Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
Steven Covey
Introduction
Conflicts occur when people can’t find consensus and disagree over the issues, which have an important meaning for them. As a result, people feel nervous and unkind to each other. Conflicts create tension and disagreement between two persons or group of people. Conflicts disturb us when we have a conflict with someone our emotional and even physical state is unstable. If the conflict is very serious and protracted, we constantly feel bad, and it can cause problems with our health and in some cases even lead to depression or mental disorder. As we can see, conflicts can have serious consequences that can bring harm to both - our opponents and us. So it’s necessary to avoid conflicts and to decide problems in a friendly and calm atmosphere. In a conflictive situation, only one side can be a winner, and the other side is an outsider and, as a rule, both sides are not satisfied with the conflict resolving. Conflicts at the workplace reduce productivity level, cause mental, psychical and physical disorders. Unfortunately, directors and managers of the companies spend too much effort trying to increase productivity level but very often forget that friendly and supportive atmosphere and absence of conflicts can become much more effective than any innovative technologies of production. There are several consequences the conflict can have on an individual. The most common effect caused by the conflict can be the following: not achieving a common aim, winning at all costs, discounting the good aspects of opponent’s point of view, bad state of the “loser” and his demoralization.
