On conflicts

What do you normally do when there’s conflict in your department? For example, your officemates were engaged in a heated shouting match. Which nearly resulted to physical confrontation and it happened that you were there. Naturally, their issue was immediately brought to the attention of the human resource department.

For the reason of your presence in that conflict your attention was called by the HR manager.   What should you do? Should you immediately take sides and favor the person who is your close friend even if she was at fault?

The best action to do is not to take sides except the right side. Regardless who is at fault take the right side. If the one at fault is your close friend you have to be impartial. Thus, you have to take the side of the person who was in the right side. 

Even if you don’t know well the person who was right you have to take her side for that is the right action to do. Many of us might commit the mistake of mindlessly rushing to take the side of the person who is a friend. Even if that friend whom we have favored is at fault.

We must not commit the mistake of siding with the friend who is at fault. Why? For the simple reason that there surely would be an impartial investigation that will take place. And in that impartial investigation the real culprit will be unraveled. Would it not be a shame if it comes out that we sided with the wrong person because she is a friend?

You therefore have to be impartial when you are called to be a witness in an organizational conflict. Don’t side or favor anyone except the right side. For the simple reason that this will save you from trouble and this is always the right action to do. – Marino J. Dasmarinas