Workplace relationships might often be challenging and overwhelming because people who do not know each other quite well have to be productive and achieve common goals. Concerning the conflict between Jessie and Julie, one may state that the cause is their different perceptions of selves and the workplace. Thus, according to Catenacci (2017), “what one perceives can be substantially different from what another person perceives, and both can be very different than the actual objective reality” (para. 2). In other words, Jessie sees her supervisor as a noisy, loud, and unprofessional person who interferes in her personal life. This perception may only be partly true due to Jessie herself being an introvert. On the contrary, extroverted Julie considers Jessie unfriendly simply because the latter is quiet and serious. It is evident that the women perceive the workplace, each other, and appropriate professional behaviors differently, which causes their conflict (Catenacci, 2017). The latter can potentially bring chaos and unhealthiness to the office, decreasing everyone’s productivity, focus, and performance, as some colleagues may want to take sides.
Further, some issues related to communication can be applied to this scenario. For example, there is general miscommunication and a lack of respect and listening between the women caused by selective perception, projection, and stereotyping (Catenacci, 2017). In other words, Jessie and Julie use their attitudes to form opinions, attribute their own characteristics to each other, and focus on stereotypes. These behaviors result in miscommunication and the inability of both to discuss their conflict and come to an agreement. Finally, as a person with an accommodating conflict management style, I believe I would do my best to keep the peace. This style refers to avoiding conflicts at all costs, but there is potential for me to be an active listener. Therefore, I think this style would help to make both women heard and understood, and then we would find a way to resolve the dispute and ensure Jessie and Julie feel satisfied and comfortable.
Reference
Catenacci, K. (2017). Workplace organizational behaviour part II: Perception. First Reference. Web.