Conflict Resolution Strategy

In Teams & Organisations

“Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” – – Ronald Reagan

How often have you been working with a team and achieving great results, only to find that productivity stops, people aren’t happy, and there is an internal conflict?

All the previous focus, energy, and drive to get results are now focused on who or what isn’t working.

Team members don’t look happy, and they are angry and distracted. The energy is low and awkward, and disharmony reigns.

Projects are being affected and delayed while the company’s bottom line is about to take a hit.

In this article, we will cover three main points:

1. Why we need to have a powerful conflict resolution strategy.
2. Powerful conflict resolution technique.
3. Your powerful conflict resolution strategy.

Let’s begin.

1. Why We Need to Have a Conflict Resolution Strategy.

The reason we need to have a workable strategy for conflict resolution is very simple.

Productivity slows down or stops when conflict occurs within a team or organisation. This creates anger and disharmony.

Also, a business aims to profit by delivering an awesome product or service. This can’t be achieved in teams that are caught up in conflict.

No one wants to be caught up in petty conflicts that derail progress and destroy a team’s energy and atmosphere.

Some common issues that present themselves are:

• Personality Clashes
• Role Ambiguity
• Communication Breakdowns
• Differences in Goals or Priorities
• Resource Allocation
• Performance Issues

When working for organisations or teams, we don’t usually get to choose who we work with. We are allocated to a team and must make it work through our EQ (Emotional Intelligence) mastery.

We need to create and be part of a productive, harmonious team.

Conflict is inevitable within teams or organisations. However, we can reduce its appearance and longevity when it does happen.

It’s necessary we have a well-thought-out strategy and/or techniques to apply immediately when a problem arises.

We want to nip in the bud any hint of conflict before it escalates and causes widespread disharmony among team members, reduced results, missed deadlines, and resource squandering.

That’s why we need to develop a strategy for conflict resolution.

Let’s take a look at a very powerful conflict resolution technique.

2. Powerful Conflict Resolution Technique

EMPTY YOUR CUP!

This is a very powerful strategy that I use and share with my corporate clients and our Executive Coaching Service members.

It’s so simple, yet it can immediately transform people and situations.

So What is Empty Your Cup?

When there is a conflict, one or all parties may be emotional. Even if the emotions are controlled on the outside, emotional upset will occur on the inside.

When people are emotional, they dumb down their ability to be logical. So, if you were in a logical state of mind and trying to reason with a highly emotional person, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Two extreme emotional states like this will not have a good outcome. We must be in a similar, balanced, logical state for an effective communication transfer.

This is where Empty Your Cup is so powerful. Encourage the emotional person to empty their cup!
So how do you do that?

You sit down with them and allow them to discuss their problem. You sit, listen, acknowledge, and pay attention to them, giving them all your focus and energy.

Allow them to speak until they have emptied their cup of words, emotions, and feelings and have nothing left to say.

You don’t agree or disagree with them. Your job is to acknowledge and listen. That’s it!

Once they have emptied their cup of words and emotions, they will have felt heard, and their emotional state will now be closer to a logical state.

Now that your states almost match, you can have that logical discussion and create a win/win outcome.

Never engage in a logical conversation with an overly emotional person.

Don’t do that!

When you detect possible conflict within your team or organisation, the first step is encouraging them to empty their cup.

Apply this Empty Your Cup, a powerful conflict resolution technique in your professional and personal life.

It’s like magic when applied to your upset husband or wife. Try it!

Let’s now look at building a simple yet powerful conflict resolution strategy.

3. Your Powerful Conflict Resolution Strategy

Your powerful conflict resolution strategy can be very simple and effective. The best strategy is the one that is easy to remember, simple to apply and gets great results.

You can develop a conflict resolution strategy that works for you personally and professionally.

The following is one that I use and teach in our Corporate Training Workshops.

Step 1: Observe the behavior of team members.

Be on the lookout for behaviors of individuals not aligned with how they usually behave. It could be some fleeting aggravation or another problem outside of the team they are concerned about.

If it persists longer than a day or two and affects other members, go to step 2.

Step 2: Take them aside for a short chat.

Take the team member aside in a quiet office space for a chat. Mention what you have observed over the last few days (list your observations). You could reflect to them their short temper, low energy, sad appearance, etc…

Encourage them to speak up, and you listen, observe, and be there to support them with your presence and listening. Allow them to empty their cup.

Once they have emptied their cup, that could be enough to resolve the situation.

As an Executive Coach, in many cases, my listening, observing, and acknowledging the client is enough to resolve the situation. They resolve it by listening to their own words, making mental corrections and coming up with solutions.

That’s why we have two ears and one mouth. Listening is a powerful communication tool when used correctly through active listening.
Step 3: Continue to observe your team member.

Continue to observe your team member over the next 12 -24 hours. If he reverts to normal behavior, the job is complete.

If, on the other hand, he continues with similar behavior or worse, you will need to repeat step 2. This time, after he has completely emptied his cup, you can both brainstorm possible solutions.

In most cases, you will cycle between steps 2 & 3, depending on the severity of the situation, until you have a breakthrough.

We have a solid foundation to work logically to a win/win outcome when we release all the negative emotions.

Recap:

Now, we know more about conflict resolution strategy in teams and organisations.

1. The reason for having a powerful conflict resolution strategy is to ensure harmonious relationships at work with timely, high-quality deliverables to ensure a sustainable, growing bottom line.
2. One powerful conflict resolution technique is the Empty Your Cup technique.
3. We also have a simple yet powerful conflict resolution strategy comprising three simple steps.

Conclusion:

We have everything we need intellectually to apply our Powerful Conflict Resolution Strategy.

Now we need to practice!

Get to work and, at the first opportunity, practice your powerful conflict resolution strategy. The more we practice, the better we become as we pursue the path of Mastery in Conflict Resolution.

Please share your experiences and wins.

Paul Simos is an accomplished Executive Life Coach, Health Coach, and Certified Trainer. His fundamental belief about his clients frames how they work together: They already have everything they need to succeed. His role as a coach is stimulating and challenging his clients to unlock their successful beliefs, skills, and behaviour patterns. LinkedIn.

Resources:

1) Be Your Future Self Now – Last week’s Newsletter.
2) Client Testimonials – Client experience
3) Executive Coaching Service – Coaching services
4) Four Starter Coaching Packages – Introduction level