Question

Ways To Deal With Workplace Negative Behavior – Corridor Combat

Everyone seems to be doing it. Probably all of us have engaged in it — some of us more so than others.

But, what is corridor combat and is it effective? How does it contribute to escalating negative behaviors

in the workplace?

Corridor combat is when two people (who are not getting on well at work) pass each other in the

corridor, and smile at each other while muttering silently ‘f**k you’. Typical signs of growing negative

behavior that is about to explode.

George works in an office and he makes and receives many phone calls daily. He finds it easier to wear a

headset. Desiree works for George and often cannot tell whether George is on a call. Daily she will walk

over to George to ask him a question — only to find George frown at her, point to his headset and shake

his head.

Off the phone or not, George and Desiree rarely talk to each other. Desiree rarely gets her questions

answered, and so she makes errors that George points out to her without providing any assistance: ‘At

this level you’re expected to get it right.’

Frustrated, Desiree makes her phone calls on speakerphone and plays her radio loudly.

Corridor combat is ineffective. George and Desiree make some poor decisions about the way they

behave towards each other. Their friction is a source of office gossip — even though none of their

colleagues is willing to help out with an office relationship that is getting out of control.

How to address the problem?

According to consultancy firm ProActive ReSolutions’s managing directorJohn McDonald: ‘In most

companies, when negative behavior happens, people just don’t know how to address it. They are afraid

of confrontation. They aren’t sure what their responsibilities are as individuals, and they aren’t sure

what words to choose.’

Moore says that even when employees and managers do work up the nerve to address unhelpful and

negative behavior, they often employ tactics that cause greater anxiety and misunderstanding. Without

meaning to, people take actions that can feel like an attack, spinning the confronted individual into

defensive behaviours, denial and resentment.

‘Corridor combat is an almost daily occurrence inside of most large organisations, and smaller

organisations are far from immune. Educating managers and employees to listen actively and speak

constructively can help save millions of dollars, hours of productivity, and lots of headaches,’ says

McDonald.

Here are six basic communication tactics to use to reduce the build-up of negative behavior when you’re

dealing with charged situations in your workplace:

1. Don’t react in anger. Express your feelings in a clear and non-threatening way. Creating an open,

receptive environment reduces the chances of escalating the conflict.

2. Be specific when describing the offending situation. Just say what you saw or what you heard. But

don’t state any assumptions about intention. This limits the odds of the person responding defensively.

3. Explain how the situation has affected you. Often people don’t ask or even consider about how others

are affected by their behavior, so addressing this directly can help people see some of the consequences

of their behaviour.

4. Ask what they were thinking at the time of the offending action and how the situation makes them

feel. Aim for direct answers. Get clarification if needed. Understanding their point of view is the best

way to learn how to work with them.

5. Acknowledge your contribution to the situation. Accepting your share of the responsibility takes away

the blame and establishes an even ground.

6. Invite the other person to work with you to improve the situation. This takes the individual off the hot

seat, and gives them the power to make a change for the better.

Corridor Combat happens in all organizations, at all levels and at different intensities. When the negative

behavior driving corridor combat is unchecked or unresolved, it can lead to an all out war with multiple

casualties resulting in stress, hostile environments, high turnover and eventually lost productivity. If the

negative behavior in your organization is resulting a war zone, contact ProActive Resolution and let’s

talk about how we can bring peace to your combat zone.

Read the above article. Then, summarize how the author says you should deal with negative behavior in the workplace. You may use the text box feature OR type your summary

Answer 1

Summary

Ways to deal with negative behavior in the workplace :

1. Firstly, don't assume anything while describing the offending situation. State clearly of what you heard or saw. Maintain the pitch while describing the situation. Express feelings in non-threatning way and let the other person give an explaination.

2. Ask their opinion about the offending action and how the situation makes them feel. Aim for direct answers.Understanding their point of view is the best way to learn how to work with them.

3. If you are at fault in any situation, take responsibility ofthe same.That way peace can be maintained.

4. Ask other person to work with you. This willmake you both feel privileged and help your work relationship grow.

5. Take charge of the negative situation and deal with it calmly to avoid further dispute.