This blog has business in the name but I rarely talk about business! I want to talk today about a business process that can be empowered by faith: resolving conflict at work.
I have a long way to go incorporating faith in Christ into my daily life but the most natural place to start is with problems- and that is how I got started. I'll cover a recent business problem I ran into to illustrate how to get God involved in your business or work life in the area of conflict.
The problem I ran into recently involved conflict with another manager. This manager publicly pointed out a deficiency in my team in front of another department on a conference call and I became quite defensive. It did not go well. At the end of the call I apologized which made another person on the call seemingly uncomfortable, but I had to do it.
I made God my business partner in early 2000. If God is really with me in business then not only should I not be defensive about situations like this I should trust God and try to learn from faults that might be pointed out- even if done so in an unkind way. I need to trust the Lord with my reputation and show kindness and grace to people. If I fear what someone says or how someone talks about me, then at that exact moment, those feelings and emotions have just shown me a new area I can give the Lord access to - a new area I can trust Him with. What if I took conflict and drew near to the Lord as my reaction and response? As part of this improved process I can (on the spot, silently) ask the Lord what to do or what to learn from the situation. What an improved witness for Christ I can be as I refuse to respond defensively and in fear - instead responding with patience, anchored within by hope!
This is not pie in the sky but a glimpse of the life of peace I can have by bringing God into situations instead of worrying.
As far as that person's seeming discomfort with my apology - again if God is with me then I refuse to govern my life by opinions. Trusting God I will make things right with people if I have done wrong.
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