8 VoicePRO® Skills at the Heart of Executive Leadership Development
Posted on November 10, 2010 by Baxter Dickson
Conflict Management
We’ve all seen conflict in the workplace. Team members who snap at each other. The heated gossiping in the coffee room. The he-said/she-said accusations that erupt in your office. Maybe it’s been going on so long, you’ve simply written it off as an annoying but unavoidable fact of work life.
Think again.
There’s a cost of conflict to an organization, and, according to an article I read at Entrepreneur.com, someone has put a real price tag on it. In a study done for CPP Inc., the company that publishes the Myers-Briggs Assessment, it was found that American employees spent 2.8 hours each week wrapped up in conflict – that’s more than a half hour out of every day that isn’t going to productive efforts or your organization’s bottom line. Estimates suggest that time adds up to $359 billion in paid hours or 385 million work days each year. Here are some other facts from the report. Some 25 percent of employees told researchers that avoiding conflict had resulted in sickness or absence. Almost 10 percent said conflict had tanked a project.
So, how can strong executive leadership help you get back those lost hours and repurpose them for success? Conflict management is a frequently requested workshop topic at VoicePRO®. Here are eight tips we share:
1. Don’t ignore the problem.
It’s easy to hope that a situation will improve when the current flashpoint has passed. Or, you may hold on to the hope that grown adults will stop acting like children. Not likely. And while you wait it out, the negative ripple effects are spreading throughout your team.
2. Talk to team members together.
Many managers want to avoid the nasty scene of a “blow-up” they imagine will happen when the combatants get in the same room. Truth be told, there’s probably no avoiding it and no resolution until you push through it.
3. Have everyone explain the issue in calm, non-judgmental terms.
Having the other person in the room often helps bring a less acid explanation. If anger and hurt do flare, it’s your role to refocus the discussion. Quickly but gently intervene with a neutral suggestion such as, “Let’s concentrate on the situation, not the feelings around it.”
4. Practice your best listening skills and remain neutral.
Don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the emotion of the moment, even if you side with one party or the other. Be sure you’re hearing all the issues, all the pain points. Don’t chide, assign blame or get emotional. Help clear the air so participants are ready to move on.
5. Guide the discussion to the project or organization goals.
Remind everyone concerned that you’re all working toward the same important goal, not a personal victory. Focus on the steps required to “get the job done”. Practical thinking will help displace conflict.
6. Try to get the participants to define a solution.
I know leaders who insist each side restate the goals of the other, which may help both see the bigger picture and ways they can support each other. They’re often closer to agreement than they think. It’s only dust kicked up by conflict that’s obscuring their view.
7. Be prepared to define the solution.
Sometimes the warring parties can’t come together on a solution. In that case, you will have to step in to decide between their proposals or set ground rules for interaction. Be specific about what you expect. If you’re in doubt about their understanding or acceptance, ask each person to recap your instructions.
8. Look for opportunities to praise results.
Intervene quickly if there are signs of trouble. If you help people stay on track, especially early in the process, you’re more likely to achieve the results you want.
Dealing with conflict is never easy, but when you count the cost, it’s a bottom-line necessity. Learn and practice the crucial conflict management skills that can make all the difference to the success of your team, department or organization.
Click here for more information on how to address conflict in your work environment
Image by Tambako the Jaguar
