Over the years, attitudes towards workers have changed considerably.

近年来，关于工人的态度发生了巨大的转变。

After all, there was a time when workers had no rights at all, and laboured in appalling conditions.

毕竟，曾经有段时间工人没有任何权利。在恶劣的条件下劳动。

Conditions have improved a lot, but conflict in the workplace is still common.

虽然现在情况提升很多，但是工作中的冲突依然很常见。

And human resources managers nowadays need to be able to deal with it when necessary.

如今，人力资源经理需要在必要时有能力解决冲突。

What is conflict in the workplace?

什么是工作冲突？

Definitions vary, but I'm taking it to refer to a whole range of behaviours that the victim finds unacceptable, from minor, harmless arguments to - at the opposite extreme - physical violence.

各种定义不尽相同。但是我想用它来指代一种广泛的行为，受害者觉得不能接受的行为，从微小的无害的争论——到另一个极端——身体暴力。

Much of this is covered by the term bullying, by which I mean one or more people behaving abusively or aggressively against another who is in a weaker position.

大多数情况下可以用欺辱来形容。我的意思是一人或多人对抗居于弱势地位者，表现出辱骂行为或进攻行为。

Although all behaviour like this is a form of conflict, not all conflict can be described in these terms.

尽管像这样所有的行为都是一种冲突，但不是所有的冲突都可以用这些词来描述。

As with all human behaviour, there are numerous reasons for it.

正如所有的人类行为，都有很多原因解释。

But often it's caused by someone who feels the need to show their superiority over someone else, in order to feel that they aren't at the lowest level in a hierarchy or a group of people.

但是这种行为通常是由于某人想要展示高于别人的优越性而导致的，目的是感觉到他们在等级制度中，或一群人中不是位居最低的。

In some cases one person simply dislikes the other, on the basis that the personality of one is in some way incompatible with that of the other person.

在一些情况下，一个人不喜欢另一个人，是基于他的性格在某些方面与另一个人不相容。

A general habit of optimism in one person could make them intolerant of a colleague who's constantly pessimistic - not that that justifies treating them badly, of course.

一个乐观主义的人是不能容忍一个同事总是很悲观的——当然不是说对他不好。

Some conflicts arise when people are more interested in promoting themselves and their team than in the company as a whole.

有时一些冲突会产生，当人们更有兴趣提升自身或自己团队的时候，而不是公司整体。

These conflicts are called 'structural', and could come about, for example, when a sales team believe they are the only people in the business who do any useful work, and look down on behind-the-scenes administrators.

这些冲突叫做“结构性冲突”。例如当一个销售团队相信唯有他们是公司中在做有用的工作的人，并且轻视幕后管理者，这种结构性冲突就会发生。

Conflict obviously affects the individuals concerned - the situation is likely to be very stressful for victims, resulting in their absence from work, possibly for months.

冲突往往影响所涉及到的个人——比如说使受害者感到有压力，导致工作缺勤，甚至缺勤数月。

For the company, if no effort is made to deal with conflict, it can spiral out of control, and even lead to the breakdown of the business.

对于公司来说，如果不努力去处理冲突，公司会迅速失控，甚至倒闭。

Some interesting work with chief executives - CEOs - has uncovered some of the reasons why they may treat colleagues badly.

和首席执行官——CEO——共事的过程可以揭露他们为什么对待下属不好的原因。

Many CEOs combine two opposing characteristics: confidence - that is, the belief that they're capable of great achievements - with a high level of anxiety, a fear of missing targets, whether set by themselves or by the directors of the company.

很多CEO都对自身矛盾的性格。自信——一方面他们相信自己能获得巨大成就——伴随着高度焦虑。；而另一方面，又害怕错失目标，无论是自己设定的目标还是公司领导设定的。

This combination can make them respond badly to anyone who questions their decisions.

这种矛盾结合体使他们对任何质疑他们决定的人回应恶劣。

In a high pressure work environment, such characteristics become problematic.

在高压的工作环境中，这种性格会产生问题。

And it's particularly difficult to tackle the situation where colleagues, managers and board members are all trying to achieve their own visions.

尤其是当同事，经理，董事会成员都想实现自身利益的时候，这种情况非常难处理。

When they can't agree on strategic issues and on where they see the business going, there are real problems.

当对于公司的战略性问题和发展方向不能达成共识的时候，真的会有很大问题。

For managers at lower levels within the organisation, it might seem that an autocratic form of management - where the chief executive gives orders and everyone else has to obey - would see more conflict than others.

对于低级别的经理来说，公司更像是专制形式的管理——对于首席执行官给到的命令，其他人必须服从——所以这样的经理更容易看到冲突。

Interestingly, though, a company with a more democratic business model can suffer more, when uncertainty about who to report to leads to conflicting demands.

有趣的是，即便是一个更加民主的公司模式也可能会遭受更多冲突，比如说对于应该向谁汇报工作充满不确定性，从而导致相互冲突的要求。

Now I'll say a little about dealing with the type of conflict that has harmful effects.

现在我要谈一下如何解决冲突带来的负面影响。

Of course the ideal is to prevent it arising in the first place.

当然，首先，理想情况是在它发生之前就阻止掉。

A good manager, at any level, will make efforts to earn the respect of the people they work with, particularly those who report to them.

各级经理应该努力赢得同事的尊重，尤其是那些向他们做汇报的下级同事。

That will involve politeness in all communications, and treating them as equals who happen to have a different role within the organisation.

包括礼貌沟通，平等对待那些站在公司对立面的人。

Sometimes, of course, conflict does occur, and can get out of hand.

有时，当然，冲突一定会发生，甚至无法控制。

In such cases the human resources department often gets involved.

这种情况下，经常会涉及到人力资源部门。

However, if one of the parties in a conflict sees human resources as simply a mouthpiece for the chief executive, then an external mediator might be able to help.

然而，冲突一方把人力资源部看成是首席执行官的喉舌，那么就需要外部的调解者来协助。

By talking to both sides, and trying to find the truth of what's been happening, they can build a clear picture of the situation, and give feedback that both sides will accept, precisely because they're independent.

通过与双方沟通，试图发现事情真相，他们才能清楚的了解状况，并且给到双方都能接受的反馈，因为他们是互相独立的双方。