Just like in all parts of life, it’s not uncommon for challenges and small conflicts to arise in the workplace — it’s only human. It may be a person-to-person conflict, you may be having trouble completing a task or challenges in your team.

It is important not to ignore issues and hope they will just go away on their own — most likely, they will not. Communication within the workplace is paramount to developing and keeping lasting professional relationships. Often, when you’re starting a new career at a new workplace, you may not be equipped with the skills needed to handle conflict in a professional manner and that’s okay, it’s all part of the learning experience.

Here’s how you can work through challenges in your workplace.

Plan

Raising issues sooner rather than later is vital, as expecting issues and conflicts to solve themselves on their own is a recipe for disaster. Writing down your challenge is a great way to get clear about the issue you want to raise, and it keeps the focus on the problem at hand and can also help to take the ‘heated’ emotion out of the conversation. It also provides you a moment to take stock and reflect on the challenge – you may find that this time you come up with your own solutions, by giving yourself a moment to sit with the issue at hand. 

Conversation

Ask your supervisor or manager to meet with you to discuss the issue. Explain to them there is something you would like to discuss regarding ‘x, y, z’ so that they have context and are able to come into the meeting prepared. Raise the issue, stating the facts and how the issue is affecting you (this is why writing it down can be very helpful). Having open conversations is part of being in the workplace, and remember it is just that — a conversation. Once you have raised the situation you are now opening the forum for your supervisor to assist you, and workshop solutions.

Still having trouble?

If the challenge continues to present itself even after having a conversation with your supervisor or manager, you may need to escalate the issue to a higher manager or the Human Resources team, depending on the issue at hand.  You can also reach out to us —  If you are experiencing a challenge while in a workplace that isn’t resolving itself, or you are unsure, reach out to the team or your Placement Coordinator at InternMatch. We want to ensure you’re having a positive, effective experience with your host company and can work with you on solutions.