Conflict in organizations is not a problem. Poorly managed conflict is. Conflict managed well is a proactive investment in the future of the organization and in the employees involved. Conflict managed ineffectively is a reactive drain of human and financial capital.
7 Ways Your Company Is Wasting Money on Conflict
Unresolved, avoided, ineffectively managed, or destructive workplace conflict is expensive, both in financial and human terms:
- Lost Work Time. Several studies over the last decade suggest that a typical manager spends between 25% and 40% of her time dealing with employee conflict. In a study I conducted in 2000, college and university managers’ time on conflict ranged from 40% to 50% of work hours. Lost work time accrues for the employees involved in the dispute, their supervisors, sometimes their peers, and human resource staff.
- Attrition and Related Costs. Research reported in the late 1990s showed that workplace conflict left unresolved for too long leads to employee attrition or the use of valuable work time searching for alternative employment. Employee turnover that had its genesis in unresolved conflict is leads to expenditures for severance, recruitment, training and development for replacement staff, and the loss of productivity during that period.
- Absenteeism and Increased Health Care Costs. The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has reported that health care costs are nearly 50% greater for workers who report high levels of stress. Stress as a reason for absenteeism increased 316% between 1995 and 1999. Stress is a known byproduct of unhealthy workplace conflict.
- More Grievances and Complaints. Between 1992 and 1998, annual monetary benefits for EEOC sexual harassment cases increased from $12.7 to $34.5 million. Annual monetary benefits for EEOC-handled ADA cases increased from $200,000 to $49.1 million during the same period.
- Increased Legal Fees. A 2005 Fulbright & Jaworski survey on litigation trends in the U.S. concluded that almost 9 out of 10 American companies are involved in some type of litigation and that one of the most prevalent messages to corporate counsel is “control costs.”
- Theft and Sabotage. Unhappy employees can and do damage company equipment and steal from inventory. More insidiously, covert sabotage results from the daily little acts of omission from an employee that doesn’t feel heard or valued.
- Damage to Company Reputation. When conflict goes public, the loss can be measurable in terms of lower earnings, diminished market share, or decreased traffic.
5 Ways Your Company Can Transform Conflict into Opportunity
Well-managed conflict contributes to creativity, strategic initiative, more effective systems and communication, stronger workplace relationships and a greater commitment to the organization. Good employees stay on board and better decisions lead to greater corporate health. What can you do to create such transformation? Address the root causes of unhealthy workplace conflict:
- Help Employees Learn How to Access Good Interpersonal Skill. All the skill training in the world won’t help your employees during conflict if they don’t know how to access those skills when they’re in the heat of the moment. The new trend in conflict resolution training is a blend of interactive, classroom-style training with follow-up coaching to help employees really use what they learned.
- Prepare Managers to Offer More Effective Help. Many managers address conflict by imposing a solution, chastising, lecturing, re-organizing the department in question, or trying to help parties work it out without really having good insider mediation skills. Make an investment in your managers’ education as in-house mediators with substantive skills to address the kinds of complex conflicts that create long-term problems.
- Clean Up Problematic Organizational Systems. System problems can masquerade as interpersonal conflicts. As I work with parties to peel back the layers of a conflict, it’s not uncommon to uncover ways the organization’s systems are pressing upon one or more of the individuals involved and directly influencing their behavior negatively. Such system problems may be invisible until the overt conflict begins, so wise workplaces consider conflict a possible symptom of something bigger; conflict consultants can help.
- Create Effective Conflict Management Systems. The informal system of organizational culture and formal intervention systems can have a profound influence on whether or not conflict unfolds in a healthy or destructive way. While the increasing commitment to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the workplace is a positive step, it’s often used too late in a conflict, confuses mediation and arbitration, or imposes a process on an unwitting or ill-informed employee. Effective conflict resolution systems, even in very small organizations, create opportunities for conflict to be identified and addressed early and constructively. Such effective processes emphasize joint problem-solving early in the dispute and the use of mediation before grievances or litigation harden the conflict.
- Make an Organizational Commitment to Taking the Time. A downside of the fast pace of today’s workplace is that such ways of working get in the way of effective conflict management. Engaging conflict constructively requires focused time and attention. It’s time well-spent—an investment on the front end saves time and emotional energy on unresolved conflict later.
Imagine what your organization could do with extra employee time and extra funds found through better-managed conflict, the ability to transform conflict from a vexxing problem to creative opportunity, and a workplace environment that retains great employees.
Dr. Tammy Lenski guides strategic dialogue, trains and coaches individuals and organizations to create terrific work environments by transforming conflict into opportunity. Her New Hampshire-based firm, Lenski Strategic LLC has a track record of successful service to business executives, entrepreneurs, organizations, colleges and universities, court programs, families and community groups nationwide. Women around the world subscribe to Tammy’s blog, Strategic Conversations, to learn how to do conflict better at work and home.
There are few industries or service type businesses, which are more labor intensive then that of the Landscaping Profession. Whether it is the installation of new landscape designs or the maintenance or mowing of the existing properties; it is done by people power working with the proper tools. Efficiency is king and teamwork is the key to staying on schedule and wasting little time or effort getting the work done.
One Expert Landscape Manager, Mr. Jon Bitzer, explains his secrets of maintaining his team of 20 employees. He breaks his employees into specialty crew teams. One of his teams is a group, which consists of four members, which mows 52 properties per week. Since the schedule is stacked there is little room for error or missed appointments. Especially since Jon is in charge of all the parks, downtown areas and many of the shopping center areas in and around Atlantic City. As a matter of fact much of the turn-around of Atlantic City is in fact due to its new image and nowhere is it more evident than the ambiance created by the landscaping out front.
How does John keep his crews motivated and the teamwork atmosphere strong? Each Friday he meets with his employees for breakfast and buys them pancakes, sausage, bacon and egg deluxe hardy style meal. On the clock of course; the team discusses family, hobbies and gets to know one another. They discuss suggestions of schedule changes and efficiency improvements. He gets total buy in from the team; using their ideas to propel the mission of staying on schedule and making Atlantic City, the city for lovers that it is. Jon and his crews and specialty teams are in-charge of your first impression when you come to the city. His strategy is working; the crews work as a perfectly well oiled machine and have the motivation of a Navy Seal Team. They flat get the job done each and every day and you know what? It shows, think about it.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
I had a chance to go to one of those big positive thinking rallies recently. I am one of those positive personal growth people that really enjoy that kind of thing. Throughout the day, I heard presentation after presentation from some of the best professional speakers in the business; General Tommy Franks, Mayor Rudy Guiliani, legendary Comedian Jerry Lewis and my hero, Zig Ziglar. They presented and spoke amazingly well. They were original.
A couple of the other speakers (I will not name them) also did a fair job, but what I could not get past was that I had heard some of the jokes they told and some of the illustrations they used - THAT DAY! I paid $80 to see some of the world’s best speakers and most of what I saw was fantastic. I got my moneys worth. Heck, I would have paid the $80 just to see Zig. As a professional speaker myself, I observe, even take notes. I look for the “job well done” and the “well, I’m glad their job is done” in my profession.
I want to encourage you to never be the person telling a joke that someone has already heard or someone else’s story. ALWAYS approach your subject from a fresh and original point of view. How do you arrange to be original when you give talks on the exact same information another speaker does?
Bill Gove, one of public speaking’s true legends said that speaking is easy.
Make a point Tell a story
Make a point Tell a Story
Make a point Tell a story
Get it? It’s simple.
The 1990 world champion of public speaking, David Brooks took what Gove said and added the unique to it. David said, make a point, and tell YOUR story.
Here is the good news; you don’t have to be an Olympic champion or have climbed Mount Everest to have good stories. In fact, having great stories of everyday life will make you more accessible to your audience and isn’t the goal of good communication to connect with your audience?
How do you collect these stories? David Brooks recommends that we create a story file or notebook. Pay attention to your own life and look for the stories. They are there; you just need to look for them. When you see a fun and humorous story, write it down. When you see a poignant or reflective story write it down. If you catch yourself thinking about something in an unusual or interesting sort of way, write it down. Are you beginning to notice a pattern here?
Pay attention, write it down and use it.
Use your story file or notebook as a resource when you are preparing for a presentation. I like to think about the points I want to make, and then go through the file to find stories that support the point.
For example, I was enduring a booth at a trade show as a salesperson when a couple of my company’s current clients walked and immediately asked “why is your software so much more expensive than everyone elses? I looked at them and in a mere nanosecond reflected on the pain I was in.
For the past two days I had stood in a trade show booth over 10 hours a day. My feet and even my legs were killing me. I answered my price sensitive clients with “do you like my shoes? They thought I was crazy. I said, “No really. Do you like my shoes?” I went on. “I think these shoes look good. They are classy looking and they shine up real well, but I want you to know that they are killing my feet.” My clients really didn’t know what to think now, but they were listening, so I continued.
“When I bought these shoes, I was shopping for a bargain. I wanted some good looking shoes for under $30.00. I got em’. What I have learned about these shoes as I have stood in them over the past 30 hours is that they are lousy, cheap shoes and that they are causing me an enormous amount of pain. If you had walked into this booth today and asked me if I wanted to buy a pair of the most comfortable shoes in the world, I would not have asked you what they cost. I would have only asked if you took VISA.”
The two clients were still listening. “It’s true. Most of the other software vendors here offer a good looking package for a lot less money. My only question to you is, do you want to own the least expensive solution or the most reliable and accurate solution?
I then offered them a nifty little ball point pen with my company’s logo on it and wished them a good day. I should have spent some more time asking them questions about what they wanted and needed to have happen to know that they were using the best solution, but I just wanted to sit down.
When I want to give an example of value over price, I tell that story. It helps. Most people have experienced a product that is too cheap to get the job done and this story helps us connect.
Here we go with the quick overview:
Pay attention to your life’s story’s. Write them down. Use them.
Got it? Good. Thank you
Steve Brummet is a communication expert, writer and speaker. Steve’s company specializes in working with organizations of all types to help their people increase productivity and profit and decrease stress by improving communication skills.
As a writer, Steve has been published in Parenting Success, People of Faith and Family-content.com
Steve says his clients include a Lions Club in Sherman Texas, his mother in law’s ladies group and SOMETIMES his wife and four children will listen to him for just a little while.
http://www.communicationspeaker.com
steve@stevebrummet.com
866.831.1857
214-578-4172
Here’s how to hold a short, effective staff meeting.
1) In general. Keep them short. Most staff meetings should last less than an hour. You want your staff to spend their time working on things that earn money for your business, not sitting in meetings. Keep them positive. Negative meetings contain insults, ridicule, and attacks. These activities create caution and resentment, which always costs your company money. Keep them interactive. Your staff consists of intelligent people. Put them to work in your meetings to advance the effectiveness of your organization.
2) Share news. Give the members of your group one minute to report on progress made in their area of responsibility. You’ll find that this results in bullet point reports of essential information. It also prevents people from philosophizing, explaining, justifying, criticizing, and engaging in other unproductive activities. Plan a time budget: 8 to 10 minutes.
3) Teach something. Invite a guest expert to give a 10 minute presentation on some skill or technology that benefits your group. Tell the expert that you want a logical explanation of practical ideas. You can also ask members of your group to take turns delivering brief tutorials on topics that benefit the others. Plan a time budget: 10 to 15 minutes.
4) Practice skills. Create team learning activities that sharpen or teach skills needed in your business. For example, you could role play job skills (especially useful for sales teams), solve puzzles (useful for high tech groups), or take quizzes (useful for everyone). Ask group members to take turns bringing an activity that reviews or teaches a valuable skill. Follow this activity with a brief recap of key ideas. Then ask the group members to give a fifteen second report on how these ideas can be applied to improve their work. Plan a time budget: 10 to 20 minutes.
5) Solve problems. Give each group member a minute to describe a challenge that hinders work on a current project and then let everyone propose solutions. Suggestions should be brief and free of self aggrandizing explanations or motivational sermons. This process also requires a positive, supportive environment to succeed. If this is used to ridicule, insult, or criticize the individual, then people will be reluctant to reveal issues that need attention. Plan a time budget: 3 to 6 minutes per person.
6) Use a facilitator. A facilitator will help you conduct meetings where the results matter. That way, you can participate, rather than spend your time managing the meeting. A good facilitator will know group decision making processes that move your meeting toward results everyone supports.
About The Author
Steve Kaye helps leaders hold meetings that produce results - fast and with everyone’s participation. He is an IAF Certified Professional Facilitator, author, and speaker. His facilitation and workshops create success for everyone. Call 714-528-1300 for details. Visit http://www.stevekaye.com for a free report.
|
|
1.
The workings of human nature are only so vast. General patterns of behavior can be observed and understood. As people we are more alike than unalike. The internal process of wrestling with internal beliefs and concepts allows one to obtain a deeper understanding of what others might be going through. In traveling life’s path the friendly advice of an experienced journeyman is always helpful, especially to those new to the terrain.
2.
Strive for excellence, but remain “coachable”. Take notes from people who have been where you want to go. In order to learn and grow from others requires the ability to trust others. Without trust, expanding your level of performance and building something of great value is all but impossible.
3.
To know thyself impresses upon the leader the need to continually grow and learn as a natural result of living. Knowledge is not truly knowledge, until the information obtained is acted upon and used in a positive manner.
4.
Fully understanding one’s proclivities allows a leader to more optimally impact his/her surroundings. To react on blind emotion, merely reacting to surrounding stimuli does little to further one’s cause. The success of leadership relies heavily upon the success of obtaining self-knowledge.
5.
Empathy is created by being fully aware that you could just as easily be “the other”, were it not for destiny’s determination. Such a realization can only come about by having fully experienced life for oneself. Are individuals really so different that personal struggles and shortcomings are not shared across all lines of human demarcation?
Regi Adams Adisa is an instructional designer, performance coach, and founder of the e-Lightened Professionals. Regi has conducted his human based approach to professional and personal development within multiple Fortune 500 companies and non-profit agencies. Regi’s philosophy on exceptional business and human performance is that “all success starts with the people”. Thus Regi’s approach to creating high performance organizations is by creating high performance teams, made up of high performance people.
‘Accept everything about yourself - I mean everything, You are you and that is the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets.’ -Henry A. Kissinger
What does it take to become a leader anyway? Some would say money, good looks, or plain good fortune. “Great leaders are born. Good leaders keep working on it,” explains Herman Cain, talk show host and former executive of Godfather’s Pizza. I pondered Herman’s words during his presentation at a leadership seminar at the Regent University. His inspirational words were more than a sermon. It was a practical application of textbook theories. Analyzing Mr. Cain’s speech, I concluded that his leadership philosophy was consistent with contemporary leadership theories. You’ve heard the argument about leaders being born and not made. Some people believe that you can’t train people to be leaders.
Let’s explore this theory. Hackman and Johnson, management gurus, explain that the trait approach of leadership advocates that nature plays a key role in determining leadership potential. Some leaders have an uncanny way of connecting with people and inspiring them. Are you one of these people?
Before you run with this concept, I would suggest that this concept is one leadership theory among many others. Fortunately, you don’t need to go to plastic surgery to become a more attractive leader. Although genetics may assist a leader in supporting his/her calling, our own DNA does not trap us. Tall, attractive, and charismatic leaders may be media magnets in America, but you don’t need to concern yourself with that fact. Certainly, not! Our environment plays a part in leadership development. Leaders can learn how to be more effective; however, this desire must come from the leader. The heart of a leader comes from within. A leader does need to possess a positive charisma so that he/she can demonstrate confidence to followers. Start displaying the right attitude and showcase your attractive leadership!
(c) 2006 by Daryl D. Green
Reference:
Johnson, C. & Hackman, M. (2000). Leadership: A Communication Perspective. Waveland Press.
Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. He is a columnist, lecturer, professor, and management consultant. Mr. Green has a BS in engineering and a MA in organizational management. Currently, he is pursuing a doctoral degree in strategic leadership. For more information, please email Mr. Green at pmla@att.net or visit his website at http://www.darylgreen.org
