. By being open and receptive, you can better understand what happened and why it happened.
Receiving feedback, even the most constructive, is rarely a comfortable experience. The book “Thanks For The Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well” is a recommended read. The authors, Stone and Heen, share that it is hard to learn about ourselves because our desire to learn clashes with our desire for acceptance. The book covers 3 key triggers that block feedback, each provoked by a different set of reasons and sparking different responses in us:
- Truth Triggers: “The feedback is wrong, unfair, or unhelpful.”
- Relationship Triggers: “Who are you to give this feedback?”
- Identity Triggers: “I feel threatened by the feedback.”
Building a Feedback-Positive Culture
The authors also share how to facilitate feedback in organizations, including how leaders, human resource personnel, feedback givers, and receivers can all play their part in making things work. When you learn to receive feedback well, you’ll be able to receive both positive and negative feedback with grace. Learn more about this book and our other resources here.
Amediate LLC: Your Trusted EEO Training Partner
As a woman-owned business, Amediate LLC specializes in workplace conflict management and EEO compliance training. Our expert consultants design and implement customized systems that foster self-mediating environments across organizations.
Learn more about our mission and expertise
