Effective Strategies for Dealing with Workplace Conflict
Jill Fishman
Oh, we don’t have conflict at the office.
R-i-g-h-t…
How do leaders cope with the day-to-day task of conflict?
Looking back through my career every issue affecting the bottom line went straight up the ladder for resolution. Oh yes and many times with elevated egos. With most companies this can be unsurmountable at times. Some leaders encourage their employees to work through the issues at their level but when things can’t get resolved it is left back in the hands of the leader. How do effective leaders handle the situation? Conflict and management go hand in hand with the most effective leaders swiftly embracing it, understanding it and eliminating it.
I remember as a new sales representative, I was assigned the task of ordering some pretty expensive equipment for one of my customers. I was given a website and very few instructions. Yes, that was not good. However, I took ownership and ordered what I thought was needed. Part of the company culture was taking ownership of your business. When the item came in it was not at all what the customer needed or what I thought I had ordered. My manager at the time was on vacation so I had to go straight up to the Director of Sales. I was pretty sure it was my last day and I will never forget the call. I explained to him what happened and then waited for the litany of incompetence and the words, “You’re Fired!”
He paused after hearing my debacle and to my surprise he was very understanding and supportive. He complimented me on taking ownership of my mistake and then after some thoughtful, resolution suggestions casually said, “I’m sure you’ll never let this happen again.” My life and a job I desperately needed at the time saved by empathy and a little compassion.
Of course it never happened again and I worked my ass off to prove how much I appreciated working for someone who valued me as a person capable of making a mistake and learning from it. It was a key indication of the business model for that company and why it was the #1 retailer in its category in the country.
Mike Myatt writes about conflict as well in the article, “5 Keys to Dealing with Workplace Conflict”. He describes conflict expressed as poor communication and loss of control of one’s emotions. In my situation the sales director could have easily lost control of his emotions but strategically chose a different path. What he communicated to me was, "I value you as an employee, I trust you will learn from this mistake and I will support you to find a resolution.
Understanding the values a leader imposes on his direct reports is paramount to developing a strong foundation for business leadership success.
5 Keys to Dealing with Workplace Conflict
- Define Acceptable Behavior
- Hit conflict Head-On
- Understanding the WIIFM (What's in it for me) Factor
- The Importance Factor
- View conflict as Opportunity
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/02/22/5-keys-to-dealing-with-workplace-conflict/