Why are we often gripped by fear when it comes to managing conflict? For many, the answer could be summed up in this simple acronym for FEAR by business consultant, Terry Corbell, – “Frantic Effort to Avoid Responsibility”. We want to avoid owning up to our words and actions, shutting down self-examination that could uncover culpability. We often resist assuming responsibility for any role in the office brouhaha for risk that it will reflect badly on us. So instead, we make excuses, accusations and quick exits. What the primitive “fight or flight” lobe of our brains don’t realize is we generally capture the respect of people and gain their confidence when we acknowledge and own our mistakes. In fact, accountability not only can mitigate and defuse conflict, it is a key to increased trust and productivity in the workplace.
