There are very few people who haven't experienced some form of conflict at work at some point in their career. Managers fall out with their direct reports over performance issues, team members come to blows as a result of differing working styles, colleagues clash with each other over whether work has been allocated fairly or whether some are being treated more favourably than others.
As recent headlines graphically illustrate, we are also seeing an increasing amount of alleged bullying, sexual harassment, misconduct, and discrimination of all kinds. The working world is clearly not a happy place for many people. It seems that our offices, shops, and factories are becoming increasingly confrontational, vitriolic, and toxic.
It's a problem that is costing industry dearly, in both human and financial terms. Research from the CIPD suggests that nearly 4 in 10 UK employees experience some kind of interpersonal conflict at work over the course of a year. A report from the UK conciliation service ACAS puts the cost of this workplace conflict at £28.5 billion every year, equating to just over £1k on average for every employee.
The causes of workplace disputes are
