Key learning points
- Phrases to use when trying to resolve workplace conflict
- How to to access diverse perspectives on health and well-being for free
This story is part of the SBS health and wellbeing initiative Mind Your Health. Click to visit the portal, featuring digital stories, podcasts and videos in English and multiple languages.
This lesson suits upper-intermediate to advanced learners. After listening, scroll down and test your knowledge with our quiz.
Learning notes
Lesson language objective
Understand phrases used to resolve workplace conflict
Phrases to use when trying to resolve workplace conflict
- I’d like us to talk even though we might not solve everything at once.
- I hear what’s important to you, but if you could look at it from my perspective.
- I’m sure there will be some things we can agree on.
- Let’s take a break and talk again once we’ve cooled down a bit.
- Help me understand where you’re coming from.
- I understand your point, but I see things a little differently.
Colloquial expressions:
If someone steps on your turf, they are getting involved in work that is yours, but not in a way that you like!
If two people are at each other's throats, they are angry and arguing and fighting.
If something is getting out of hand, it means it is becoming difficult to control, and you are experiencing negative emotions.
To cool down a bit means to become less angry.
Vocabulary:
Conflict – a serious disagreement or argument
Resolution – the fact that is resolved or the action of solving the problem
Upset – feeling angry, sad, disappointed or worried
Perspective – a point of view or a particular way of looking at something
Lack of communication – very few or very poor ways of communicating
Lack of collaboration – refers to the absence of teamwork and joint effort
Compromise – an agreement or settlement of a difference of opinion in which each side loses something.
Toxic environment – a place or behaviour that causes harm to your health, happiness or wellbeing
Bullying – regular behaviour that hurts or frightens people mentally or physically
Discrimination – the treating people differently because they are different, especially because of their ethnicity, age, sex, or disability.
Harassment – aggressive pressure or intimidation
Cultural information:
Australian employers have a legal obligation to ensure employees can work comfortably in a safe and secure environment – free of bullying, discrimination, and harassment. If you are experiencing discrimination due to your disability, sex, age or race, you can make a complaint, free of charge, to the .
is an SBS content initiative launching on October 10, Mental Health Day. The website will help you with your health and wellbeing in English and in a number of languages. We'll also provide clinical information on where people can go to get mental health support.
Transcript:
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
Hello and welcome to the SBS Learn English podcast.
SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways throughout Australia.
My name is Josipa, and I’m still in the process of learning the English language.
Just like our listener Angela, who sent us an email asking to do an episode with phrases that can be useful if there is conflict at work.
Well, Angela, this episode is for you; we hope you like it and we are sure that many other listeners will find this topic useful as well.
Conflict in the workplace is common because people often have different ideas, interests, or beliefs.
Maybe we disagree with someone because we have different working styles, or perhaps people don’t communicate or collaborate very well.
Or, you have to work with a colleague who is stepping on your turf.
If someone steps on your turf, they are getting involved in work that is yours, but not in a way that you like!
We know that conflict at the workplace is common, it's bad for business, and more importantly, it can be very damaging to the well-being and mental health of employees.
So, what can we do in a conflict situation?
Well, we could work towards resolving the conflict instead of being at each other's throats, which is another way of saying arguing and fighting.
But it can be hard to know how to deal with conflict at work when English is not your first language. How can you talk about this without sounding too direct?
Or maybe you worry that you are too polite, and your message is not being heard? Keep listening to hear the language you can use that can help you resolve, or fix, conflict.
With us today are Allan and Claire.
Allan
I’d like us to talk even though we might not solve everything at once.
Claire
I hear what’s important to you, but if you could look at it from my perspective.
Allan
OK, let’s talk. I’m sure there will be some things we can agree on.
All the phrases we’ve just heard can help us work towards the resolution of conflict.
Let’s hear them again, one by one. First, we had Allan,
I want us to talk even though we might not solve everything at once
By saying this, you recognize that conflict exists and are prepared to work toward a resolution, even though not every problem can be solved.
Then, we heard Claire,
I hear what’s important to you, but if you could look at it from my perspective.
Bu saying this you are acknowledging another person's opinion and asking them to do the same.
In the end, we heard Allan,
I’m sure there will be some things we can agree on.
It’s like saying, “I’m ready for compromise.”
A compromise is an agreement or settlement of a difference of opinion in which each side loses something.
It's like an agreement in which neither side gets exactly what they want, but at least they reach some sort of agreement and that stops people being at each other's throats.
Let’s say your workplace conflict is getting out of hand, meaning it is becoming difficult to control, and you are feeling angry or sad. So, if you are upset, you could say,
Let’s take a break and talk again once we’ve cooled down a bit.
That sounds much better than saying, “I can’t deal with this, or this will never work.”
Let’s take a break and talk again once we’ve cooled down a bit.
To cool down a bit means to stop being angry.
Sometimes taking a break from confrontation can help get a fresh perspective on the problem because we often don't see the solution when we are so angry that we just want to prove that we are right.
Or let's say your colleague is saying something that makes no sense. Instead of saying that to them directly to their face and making the conflict worse, you could say,
Help me understand where you’re coming from.
It’s a great phrase, isn’t it?
Because instead of getting defensive, that means, instead of feeling that you have to defend your own views in an angry way by attacking what people say during an argument, you can use this phrase to get the other person to explain themselves more clearly.
By saying, “Help me understand where you’re coming from” you are asking for further explanation of their motives and reasoning.
Ok, let’s look at one more example,
I understand your point, but I see things a little differently.
This phrase is helpful when you want to show that you have a different opinion in a softer way.
I understand your point, but I see things a little differently.
By saying this, we acknowledge their point of view because their opinion matters even if we disagree with them.
And if I find myself in a situation where an agreement can't be reached, I could say, "Ok, so let’s agree to disagree."
Today, we are in the company of my colleague SBS Radio Content Editor Peter Theodosiou.
Hi Peter, thanks for being part of the show.
Peter
Hi Josipa, I’m a big fan of Learn English podcast, so it’s a pleasure to be here.
Josipa
Workplace conflict is bad for business, but perhaps even more importantly, it can be very bad for the people involved too, right?
Peter
Yeah…well, workplace conflict, especially long-lasting, can create a toxic environment for everyone. A toxic environment is a place or behaviour that causes harm to your health, happiness, and well-being.
Josipa
Toxic! That is quite a strong word. It is usually used to describe a poison. A workplace must be very harmful if you describe it like that. But even conflict that is not so extreme can still be stressful?
Peter
Especially if the conflict remains unresolved for some time. Many studies have confirmed that unresolved workplace conflict causes considerable stress, anxiety and depression that can ultimately lead to more serious mental health issues.
Josipa
Unfortunately, these days, whether we are in conflict with someone or not, so many of us need support to achieve our best mental health and reduce the daily stress in our lives.
Peter
Yes, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission, around 45% of adult Australians will experience a mental illness at some point in their life, while one in five adults will experience a mental illness in any given year. That's why here at SBS we are launching Mind your Health on October 10. I encourage everyone to visit the Mind Your Health website to access diverse perspectives on health and well-being for free.
A big thank you to our educational consultant Professor Lynda Yates, our guest Peter Theodosiou, May Ritz, and Paul Nicholson and Sue McLachlan who voiced the characters of Allan and Claire.
