Ever felt at a loss when team conflicts arise? You're not alone. Today's episode is a gold mine of conflict resolution strategies that will equip you with the finesse to turn heated debates into collaborative breakthroughs. As your host Colby Morris, I take you through the uncharted territories of disagreement and provide you with the compass to navigate towards a harmonious team environment. It's not just about quashing quarrels; it's about understanding the root of the issue and transforming tension into trust and innovation.
This session is packed with actionable advice, from fostering open dialogue to digging deep into the interests that fuel conflicts. I share a personal mediation story that shines a light on how reframing communication can shift perspectives and unearth the real desires behind discord. No more side-taking; it's all about guiding your team through rough waters with respect and constructive conversation. For any leader seeking to master the delicate dance of conflict resolution, this episode is your choreography to a more collaborative and innovative workspace.
Ever felt at a loss when team conflicts arise? You're not alone. Today's episode is a gold mine of conflict resolution strategies that will equip you with the finesse to turn heated debates into collaborative breakthroughs. As your host Colby Morris, I take you through the uncharted territories of disagreement and provide you with the compass to navigate towards a harmonious team environment. It's not just about quashing quarrels; it's about understanding the root of the issue and transforming tension into trust and innovation.
This session is packed with actionable advice, from fostering open dialogue to digging deep into the interests that fuel conflicts. I share a personal mediation story that shines a light on how reframing communication can shift perspectives and unearth the real desires behind discord. No more side-taking; it's all about guiding your team through rough waters with respect and constructive conversation. For any leader seeking to master the delicate dance of conflict resolution, this episode is your choreography to a more collaborative and innovative workspace.
Welcome to Things Leaders Do, the podcast that uncovers the secrets of becoming an extraordinary leader. If you're a leader who's constantly seeking growth, inspiration and tangible ways to level up your leadership, then you've come to the right place. Remember, the world needs exceptional leaders, and that leader is you. Now here's your host, colby Morris.
Speaker 2:
Hey friends, welcome back to the TLD podcast, where my focus is to help more leaders get better faster through actionable tools you can use. Today. Who am I? I'm Colby Morris, your host for this podcast. I guess you'd call it the founder, but it doesn't really feel like you found a podcast. Either way, I'm here to help you try to get better faster. Hey, I want to say thank you to everyone out there who has been reaching out on LinkedIn. We've had some pretty incredible discussions over the last few weeks and I got some great reaction to last week's podcast regarding generational change and how leaders can affect that. So I'm really looking forward to building on that, creating more conversation around that and really just expanding, and I hope that you're going to come with me on the ride.
Speaker 2:
Today's going to be a little bit different from that. We're going to go back into a tool to put in your toolbox. Today, we're going to be tackling an inevitable reality of relationships and leadership, that is, conflict between team members. But here's the twist it's not just about resolving conflicts as they happen. It's about being prepared with a well-oiled process. Being prepared, okay, with a well-oiled process. So what do you say? We roll up our sleeves and get into the art of mastering conflict resolution. Look, conflict is a part of life, especially in the workplace, where you have diverse perspectives and personalities collide. But here's the thing Conflict is not the enemy. Okay, handled poorly, yes, it can be destructive, but managed well, it can lead to breakthrough, understanding and innovation. Okay, that's why proactive leaders work with a clear process in place for preventing and resolving conflicts. Okay, think of it as preventative medicine. It's about addressing agreements early and openly, before they spiral out of control. Or maybe think of it this way it's like having a roadmap when you're in unfamiliar territory. It's going to guide you and everyone else to a common destination and get you there safely and, hopefully, efficiently. So let's go over some steps in conflict resolution. What is the first step when a conflict arises? Well, the first thing is you want to get everyone involved to talk about it openly.
Speaker 2:
Now, this isn't about formal mediation right off the bat. It's about encouraging honest, face-to-face dialogue under your guidance as the leader, dialogue under your guidance as the leader. See, as leaders, our role is to facilitate these conversations without taking sides. We're here to help each party articulate their viewpoint and to ensure the conversation remains respectful and constructive. It's kind of like being an interpreter of sorts.
Speaker 2:
I had a mediation a few years ago where two employees were having an issue and I'll change the names to protect the innocent here but when I brought them together, the first thing that Alice said was that Janet treated her like a child and that she was not in fact, a child and did not appreciate it. So I simply asked her to explain what she meant by that and give me some examples. So she did, and after hearing her explanation and her examples, I turned and rephrased this for the conversation. I said so, janet, what Alice is actually saying is that she feels that you micromanage her. Okay, it feels like you don't trust her to do the job, and that's difficult for her because she's used to having much more freedom, trust and responsibility in her previous roles. See what I did there, like I said, interpreter.
Speaker 2:
Now, after everyone's had their say, the next step is finding the real issues beneath the initial conflict. Okay, this involves digging into the interest underlying their positions. Okay, it's not just the positions themselves. It's about understanding what they, or what each party, wants, but also why they want it. This is where real resolution begins to take shape. It moves from confrontation to understanding. If I go back to the previous example, alice wanted to be trusted and given the freedom to do her work without being micromanaged, which is understandable. Janet, on the other hand, wanted to make sure that the work was done accurately and on time. Why? Because that affected her signing bonus and her performance review, which again affects her money. So once they understood the reasons behind their actions, things made more sense to both of them.
Speaker 2:
Now, if this part doesn't lead to a resolution, it is not the end of the world and it's not the end of the road. Okay, this is where a I'm sorry, a structured escalation process would come into play. Okay, a structured escalation process. Sometimes it does mean bringing in an internal mediator or maybe a higher management person that you know that might be necessary, but usually it's a last resort. However, the main thing is that everyone already knows this, because the playbook is out there. They all know what steps we're going to take and where we are in the process.
Speaker 2:
The goal is always, always to empower individuals to resolve their differences directly with each other whenever possible. Look, I hate to say it this way, I hate to put it this way, but you are ultimately trying to get them to resolve this as professionals and well, reasonable adults. So, as much as we focus on resolution, prevention is actually the key here. You should provide regular training on communication, emotional intelligence, conflict management, okay, and if you do that, you're equipping your team with the skills they need to handle clashes before they escalate. Now, I didn't say before, you know so they won't begin or they won't ever happen. Look, it's going to happen, but what we're talking about here is giving them the skills and abilities to handle them before they take the next step, before they escalate, and, again, fostering a culture that values different perspectives. That will reduce conflict significantly.
Speaker 2:
It's about you, as a leader, creating an environment where differences are seen not as threats but as opportunities for growth. I love it when someone can sit across the table from me and tell me something they did at another company and we can use that. I love it when someone can tell me a different perspective that I haven't thought of before and it makes perfect sense for whatever we're working on and we can use it. That's amazing and empowering, and if that person didn't have those experiences, we never would have got. Remember, as the leader, your attitude toward conflict will set the tone for your team. Okay, you can show them that disagreement is just a part of collaborative growth. It's not something that we're supposed to fear or avoid. Okay, like Patrick Lencioni says, we like to call it healthy conflict.
Speaker 2:
So let's talk about a conflict resolution process. Starting with a preventative conflict resolution process can and should be just straightforward. Okay, begin with small, manageable steps. One One that I like to use is just to instill regular team check-ins, or clear the air meetings. We call them CTA meetings. Okay, clear the air meetings. These are usually just informal settings, informal meetings where team members they feel safe to voice concerns. Okay, or to resolve misunderstandings early on. Why? Because that's the purpose of the meeting, for one. The second is that the environment for this meeting is a safe one. We are all on the same team tackling problems, not each other team tackling problems, not each other. So if I know I'm going into a CTA meeting, I know this is my opportunity to talk to Larry about whatever it is that's bugging me. I know this is my opportunity to voice something early so that it doesn't have to escalate later on down the line. And I also know, going into it, someone may have something they have to address with me. Okay. So I have to prepare myself to hear that, process that and maybe make a change. Okay.
Speaker 2:
So being a part of these means, as a leader, you have to be vulnerable, you have to be real, you have to be honest. It may mean that you need a second to process it. Somebody may tell you something and you don't know if you agree with it, but you have to process it and say you know what. There may be some truth to that. I'm struggling with it, but you have to process it and say you know what. There may be some truth to that. I've struggled with it, but I'm not saying that it's not something I need to deal with. Just give me a little bit to process that, or you know what can I get with you again tomorrow on this. I just I want to make sure I really process this and and get back with you on it. Okay, Just be real, cause people aren't always going to tell you something that you like.
Speaker 2:
Okay, but if you're a leader who fosters this type of environment, if you're a leader that actually is real and vulnerable with your team, they will tell you things Because they know that you'll act. If you're one of those ego-filled leaders and you know what I say goes which y'all? That's not a leader, that's a boss. If you're one of those, no, your team will not tell you and you're going to always deal with some conflict management and probably not deal with it. Well, we teach each other how to respectfully address situations and each other, okay, and how to have tough conversations in this context. So we've done some training, we've talked about how we're going to have these conversations before we have them, and so when we go into the CTA meetings, I already know, I already know how to have this conversation without being a jerk. I can, I can walk in there and know that I'm going to talk to Larry and I'm just going to be real with him. And again, being real doesn't mean being a jerk.
Speaker 2:
You can, you can name your emotion. Hey, larry man, I want to let you know it did make me a little angry the other day when you whatever it was. Okay, you can name the emotion, but I'm not going to go in there and just, you know guns blazing, you know tear into Larry no, because he's not going to listen. For one and two. You're going to speak out of emotion, you're probably going to say something stupid and that's the last thing you want. Okay, so it is.
Speaker 2:
It is vital that you teach people how to communicate in this setting, and it's also crucial, okay, to be transparent about the process. Everyone needs to know at the very beginning. Let your team know why you're implementing this CTA meeting and how they can and will contribute to a more productive workplace. It'll be more harmonious, it'll be a place they want to be, a place they'll feel safe. Okay, and if you can communicate this effectively and consistently, you're going to find that there is significant buy-in to this process. Okay, remember, this isn't just about fixing problems. It's about building a stronger, more cohesive team that knows how to have healthy conflict. Well, there you have it A lesson on not just resolving conflict, but building a culture where conflict leads to positive outcomes.
Speaker 2:
I want to thank you all for tuning in to the TLD podcast. Please don't forget to subscribe for more insights like the podcast. Share with your friends or whatever the kids are saying these days. Take a screenshot, share it on LinkedIn or social media. If you want to connect with me, my LinkedIn is in the show notes. Also, the Instagram link is in there, but apparently most of you like the LinkedIn version much better, and I'm totally fine with that as well. So until next time, remember, go out there and change conflict into healthy conflict. Why? You know why.
Speaker 1:
Because those are the things that leaders do. Thank you for listening to Things Leaders Do. If you're looking for more tips on how to be a better leader, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and listen to next week's episode. Until next time, keep working on being a better leader by doing the things that leaders do.
