By: Joshua Finley
Workplace conflicts are inevitable. Whether sparked by personality clashes, miscommunication, or high-stakes decisions, these tensions can derail productivity and damage team morale. Few understand this challenge better than Teresa Meares, who brings a unique perspective from her 20 years in law enforcement, followed by two decades as a business owner and corporate leader.
Through her work in technology and automation, Teresa has observed how human emotions remain central to workplace dynamics, even as companies embrace digital and automation solutions. Her approach to conflict resolution, shaped by real-world experience, offers practical insights for today’s leaders.
Recognizing Emotional Drivers
When it comes to workplace disagreements, emotions often run deeper than the surface-level dispute. “Fear and greed drive a lot of our decision-making,” Teresa explains, drawing parallels to market behavior. “Nothing will drive a price up or drive a price down than fear and greed. And it’s not just isolated to financial decisions. It’s also related to our everyday lives.”
Today’s workplace challenges are further complicated by technology and social media. “Think about how when people don’t get along, have a difference of opinion or there’s a miscommunication, add in AI technology generating clickbait headlines and you can understand how emotions could drive our attitude.” These outside influences follow people into their workday, affecting how they interact with colleagues.
Identifying the Root Causes of Conflict
Workplace tensions rarely exist in isolation. “If you have a team, they come in, say one person had an argument with their spouse, one person had a challenge with their child. When they come in, they’re already emotional,” Teresa points out. These personal stresses can quickly escalate workplace disagreements. Leaders often discover conflicts only after they’ve intensified. As Teresa explains, “Usually if a leader finds out about a conflict, it’s gotten to a higher level of urgency and the project’s not getting done, people aren’t getting along affecting work that needs to be completed.”
Three Keys to Conflict Resolution
Drawing from her unique background spanning law enforcement, business ownership, and corporate leadership, Teresa outlines three essential steps for addressing workplace conflict:
- Identify the Real Goal – “What is the goal – just to get these two people to get along because they don’t like each other, or is the goal to be a tiebreaker if somebody wants to do something on Monday and somebody wants to do it on Wednesday?” Teresa asks. Understanding the true objective helps determine the appropriate approach.
- Remove Ambiguity – People often escalate conflicts by creating “what-if” scenarios. Teresa shares a parenting example: “You come up with all of these reasons why you’re upset, inserting exaggerated emotions to make a point and coming up with these what-ifs to justify your emotion instead of just focusing on ‘you did this, this was wrong, here’s your consequence.'” Stick to the facts.
- Stay Neutral – Drawing from her law enforcement experience, Teresa emphasizes the importance of neutrality. “The reason why a law enforcement officer can come in and resolve a conflict is because we’re a neutral party,” she explains. “As a leader, sometimes we lean towards those that we are more aligned with emotionally… You need to make sure that you’re a neutral party.”
Sharing Information to Maintain Control
One common mistake leaders and team members make is withholding information to maintain control. Teresa illustrates this with a traffic stop scenario: “Previously when pulled over by law enforcement, the driver would want to know why before giving up their license, but the officer would hold on to that information thinking they’re in control… But now we have a conflict, and emotions just keep going higher and higher each time someone refuses to give in.” In a work setting If a team member thinks withholding information gives them control you could have the same results. The solution? “Being open and not holding on to information thinking it gives you power will help get to a resolution quicker,” Teresa advises.
When handled properly, workplace conflicts can actually strengthen teams. “You can have a team that’s competitive yet collaborative,” Teresa explains. “They understand it’s okay – You will disagree. You will have conflicts. We can still challenge each other, but we can also still collaborate together.”
Teresa, author of “Effective Leadership Through the Control of Emotions,” suggests that successful conflict resolution can foster an environment where teams are both competitive and collaborative. She believes that this balance is one of the key factors that can contribute to organizational success.
For more insights on leadership and conflict resolution, connect with Teresa Meares on LinkedIn.
Published by Jeremy S.
