1.    Separate People From Problems – often you will feel that someone is being unfair or prejudiced in rejecting your work or ignoring you, however it might be that there are factors affecting them that you don’t know about. In this situation it’s best to meet with the person and ask them directly what the issue is and what you can do to improve or assist.

2.    Listen Carefully to Different Interests – it’s important that everyone understands each other's underlying interests, needs and concerns. Make an effort to understand the other person’s motivations and goals, and to think about how those may affect their actions.

3.    Listen first, talk second – listen to the other person’s point of view without defending your own position, making sure you let them finish speaking before you respond.

4.    State the facts – remember that your perspective will be different to everyone else, so describe the facts as from your perspective. Make sure you state your own opinions and feelings and avoid accusing others of anything – try to say “I did that” and “I feel that” rather than “you said” and “you are doing this” etc. 

5.    Explore options together - by this stage, you may have resolved the conflict. Each side will likely understand the other's position better, and the most appropriate solution might be obvious. However, if it is not, it’s best to brainstorm ideas together and be open to ideas and suggestions that you may not have considered before. Ideally together you can come up with a win-win solution!

Remember, if there is any conflict you feel might be out of your control or the other person is not responding to your attempts to resolve it peacefully, make sure you tell your supervisor and/or your IPS.

Find out more content like this in our section Career Advice.