Turn Workplace Conflicts into Catalysts for Growth: Expert Strategies Revealed

What if addressing workplace conflicts head-on could be your organization's secret weapon for growth? In our latest episode, we sit down with a seasoned expert with over 30 years of experience who reveals why the lack of effective conflict management is the number one hindrance in the workplace. We promise you'll walk away with actionable strategies to transform negative experiences into opportunities for improvement. By targeting the source of conflict and avoiding the trap of spreading negativity, you'll discover how to prevent a chain reaction that can devastate workplace morale.

Our guest emphasizes the power of candid, targeted communication and shares practical techniques to handle conflicts constructively. Learn how to stay present, take deep breaths, and ask clarifying questions to slow down heated conversations and foster rational, objective dialogue. Through compelling real-life scenarios and hands-on exercises, you'll gain the skills to turn conflicts into a catalyst for positive change. Don't miss this chance to uncover the hidden opportunities in workplace conflicts and elevate your organizational culture.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:37

The greatest opportunity we can have in the workplace. I believe today and I've had this question asked of me for 30 plus years what do you think is the number one thing that hinders the workplace? I said it's our ability to be candid and targeted with conflict. Let me explain that. When I say targeted, that means talking to the source, where the conflict resides. So if I'm having problems with another manager of another department, what do most people do? They complain about that person to three other people, and that creates a domino effect that absolutely can destroy workplace cultures. Let me explain. Do you know?

Speaker 1: 1:18

On average, when someone has a positive experience, they only tell up to three people, yet we tell up to 22 people when we have a negative experience. So if I'm in a meeting and I have a bad experience with somebody, what do I do? I'm emotional, I'm upset, I'm angry and we have this knee-jerk reaction to tell other people about it. So when I tell three, four other people guess what they do? We don't think it happens, but it does. Even people we trust we don't think it happens, but it does they tell three or four people themselves. Now there's 16 versions.

Speaker 1: 2:01

Now, as corny as this sounds, go watch a reality show and listen carefully. I love watching some of these real estate shows because I'm a big fan of real estate and I'm lucky enough to have a couple of properties and one of the things that I just love to watch human nature, because people say, well I feel, well I feel. And everyone leads with their emotion. When we're emotional, we are not accurate, we are not rational, we are not objective. So when I say Bob attacked me in that meeting, now Bob interrupted me because he had a really good idea, and what happens is it takes on a life form of its own. So number one conflict is every organization's opportunity. I'm going to say it again Conflict, the ability to have conversations of conflict, is every organization's opportunity. I'm going to say it again Conflict, the ability to have conversations of conflict, is every organization's opportunity.

Speaker 1: 2:45

Number two teaching people how to have those conversations is critical. Being present, taking a deep breath before your response, present, taking a deep breath before your response, asking for clarification before you offer an opinion, will slow down the conversation. So recently with one of our clients, we actually practiced this Before you responded, everyone had to take a deep breath Before you responded, and after you took the deep breath. You had to ask a clarifying question. Could you give me a little bit more substance? It wasn't, give me an example, because an example triggers people to rebuttal the feedback or rebuttal the conflict. Conflict is a wonderful opportunity.