B2 – Upper Intermediate
In the dynamic landscape of today’s professional sphere, workplace conflicts are inevitable, requiring leaders to adeptly navigate through the complexities of human interactions.
Please read this comprehensive guide, we delve into five common sources of workplace conflicts, exploring practical methods for resolution and prevention.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “bad actor” mean here, “It sends a message to potential victims it is okay to raise even potentially emotional situations to management and to potential bad actors’ inappropriate behavior is not tolerated.”? Use it in your own sentence.
- What does “to pin down” mean here, “Unfortunately, discrimination and harassment is a workplace conflict that is often difficult to pin down and is often underreported – especially when it comes to sexual misconduct.”? Use it in your own sentence.
- What does “to set the tone” mean? “Your leadership style – and attention to employee safety – sets the tone for the company.”? Use it in your own sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- In addressing discrimination complaints, why is it crucial for leaders to take complaints seriously, and what message does this convey to both potential victims and potential wrongdoers?
- When an employee is accused of harassment, what key steps should a leader take to handle the situation objectively and ensure fairness for both the accuser and the accused?
- With the increase in remote work, communication challenges have become more prevalent. How can leaders effectively address communication mistakes in a way that promotes understanding, prevents tension, and improves future communication within the team?
- As a leader dealing with clashes in personalities or work styles among team members, what strategies can be employed to encourage diversity and collaboration while resolving conflicts rooted in employee differences?
4 replies on “Workplace Conflict and How to Handle Them”
Vocabulary Questions:
1- What does “bad actor” mean here, “It sends a message to potential victims it is okay to raise even potentially emotional situations to management and to potential bad actors’ inappropriate behavior is not tolerated.”? Use it in your own sentence.
Bad actor –> People involved and who have carried out this inappropriate act
Thieves are the bad actors in a bank robbery attempt
2- What does “to pin down” mean here, “Unfortunately, discrimination and harassment is a workplace conflict that is often difficult to pin down and is often underreported – especially when it comes to sexual misconduct.”? Use it in your own sentence.
to pin down –> Detect
Sometimes is difficult to pin down when your wife has had a bad day
3- What does “to set the tone” mean? “Your leadership style – and attention to employee safety – sets the tone for the company.”? Use it in your own sentence.
to set the tone –> Establish the path to be follow
Your behaviour when facing adversity set the tone for your children when they face difficult situations too in the future
You gave good sample sentences for the expressions from this lesson. Do not forget to also include your answers to the discussion questions next time.
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1. It is very important for all the parties to take the discrimination complaints seriously. They will encourage the people who suffer from them to report any wrongdoing of their colleague. On the other hand, it will avoid to those who commit them from going on in their attitude since they will be able to be punished or even get redundant from the company.
2. The first step a leader should take is to listen to both parties their version of the facts. This person should ask for witnesses or evidence which can be used to certify the authenticity of the accusations. They should look for any contradiction which can led to one of the parties are lying.
3. With the increase in remote work, the leader should encourage the exchange of information among the work mates. One way is through periodic video meetings in which the participation of all parties is essential. In these meetings the leader should inform about any news or procedures to be considered by the group and give the opportunity for everyone to express their problems or worries at work.
4. Many of these clashes come from misunderstandings in the way or style of work. Once again, communication is vital to avoid this confrontation. Firstly, the leader should understand why anyone is doing things in one way or another, and after that, there should be a meeting in which each one will explain why they act that way.
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