Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor.

And today, we are going to get real about conflict in the workplace.

It's icky and awkward, and we avoid facing it at all costs.

But it's a reality we have to be able to work through.

Today we'll talk about constructive steps you can take to find your way through a workplace

conflict and land on the other side. You know that icky feeling you get in the pit of your

stomach or maybe behind your eyes when you have to face something icky going down between

people at work? Maybe you're one of the people, or possibly a bystander, or even the leader of one of the involved

parties.

But whatever your role, there is something universally uncomfortable and unsettling about having

to deal with conflict in the workplace.

But there are positive and constructive ways to work through it.

So let's talk about some of the things you can

do to help keep workplace conflict in check. First, separate signal from noise. In the realm of

workplace conflict, some things matter, signal. And some things don't, noise. Let's say you have an assertive colleague, Mary. In team meeting,

she always speaks first and frequently. She loves the sound of her own voice, and it drives you

bonkers. You avoid collaborating with her whenever possible. And this presents a conflict.

But what's the signal and what's the noise? She's annoying,

and that's annoying, but it's noise. It doesn't really matter or have an impact on the business.

But her failure to be careful and thoughtful, to consider all the critical information before

speaking up, that's signal. There's a real risk

inherent in there. So now you have clarity on what needs resolution. A conflict that is just noise

...