Chapter 10 - Conflict

 Avoidance




Whereas in most situations in my daily life, I would first resort to accommodation, in a work environment I will usually practice avoidance. Avoidance is defined as opting-out from confrontation because it is relatively convenient, and is considered less emotionally draining. (Reflect & Relate, p.267) Though this doesn't solve any problems I experience, I believe it is better to preserve workplace relationships because it makes the job less stressful. Sometimes if a coworker is bothering me, I will sometimes display skirting. 
    
    "One common form of avoidance is skirting, in which a person avoids a conflict by changing the topic        or joking about it." (Reflect & Relate, p.267)
   
    For example, I have steered clear of several political arguments with my coworkers by cracking a joke and then proceeding to ignore them if they discuss further. A lot of my coworkers have different political opinions, and I find that minimizing negative interactions with them makes the job less stressful. On occasion I have heard them make bigoted remarks against the LGBT community, and I have tried to skirt around it because what they were saying wasn't harmful. However, though I want to maintain workplace relationships, I will also not hesitate to contact authority if I find that their comments get too out of hand. 

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