Equipping Future Workers to Handle Workplace Disagreements

What prompts someone to abandon their employment? Opportunities for higher salary or enhanced benefits represent appealing motivations. However, research indicates that up to one-fourth of workers depart from positions due to conflicts with colleagues. Students participating in activities at Linn

What prompts someone to abandon their employment? Opportunities for higher salary or enhanced benefits represent appealing motivations. However, research indicates that up to one-fourth of workers depart from positions due to conflicts with colleagues.

Students participating in activities at Linn-Benton Community College.

A recent survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), an organization representing more than 300,000 professionals in human resources across the globe, reveals that workplace incivility remains a significant issue. This problem has intensified with the emergence of generational divides and political variances among staff members.

According to the SHRM index, the primary source of workplace incivility may catch many off guard: political disparities. Notably, 41 percent of employees reported encountering or observing rudeness tied to political views.

“The workplace serves as a central point reflecting broader trends in civil society,” explains Sara Rahim, a social impact strategist and program manager at SHRM. “Given the heightened polarization currently evident across America, it is inevitable that these dynamics spill over into professional environments.” She further highlights generational gaps as another key area of friction.

Heidi Brooks, a senior lecturer specializing in organizational behavior at Yale University, has dedicated years to enhancing employee cultures within organizations. She contends that fostering civility is frequently neglected as a core organizational priority.

“Organizations invest heavily in boosting productivity,” she observes, “yet they frequently fail to hold themselves accountable for cultivating environments where individuals can truly flourish.”

Can institutions of higher education in America equip the upcoming workforce with greater civility toward one another? With a substantial portion of the population now engaging in postsecondary education, colleges and universities hold considerable influence in readying students to manage workplace divergences effectively.

This is precisely the objective behind the Bridging Differences in Higher Education Playbook, published last year by the Greater Good Science Center. This comprehensive resource offers evidence-based approaches that educators, faculty, and learners can adopt to strengthen their abilities in overcoming divides.

A practical method for addressing individual disparities involves articulating the origins of one's own beliefs or perspectives and inviting others to share theirs, instead of jumping straight into arguments. Challenging preconceived notions about others fosters a safer, less intimidating atmosphere. Below is an examination of essential techniques that can be developed in academic settings and seamlessly transferred to professional contexts.

Emphasize Personal Narratives

Mark Urista, a professor of communications at Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon, instructs on a campus positioned between two counties with stark political contrasts. Approximately 70 miles distant lies the notably progressive city of Portland, Oregon. Adjacent Benton County has consistently supported Democratic presidential candidates since 1988. In contrast, Linn County, which Urista characterizes as predominantly working-class and conservative, last favored a Democratic presidential nominee in 1976.

“Considering the prominent national divisions today, I feel fortunate to work at an institution that acts as a real-world testing ground for reconciliation strategies,” Urista remarks.

Mark Urista from Linn-Benton Community College.

His courses in speech communications center on public speaking and persuasive argumentation. To prepare students for challenging subjects, he initiates the semester by promoting personal openness.

“On the inaugural class day, I prompt students to share aspects of their lives, fostering vulnerability and familiarity among peers,” he details.

Subsequently, students deliver persuasive speeches urging the class to act on a personally significant topic. Classmates provide thoughtful critiques, indicating if the presentation swayed their views.

Urista recounts a spring semester instance where a female student addressed the societal struggles faced by men.

“I cherish my friends. In high school, we formed a tight-knit circle filled with laughter, support, and enduring memories,” she began. “Yet upon entering college, dynamics changed. The women maintained connections, but the men gradually withdrew—not due to conflict, but simply by fading from communication and presence.”

She highlighted the widespread loneliness affecting men and urged classmates to embrace vulnerability: reach out to friends, organize gatherings, initiate uncomfortable dialogues—any effort to alleviate male isolation in America.

“This naturally sparked significant debate,” Urista notes. “Many responded, ‘Men represent a historically advantaged demographic; why prioritize their challenges amid other pressing group struggles?’”

As the discussion unfolded respectfully, several male students expressed gratitude for her perspective.

“Voicing that appreciation publicly cultivated an atmosphere conducive to deeper, more fruitful exchanges,” Urista reflects.

Urista's methodology aligns with global social psychology findings on the advantages of mutual disclosure.

For example, in Europe, the Roma community has endured marginalization, with prevalent negative sentiments among many Europeans. However, employing the 36 Questions exercise—posing progressively intimate queries to a partner—shifted Hungarian students' prejudices against Roma individuals to more favorable views after merely one hour of dialogue.

Comparable interventions in other regions have yielded parallel results. A 2015 investigation showed that college students forming friendships with gay and lesbian peers developed stronger bonds and more positive general attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community. Another 2008 study demonstrated that intergroup friendships between whites and Latinos lowered cortisol—the stress hormone—levels.

Grasp Underlying Values

Promoting workplace civility also involves urging both staff and leaders to comprehend others' core values. Cultural and societal variances mean perceptions of rudeness differ; what one views as routine might offend another.

Conversations about differences typically emphasize surface-level stances or opinions, overlooking the foundational values driving them. This hinders empathy and connection with others' viewpoints.

Justin Turpan refined this approach during his time at Tulane University, collaborating with BridgeUSA to host forums on divisive social and political matters. Prioritizing values exploration transformed dialogues from adversarial to insightful.

Heidi Brooks, Yale School of Management.

In a gun control session, a proponent of gun rights and an advocate for restrictions discovered mutual prioritization of community safety. Recognizing this common ground elevated their exchange.

Success requires steering clear of mere debates.

“Debate sharpens individual reasoning and surfaces issues, not collaborative team-building,” Brooks clarifies. “It suits contention, not cooperation.”

She views her classes as scaled-down communities.

“These are compact learning societies requiring practices like attentive listening and genuine curiosity—distinct from judgment, critique, or dissection.”

Moreover, aligning with others' values enhances persuasion. A 2015 study revealed that tailoring arguments to recipients' principles proves more compelling. For gay marriage advocacy, invoking conservative ideals like loyalty or patriotism outperformed fairness-based appeals typical of liberal frameworks.

Discover Common Ground in Identities

Workplace or campus clashes often arise from perceiving colleagues as fundamentally dissimilar. Yet deeper inspection frequently uncovers substantial overlaps.

Greater Good Science Center Senior Fellow Allison Briscoe-Smith implemented this by launching interfaith gatherings at the Wright Institute. Participants from diverse faiths and spiritual paths explored unique rituals and intersections, forging connections beyond denominational lines by embracing a unified 'people of faith' identity.

A 2001 study illustrated common identity's power in mending racial gaps. Outside a college football game, interviewers in team gear secured more responses from matching-university fans, transcending racial barriers through shared allegiance.

Practical Steps for Everyone

The SHRM Index offers optimistic insights too. When queried on managerial responses to incivility, 51 percent of employees noted their leaders proactively mediate such incidents, while 54 percent appreciated encouragement for direct, conversational resolutions—mirroring Urista's classroom approach.

Workers in civil teams reported superior cohesion: 86 percent celebrated peers' achievements, compared to 47 percent in hostile settings.

Persistent hurdles loom, particularly as Generation Z—profoundly influenced by COVID-19 disruptions, remote education, and altered social norms—integrates into traditional workforces.

Rahim advises self-reflection: “Examine your workplace presence. Are you fostering psychological safety? Do you welcome feedback?”

Brooks concurs, emphasizing collective duty.

“Each of us must infuse positivity into shared spaces. This embodies true professional citizenship.”