DEALING WITH CONFLICT IN THE WORKPLACE EXPLORING CONFLICTS Conflict means: A state of disharmony. To be opposed: differ. AT WORK What conflicts do you observe at work? THE NATURE OF CONFLICT Conflict is natural; neither positive nor negative, it just is. Nature uses conflict as its primary motivator for change. Conflict can be a symptom of another problem. It s not whether you have conflict; it s what you do with that conflict that makes a difference. 1
ABOUT CONFLICT EFFECTS OF CONFLICT IN THE WORKPLACE A conflict is not a contest. Winning and losing are goals for games, not for conflicts. Conflict can produce positive alternatives. Resolving conflict is rarely about who is right. It is about acknowledgement and appreciation of differences. Conflicts are inevitable. What is the cost of conflict? Productivity Time Energy Job satisfaction Turnover What else? Any Benefits? Negative Effects Customer service Difficult People or Different People? CELEBRATE DIFFERENCES & DIVERSITY! BEHAVIORS OF CONFLICT Practice Tolerance! How can differences bring positives to the work environment? What do we have in common? What do you see happening? Disagreements Yelling Crying Facial expression: eyes rolling, shaking head Body language> storming around, posture avoidance What don t you see happening? prompt response cooperation enthusiasm support Looks and feels like the same behaviors associated with resistance to change 2
BEHAVIORS OF CONFLICT What is the reason for the behavior? How do life experiences impact behavior? Does the person have the ability to control the behavior? Is it really about you? RESISTANCE MEETS WITH RESISTANCE! Emotional Reflexology A movement away from cooperation that involuntarily arises when conflict escalates. Blaming Secrecy Repressed feelings Anger QUESTIONS What is going to cause the conflict & what triggered the behavior? Can I help manage, relieve or resolve the situation? How, when and where can I address this with the person to solve and/ or prevent problems? Has the person acted this way in similar situations? Am I acting appropriately to the situation? BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL! Use coaching phrases: Be a good coach You must be frustrated and I can understand. Let s separate.sort through what is going here As we work through solutions please refrain from the.behaviors that not helping 3
RETAIN CONTROL MODEL THE RIGHT BEHAVIOR You have the most control over your actions and reactions! What can you do to exercise control over your involvement? How can you help others exercise control? How can you help manage the conflict? Don t respond too quickly or in some cases, do not respond at all. Step back/away to give the person a chance to calm down. Avoid difficult behaviors that the person wants or expects from you. Talk up to the person not down to them. OUTSIDE RESOURCES Re-direct them to someone else that may be able to address the behavior. Direct them to support services, community-based/health-care organizations, authorities, family, peers, etc. What are their choices for more help/support? COACHING CONFLICT BETWEEN OTHERS Communicate the organization s expectations for performance and behavior. Communicate in a forthright, thorough, consistent manner. Use good coaching skills Coping and problem-solving skills are learned behaviors. 4
PROBLEM-SOLVING STEPS CHECKLIST PROBLEM SOLVING Identify/State/Define the Problem. Determine the intended outcome. Generate ideas for solving the problem. Select best ideas and develop a plan to solve the problem/resolve the conflict. Find the right words, time, and place. Be proactive when problems can be avoided. Don t get into a power struggle. Step back to assess/understand what is happening. Give careful thought to your reaction and how you are going to proceed. Use your knowledge of why people may be exhibiting difficult behavior to formulate your planned response. Apply your problem-solving skills. BOTTOM LINE OUTCOME STRESS MANAGEMENT Ask for help from a third party. Agree to disagree. Let go and move on! Stress management is an important coping strategy for managing conflict. 5
THE PERSON TYPES OF CONFLICTS Separate: the person from the problem the person from the behavior the behavior from the problem 1 Daily Events 2 Ongoing Struggles 3 Big Battles 19 15 ASK QUESTIONS Take a step back and explore > Ask yourself good questions Investigate with the other party or parties> Ask them good questions What is really going on to cause or contribute to the conflict? Ask Questions! Understanding Today s Workforce What gets employees engaged in their work? How do generational differences impact the way employees approach their work? What motivates today s workforce? 24 6
WHAT IS WORKER ENGAGEMENT? An "engaged employee" is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about their work, and thus will act in a way that furthers their organization s interests. LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT Level 1: Least Engaged just a job necessary inconvenience a way of earning money to reach personal goals and enjoy themselves outside of work. Level 2: Somewhat Engaged sees their work as a career enjoys being affiliated with the organization. works toward increased pay, status and rewards that come as they work up the career ladder. 25 HIGHEST LEVEL INDICATORS Level 3: Most Engaged considers work as a calling believe that the work contributes to the greater good makes the world a better place Because of this sense of a calling, people in this group have: The workplace What are indicators that an employee is engaged in your organization? 1. close identification with the team and customers/patients/consumers. 2. have less conflict. 3. trust management more. What are indicators that an employee is engaged in your organization? 7
WHAT DRIVES ENGAGEMENT Being on the same page Aligned with mission/purpose Working toward common goals What else?? WORKPLACE DIVERSITY Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. Diversity encompasses: age personality/temperament gender education race experience ethnic groups and cultures skills/abilities BENEFITS OF DIVERSITY GENERATIONAL THINGS Benefits of workplace diversity to enhance success and competitiveness: Broader recruitment and service range. Support diverse customer service needs. Variety of viewpoints. Broader solutions to problem solving. Increased engagement and increased retention. Remember? 8 tracks, vinyl records, phone booths, rotary phone, skate keys, encyclopedias Drive-ins, cassettes, push mowers The milk man & milk in glass bottles House calls by doctors Typewriters, carbon paper 8
NEW THINGS GENERATIONS Home computers, internet, memory stick Digital cameras Smart phones Satellite television Debit cards IPAD Apple watch Tracking devices GPS Clouds Understanding Generations A Generation is: A group of contemporaries: all of the people who were born at approximately the same time, considered as a group. Managers and supervisors, regardless of age, often portray traits of more than one generation. GENERATIONS Traditional 65+ (born before 1946) Baby Boomers 48-65 (born 1946-1964) Generation X 31-47 (born 1965-1981) Generation Y 18-30 (born 1982-1994) TRADITIONALISTS Over 65. Frugal. Put duty before pleasure. Single family income. 1 or 2 employers in their career. Traditional work structure and traditional family. Still in the workforce. 9
BABY BOOMERS GENERATION X Age 48-65. Non-traditional work structure. Dual career families. More interest in work-life balance. Sandwich generation. Increased use of technology. Multiple employers and 2 nd /3 rd careers. Strong loyalty to work. May need to work longer than planned. Age 31-47. Evaluating the benefits of dual careers and having it all. Place more value on independence, education and parenting than work. Strong emphasis on balance in their lives as they raise families. Willing to become diversified in skills that are transferable to employment that best meets their needs. High use of technology, TV generation. Multiple (perhaps many) employers and 2 nd /3 rd careers. Less likely to put work first. Want work to be interesting and fun. Y GENERATION (MILLENNIALS) TIPS Age 18-30. High exposure to and respect for diverse life styles and cultures. The computer & internet generation. Want more flexibility, embrace telecommuting and may prefer part time work in order to care for children. Accustomed to immediate results and multi-tasking. Seek creative challenges and assignments that provide a sense of ownership in their jobs. Many employers, careers and diversified ways to earn an income. Want work to be interesting and fun. Tips for fostering engagement among generations. Focus more on how we are alike and not different. What do we have in common? What are our common goals? Foster an attitude of openness. Promote acceptance for more creative problem solving through open-mindedness to ideas of others. Celebrate Differences! 10
The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it. Elaine Agather QUOTE WORKPLACE STRESS Common Causes of Stress in the Workplace You cannot eliminate stress in the workplace but You Can lower your stress level if you: 1. Prioritize your workload 2. Learn to delegate 3. Learn to manage your time. 4. Break large projects or assignments down into manageable pieces. 5. One of the biggest causes of stress in the workplace is noise and confusion. STAFF STRESS WHAT CAN MANAGEMENT DO? Staff Stress can be broken into three causes 1. How they do the job 2. How the job/ management treats them 3. Issues outside work Find multiple solutions Allow input Approach the problem and the solutions professionally Be sure that they have the equipment that they need Uphold the standard that employees be nice to each other Insist on a civil workplace Express appreciation and teach others to do so Encourage staff 11
ATTITUDES AND STRESS THE BOTTOM LINE Accept the things that you cannot do anything about Accept that change is part of living Agree that you cannot change people s personalities Be a little more forgiving and Be Happy Decide to smile more Support your team Discourage gripping and gossiping Leave work problems at work and home at home Stress is directly tied to poor time management Laughter truly is the best medicine Share your stress Know your limits Take care of yourself Make time for fun Create quiet Check off your tasks BENEFITS OF COACHING WHY NOT Makes your job easier because employees acquire the right skills for the job. Enables you to delegate responsibilities and empower your employees. Builds your reputation as a manager who both drives for results and develops people. Increases employees commitment to results, because they know what the performance expectations are and how to achieve them. Develops collaboration between team members because positive recognition and feedback are given. Helps improve the quality of employees work. If Coaching is so good, so beneficial to everyone involved, why don t we do it daily, or at least more often than we do now? 12
REASONS HALF THE BATTLE Time Other demands Lack of confidence on the part of the coach Not seeing yourself as a coach Not being asked by management to be a coach Concern over how your offer to coach will be received Lack of formal support of a coaching program, materials, process, etc. Uncomfortable, especially when addressing sensitive issues Also: We resist coaching on some issues because we feel employees should do their job with constant coaching! Finding the right words Communicating expectations Be direct about exactly what is expected of team members. Work with employees to fully develop their potential. Find ways to personally engage each individual. Convey the realities of the demands of today s workplace. Inspect what you expect. Give specific feedback and coaching to each worker on a regular basis to let them know how they are performing. COACHABLE MOMENTS BASIC NEEDS Coachable moments occur when employees exhibit any one of these: Performance results (below, equal to & above standards) Task/role progression Innovation and creativity Interest in advancement People have 3 basic human needs that motivate them to do good work. Need to be informed. Need to have input. Need to feel appreciated! 13
ISSUES BRAINSTORMING Work Habits/Attitude Issues Look at employee relationships. What is happening in their personal life? Are they bored or experiencing some symptoms of burnout? Review understanding and commitment to the company values, standards and goals. Set clear expectations for behavior & work habits! We do it, but we don t know it We don t do it, but we should We don t know how to do it well 14