Dealing with Conflict in Leadership

Transcription

1 Dealing with Conflict in Leadership C L A R E H I L L, C E O & T A L W Y N W H E T T E R, H E A D O F G L O B A L S O L U T I O N S & S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y W E C O N N E C T I N T E R N A T I O N A L E U R O P E C O N F E R E N C E 2015

2 Purpose of this Session Being a resilient leader means that you will have to deal with conflict which manifests itself in different shapes and forms. This session will explore ways to help you to identify and manage conflict. It will use role-play and YOUR real life examples to equip you with an understanding of how conflict can be a positive driver for change.

3 Session Plan 1. Definition and causes of conflict 2. Emotional Intelligence - What pushes your buttons? 3. Managing personal conflict 4. Managing team conflict 5. Top tips as a leader managing conflict in your teams

4 Observing Conflict

5 8 Causes of Conflict (Bell and Hart, 2000)

6 Male/Female Responses to Conflict WOMEN Choose CONFLICT AVOIDANCE strategies more Get involved in the conflicts of others through LOYALTY, SYMPATHY, or as MEDIATOR Are expected to be NICE so if conflict occur, negativity can be heightened MEN See conflict as an opportunity to ASSERT THEMSELVES either as the boss or as having the better ideas/suggestions Can be more CHALLENGING in the workplace without associated negative connotations

7 OBJECTIVES To recognise our emotional hot buttons To understand the barriers our emotions can create To learn to control our emotions

8 Managing personal conflict Top tips Take a breath a few seconds might give you time to reflect on your response and the cause of your conflict Look at yourself is your body language contributing to the tension? Communicate clearly and assertively (not aggressively), be direct but not abrupt. Be open and flexible: seek solutions and ask questions rather than delivering statements. Don t bring too much emotion into the conversation: assess whether they are appropriate to this conversation Can you control or influence what is happening? If not, let it go.

9 Team Conflict Role Play In Three s: 1 x Employee 1 x Manager 1 x Observer Manager and employee: read the relevant scenario card and using all your acting skills engage with each other! Observer: when the scenario is over, outline some ways that you, as a leader, might help resolve this conflict or identify positive opportunities from this.

10 Team Conflict Top Tips Know your team and their working styles: from personality types to whether they are a morning person or not, can really help you get the most from the people in your team. Timing is everything: can people in your team work this out for themselves? Can you coach each party to get to a resolution without your being involved. Getting involved too early or too late can have unintended consequences (showing favouritism, escalating non-issues, weakness). Provide regular, informal feedback: this can be both positive and constructive i.e. I really like the way you challenge me in meetings, but I think that others might find you a little intimidating. Can we work on how you might use that positively Encourage open, safe challenge: to create real opportunities, process or product improvements, better working relationships, more empowered teams. Define your team boundaries and behaviours: clearly communicating what is acceptable can make conflict harder and constructive dialogue more common.

11 Closing Thoughts Know your team - invest time in understanding working styles of your peers Set the precedent for 'challenge' within your organisation that will help minimise the negative connotations of conflict. Make it okay to call time on discussions and take time out to reflect. Communications - make transparent, open communication the norm Respect - critical in ensuring debate can be healthy Face the issue quickly