About Hot Buttons and Workplace Conflict

Written on the 27 July 2014

What are hot buttons?

Hot Buttons are those irritations and annoyances that can provoke you into conflict.

They are the situations or characteristics in others that aggravate and frustrate you, perhaps to the point where, despite knowing better, you instigate a conflict.

Interactions with button pushers can leave you feeling demoralised, unmotivated, powerless, anxious, frightened, and angry (possibly enough to resort to sabotage or other destructive acts). In the workplace, Hot Buttons can lead you to be less productive, efficient, organised, and creative; they can also negatively affect your life outside of work as well as your physical and emotional well-being.

The Conflict Dynamics Profile (CDP) contains a section dealing specifically with Hot Buttons. We've put a portion of this online so you could try it out.

The Hot Buttons are only one portion of the CDP which also deals with conflict behaviors, organisational perspectives on conflict, and practical recommendations for dealing more effectively with workplace conflict.

We invite you to learn more about the CDP by visiting other parts of this Web site.