Managing Conflict in Teams
Today's work environment is difficult, anxiety producing and tenuous in many industries. Clearly, people behave differently when they are secure about a situation, rather than insecure. So leaders need to work hard to facilitate differences for healthy debates without impacting the overall team productivity. We believe that settling conflict starts by creating an environment where conflict resolution and problem resolution is framed as the right thing to do when trying to decide what course of action to take in given situations. There are some companies that are so collegial that conflict is never approached, which ultimately leads to marginal results. I've also worked with companies where conflict is avoided because of the fear of retribution which may or may not be a "real" perception. In either case, not dealing with conflict or team differences is detrimental. As a leader, you need to mentor your teams in how to deal with conflict effectively so that they focus on the issue and not on each other. Read Three Key Tips for Managing Conflict>>
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CEOs, Do Your Job!
"I've been doing this job for a number of years. I'm close to my customers. I understand how best to support my colleagues in the field. Yet, the CEO is in here every day interfering in details for 'how I'm doing my job,' when it is completely out of context." We appreciate the fact that all company CEOs and Presidents have to manage differently during unprecedented economic times, but in fairness, most employees don't come to work daily not understanding or appreciating the circumstances they find themselves in. Workers are more engaged today than ever before. Workers are grateful that they are still employed and are working very hard to ensure that the company achieves overall success. Workers understand the competitive environment, especially since these are the workers that have already survived the layoffs, the downsizing and the salary freezes. What these employee need is TRUST. Read More About What Employees Expect From Leaders>>