What Are the Dangers of Avoiding Differences in the Workplace?

by Lynda Moultry Belcher
Sexual harassment is an extreme form of gender conflict.

Sexual harassment is an extreme form of gender conflict.

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When you mix up different personalities into one work environment, employees are bound to have differences from one another. This is a healthy part of working in a team environment and can lead to lively and educational discussions on different cultures, personality types and general ways of doing things. However, it is important to avoid pushing those differences under the rug; confront them head on so that everyone involved can learn something and become a more informed and productive employee as a result.


When there is conflict in the workplace and no one is taking steps to address it, then employees may feel intimidated about working with others in the office. They may not know which side to take -- if any -- when there are differences and how choosing one side or another will affect their ability to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.

Existing Tension

When you avoid differences in the workplace, it results in underlying tension that takes the focus off of the work that needs to be done and more on the politics of the conflicts associated with the differences. This can decrease productivity and the quality of the products or services delivered by your company. In the end, avoiding differences can affect your company's bottom line.


When you have differences in the workplace, confront them head on. Sit down with employees that are having differences affecting their ability to work and figure out how to work together most effectively. Mediate issues and encourage employees to come up with ways to make their differences work to accomplish key goals and initiatives. You can also put employees with similar working styles together to avoid differences that may crop up when you group together people that don't work well in a group.


Keep in mind that when you have a group of different people with diverse working styles and approaches to tasks and responsibilities, it can manifest in conflict. The more you ignore it, the bigger the conflict may grow. Encourage your employees to embrace their differences and learn from the different ways in which others around them approach projects and job responsibilities.

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