Your client is overwhelmed by workplace conflicts. How can you guide them through the stress?

Some ways I can guide them through the stress: - After finding the problem, seek ways that they can find peace and understanding.

When guiding clients through workplace or family conflicts, I encourage them to first take a step back and breathe. In stressful moments, it’s important to pause and reflect on what they can control: their response. Encouraging clients to focus on setting healthy boundaries, practicing empathy, and approaching each situation with calmness can help reduce stress and improve outcomes. Acknowledging their emotions without letting them dictate decisions is key. Conflict can be a powerful opportunity for growth, learning how to communicate more effectively, and building resilience for future challenges.

First, determine where the conflict is coming from. If the conflict is not caused by the client himself, there is no need to feel pressure. If it comes from the customer themselves, we should also analyze the cause and prescribe the right remedy.

What I would add here: drop your story for a second, and put yourself in their shoes. Seek to understand their version of the story, so that you get the full picture. Too many times, the stories we tell ourselves, most often centered around us, block us from understanding different perspectives, from different angles. Summarize your understanding, so that the other party can confirm or bring clarity to the picture.

When a client feels overwhelmed by workplace conflicts, I guide them to first slow down and reconnect to their internal center. Stress often comes from feeling powerless, not just from the conflict itself. We zoom out to realign with their bigger vision, then map leadership-based actions: clear communication, healthy boundaries, and choosing influence over reaction. Every conflict is an invitation to step into a higher level of leadership with clarity, sovereignty, and grace.

When workplace conflicts hit hard, it's easy to feel like you're drowning in stress. But here’s the thing: it’s not about avoiding conflict, it’s about navigating it with clarity. Start by helping your client break down the situation, what’s really bothering them? Guide them to focus on their communication skills. Encourage active listening, expressing their thoughts calmly, and asking clarifying questions. When they communicate from a place of understanding, not frustration, it shifts the dynamic. Remind them: “The real power in conflict is not in avoiding it, but in mastering the art of resolving it with grace."

In my book Thrive Beyond Results, I discuss the importance of establishing a reasonable, calm approach to gain clarity and communicate with intent. This includes active listening while maintaining an arm's length from the issue. This is minimizing your attachment to the issue in question, so you can speak from a place of strength and not pain.

Effective communication is key in resolving workplace conflicts. Encourage your client to focus on expressing their thoughts clearly and calmly, listening actively to others, and trying to understand their point of view. Using "I" statements can help convey feelings without placing blame.

When guiding my clients (mostly startup founders) who are overwhelmed by workplace conflicts, I've found that it's essential to start by helping them clearly identify the core issues and separate emotions from facts. Encouraging them to approach conflicts as opportunities for growth, both personal and professional, can shift their perspective from stress to empowerment and life lessons. Of course, we still need to guide them by equipping them with practical conflict resolution frameworks, active listening techniques, and stress management strategies. Ultimately, reminding them they’re not alone and helping them build confidence in their own resilience goes a long way.

Setting healthy boundaries is crucial in managing workplace stress. Help your client determine what they're willing to accept in terms of behavior and workload, and communicate these boundaries respectfully to colleagues and superiors.

Setting boundaries has always been a movable target. For most individuals, it is a complex dance that requires skills and understanding. Instead, through my 3-I framework, I help clients develop the mental strength to thrive beyond the challenges they are facing. Attention derives action, hence I always guide my clients to change their attention from what is to what needs to be, and cultivate focus towards the target, which minimizes the effect of the tension at hand. This approach has always allowed my clients to thrive beyond the challenges at work with ease and without confronting the other party or dancing the boundary dance. This approach is valid at work and home.

Conflict resolution techniques can be invaluable tools in navigating workplace disputes. Consider strategies like finding neutral ground for discussions, focusing on the issue rather than the person, and brainstorming mutually beneficial solutions.

Our ability to resolve conflict is directly related to the conflict in question. Hence, my approach to conflict resolution is grounded on my 3-I Framework, which allows my clients to elevate their ideas in relation to the conflict at hand. This approach lessens the client's attachment to the matter at hand. In this manner, we avoid unnecessary statements like, this is how we do things type of response, this is my way, this is my belief. Shifting the focus from me to the ultimate goals without ego being bruised.

Incorporating de-stress techniques into daily routines can help mitigate the impact of workplace conflicts on well-being. Activities like deep breathing, mindfulness meditation, or taking short walks can reduce stress levels.

Mindfulness has proven to be the best go-to resource for de-stressing. Unfortunately, most clients come to me after trying this approach from other programs without success. Mindfulness itself adds stress to their lives, and it becomes work. Hence, incorporating my 3-I framework into their daily routine makes mindfulness easier, deepens the experience, and always creates a lasting solution.

When guiding clients through workplace or family conflicts, I encourage them to first take a step back and breathe. In stressful moments, it’s important to pause and reflect on what they can control: their response. Encouraging clients to focus on setting healthy boundaries, practicing empathy, and approaching each situation with calmness can help reduce stress and improve outcomes. Acknowledging their emotions without letting them dictate decisions is key. Conflict can be a powerful opportunity for growth, learning how to communicate more effectively, and building resilience for future challenges.

Sometimes, the best way to manage workplace stress is to seek support from others. Encourage your client to share their experiences and feelings with a trusted colleague, mentor, or professional like a life coach or therapist.