How can you manage conflict at work?

What do you usually do when you’re faced with a challenging conversation?

Do you freeze up? Do you try to fix it quickly, smooth it over?

Or maybe… you go quiet, waiting for things to pass?

A lot of us take what I call the Switzerland approach — staying neutral, polite, non-reactive.

We think, “If I don’t rock the boat, things will settle.”

Unfortunately, silence doesn’t always bring peace. Sometimes, it just hinders growth and prolongs the pain.

Last week, a dear friend of mine — a manager I deeply respect — shared a story with me:

Two of her most talented team members had stopped talking because of a disagreement over leadership decisions.

The tension was quiet, but heavy…

There was no open fighting, but also — no progress.

At first, no one said anything. Productivity dipped.

Everyone felt the tension, but no one named it.

Then, something brave happened.

One of them decided to speak up.

Not to blame. Not to win. Not even to get closure.

But to reconnect.

To say: I don’t want this wall between us anymore.

To be bigger than the silence.

You don’t find people like that every day. But YOU CAN BE someone like that.

“So… how?”

Here are a few practical ways:

1. Prepare yourself emotionally, not just logistically. Think about how you’ll stay grounded if emotions rise. (For example: try deep belly breathing, or rehearsing a calming phrase like “I can stay present even when it’s hard.”)

2. Play out the hard scenarios.

“What if they get defensive?”

“What if they don’t respond at all?”

Visualise your response — and remind yourself you can handle discomfort.

3. Tell yourself this isn’t “me vs. them.” It’s us vs. the gap.

The goal is shared: to repair the relationship and improve how you work together.

4. Stay open — even when it’s uncomfortable.

Yes, it will feel awkward. But it’s in that discomfort that growth and productive connection — begins.

It won’t be easy, but worth it.

And as I always say, if you want to improve your personal leadership, it needs to show up even in the smallest acts —

pausing to breathe instead of snapping back.

choosing to understand before being understood.

preparing for a conversation instead of avoiding it.

(This is also one part of your personal branding, something your colleagues or managers will remember beyond your social media profiles.)

Again, this is never a mere professional skill. It’s a practical life skill. Working on how you communicate in tense moments will help you not only with workplace conflicts, but also those hard conversations with your partner, your kids, or basically anyone in your circle.

Just know that if you’re ready to stop avoiding, start leading and integrating better in Switzerland workplace even the tough conversations, I’m always here to support you.

Send me a message on Linkedin or book a clarity call here.