A classic cause of conflict is competition for scarce resources – be it sources of fuel, arable land, or access to fresh water. Today, as many of us adjust to the challenge of working from home, the “scarce resources” are more likely to be peace and quiet.
Like most conflicts over scarce resources, conflicts over how to share living and workspace can be resolved through negotiation. (Mediation is just negotiation facilitated by a neutral third party.)
Sit down with your family or housemates and decide the following:
- Who will work where?
- How will you handle it if one needs quiet and the other has to attend virtual meetings?
- What will you do if one person needs to make a confidential call?
- Will you eat lunch together?
- What if one of you is working at the kitchen table and the other decides to make a smoothie using the fancy blender that is louder than a jackhammer?
- How will you share childcare?
Look for creative solutions and be prepared to make trade-offs. If you need to take a call while your housemate is working quietly, can you step outside or onto the balcony? Can you attend that video conference from your car?
None of this is rocket science. However it can require adjustment if you’re not used to sharing working space with another person.
More important than the details of whatever arrangement you decide upon is making a mental adjustment to the new reality. No one knows when things will be back to “normal” or what the new normal will look like. Assume that you’ll have to share space for the foreseeable future and make a long-term plan.
About the image: Husband and Wife. Source: Lorenzo Lotto, Wikimedia Commons