Communication Conflict Examples & How To Resolve Them

 

There are many examples of communication conflicts you will encounter in your life. Although we all communicate daily, that doesn’t make us experts in it. Many other factors impact how we communicate with others, and some can lead to conflicts. Whether you’re trying to communicate with your boss, romantic partner, friend, or a family relative, conflicts will occur, and that is completely fine.

What you will need to learn is how to solve these communication conflicts so they don’t affect your relationships. In this article, we’ll share some of the most common communication conflicts and suggestions for solving them. After all, a conflict is your chance to improve communication and feel closer to the other person and not something that should put an end to it.

 

What Is Conflict?

Conflict can be described as expressing disagreement through words or actions with another person or more of them. You and the other person have different wishes, needs, and objectives that somehow interfere with each other and do not allow you to communicate in harmony. There needs to be a stated struggle for conflict to exist. 

However, conflict is not a simple disagreement between two people. People who are interdependent or who rely on one another in some capacity get into arguments. In other words, dependency occurs when one person’s activities impact another’s well-being. As you’ve probably noticed on your own, relationships with high levels of dependency, such as those between close friends, family members, and coworkers, are more likely to witness conflicts. 

 

Elements of Conflict

Interpersonal conflict does not exist when two individuals are not dependent on one another, regardless of disagreement. When their goals differ, conflict arises. The factor that impacts the most conflicts is the lack of resources. Why? When something is abundant, there’s no reason to argue over it. Money, time, power, and space are commonly considered as resources.

Interference is another aspect of conflict. Genuine conflict arises only when one party’s actions affect the other’s pursuit of their objectives, regardless of disagreement and conflicting goals. You may disagree with your partner if they drink more than you would want, yet conflict arises only when you intervene. That might take the form of keeping the alcohol hidden from them or complaining to them about his habit. In these situations, you are getting in the way of them accomplishing their goal.

 

Examples of Communication Conflict

When discussing conflict, it’s essential to remember that it can be direct and indirect. A disagreement is a direct conflict where both sides verbalize their perspectives on a certain issue and encounter difficulties in finding common ground. On the other hand, an indirect conflict is typically less apparent than an argument. For instance, your partner or your boss might behave in a hurtful way, making you feel even worse than when having a direct argument. 

 

Conflicts Over Power

Although we usually think that conflicts over power only happen in our work environment, these are also very common in romantic relationships. They occur when one person believes that the other person is behaving in a way that affects them negatively. 

For instance, your boss wants you to stay late and work on a new project, while you don’t want to do that, and you’ve shared your thoughts on it. If they don’t care about your expressed disagreement, it becomes a conflict over power. You know that it will affect your job if you don’t do it, or you might even get fired, so you force yourself to stay late while feeling unmotivated and frustrated with your boss. 

 

Conflicts in Romantic Relationships

As said, you can argue with your romantic partner over power. You could notice that they’re making all important decisions that involve both of you and don’t factor in your opinion. However, the closer the person is, the more extensive the argument becomes. 

In relationships, we have expectations, and when these expectations are not met, we get angry. Your partner might not prioritize spending time with you as much as you do, which might also lead to a conflict. There are numerous reasons why conflict appears in romantic relationships. However, the way you treat it will have an enormous impact. 

 

Family Conflicts

You’ll encounter conflicts even if you’re very close to your family. When different personalities and generations maintain a close relationship, it’s only natural that disagreement needs to be handled properly. There are many reasons for a family conflict, and in many cases, family conflicts in their adult lives are because of unhealed childhood traumas. 

You might feel stressed each time there is a family reunion, or your parents were strict while raising you, so now you’re struggling to be kinder to yourself. Many potential reasons might end up in a conflict, mainly because it’s difficult to communicate openly with more than just one person, and many things are at stake. 

 

Resolving Conflicts

Speak directly with the individual you are having issues with, supposing that there is no danger of physical harm. Having a direct discussion is far more successful than complaining to everyone, mailing a letter, pounding on the wall, or hurling a rock.

Make a plan and give yourself enough time to have an entire conversation. For example, refrain from bringing up the disagreement when the other person is heading out to prepare supper. Try to have the conversation in a peaceful setting where you can be relaxed and unbothered for whatever long it takes.

If you get hostile, it will be more difficult for the other person to listen to you and comprehend your worries. Don’t start the conversation by telling the other person what you think should be done or assigning blame for everything.

When dealing with conflict, it’s necessary to be open-minded, to listen to the other person, and not just be focused on what you want to say. If quality communication must be two-sided, then conflict can’t be anything less than that! Be honest, kind, and listen. These three things are essential for conflict resolution.

 

 

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