subject: Work Conflicts And Work Conflict Resolution [print this page] It costs UK plc the equivalent of the annual GDP of a small nation in lost productivity and earnings. Half of the country"s HR professionals report that they have to deal with it frequently or continually and two thirds of them cite it as the reason for prolonged absence*. We"re talking about conflict in the workplace "" that"s right "" work conflicts and work conflict resolution.
It"s a recurring theme and one I hear almost daily: "The work I can handle, it"s the people I have problems with!". It will more than likely have an impact far beyond the immediate protagonists as the ramifications and fall out can ripple across the whole organisation. And work conflicts are not an issue that is the sole preserve of any one; more the unsuccessful section of the working population. Indeed many of my clients are hugely successful business people in their own right: exceptional, energetic individuals with significant value to offer. However, like all of us, they are vulnerable and no organisation, and no one individual, is immune - from the most humble office junior through to the Chairman of the Board.
In fact, it was indeed the Chairman of the organisation that was involved recently in a scenario with one of my CEO clients. An acknowledged workaholic, she"d recently been diagnosed with a serious illness. She was aware that she had to make significant changes in her work/life balance but old habits - and other people"s perceptions of her - were hard to change.
Of particular interest was the lack of understanding by her Chairman. The fact that she said little about how seriously ill she was meant that she received little attention. If she and the organisation are not careful, they could be without her for a considerable time. Lack of communication, planning and understanding were leading to serious issues and conflict between all of the parties and had to be addressed.
The client needed the space to think about her situation. She needed to think through her priorities and recognise that nothing is more important than her health. Achieving more in the short term will not matter if the organisation loses her leadership forever. Getting clear about what is important, what needs to be done and determining her own clear plan of action had the effect of sorting out her challenges and giving her more energy for her recovery period.
Effective communication is the root of all work conflict resolution. Our type of work at Position Ignition offers the opportunity for leaders and managers to work through their challenging people issues. If they can deal with these issues early and effectively, work conflicts do not get to a point of causing the huge distractions and costs that research is showing. We spend huge amounts each year on dealing with work conflict resolution when we really do not have to; if only we managed it better.
These are basic, albeit often neglected, management skills and much of our time is being spent in enabling the effective transfer of basic coaching skills to increase the effectiveness of line managers. The key is helping individuals, and the people around them, to help themselves and to take control of their own decisions and direction in their personal and/or business lives.
*"Leadership and the management of conflict at work." CIPD research Oct 2008
