Workplace conflict is a factor in most people’s jobs, including scientific researchers.
In a research lab or at a field site, however, mild conflicts can be intensified by demanding working conditions—whether they be small physical spaces, short deadlines, or shoestring budgets—in addition to a great deal of shared space and equipment. Not to mention shared reagents, a perpetual source of contention amongst lab mates. At a field site, there’s the added challenge of being with the same small group of people around the clock for weeks or even months at a time.
Though conflict is bound to arise under these circumstances, how we deal with it, and whether there are protocols in place for doing so, can make the difference between having minor, occasional flare-ups or major confrontations that create a toxic workplace.
We ran a poll on Twitter last year asking people about their top sources of lab and field site conflict. The three facets of research life that people cited as being the biggest issues were keeping common areas tidy (38%), sharing equipment and reagents (35%), and following lab rules (21%). Music and other noise levels came in a distant fourth at 6%.
Hello #ScienceTwitter: When conflict arises among your co-workers in the lab/field, what is the most common source? PLS RT and tweet us your thoughts—thank you! #STEM #ActualLivingScientist
— CanadianSciencePub (@cdnsciencepub) December 11, 2017
The thing these issues all have in common is that they tend to be passive; people get into a hurry and don’t think about how what they’re doing (or not doing) may affect others.
Their co-workers, in turn, may take it personally when their workflow gets interrupted and they have to complete extra tasks that slow their progress. It’s a lack of consideration, not intentional rudeness or hostility… which fortunately makes passive conflicts easier to effectively deal with using routines and protocols.
With that in mind, here are some strategies for dealing with passive problems causing strife in your research group, whether you’re a PI looking to create a conflict avoidance and resolution framework, or a student helping to create a positive workspace.
Have Policies Already in Place
The fact that the same issues tend to come up in every research group makes it practical to deal with the obvious ones ahead of time. Brainstorming as a group to come up with protocols and codes of conduct that avoid or minimize recurring problems, as well as what happens when rules do get broken or ignored, helps to remove emotion from heated situations.
Do dishes need to be cleaned as they’re used, or can they be left to accumulate until the end of the day? Does the laminar flow hood or lab vehicle run by sign-up sheet, or on a first-come-first-served basis? And if you don’t show up for your time slot, how soon can another user assume the equipment is available?
All these are good types of questions to think about and answer before they happen, or at least to codify once they come up the first time.
Get Everyone on the Same Page
In order to make sure everyone, including new additions to the group, understand what’s expected, some labs have all members read and formally agree to a list of rules and protocols. This ensures everyone knows what’s expected, and is especially valuable as time goes on and new members come to the group.