Do you find yourself having to play referee, psychologist, and parent to get others to "play well in the sandbox?” Productivity in the workplace is diminished greatly when conflict exists. Whether the conflict is between someone(s) on your team and an external customer or between internal customers (co-workers), the results can be significant and long lasting. This webinar will look at ways to resolve conflict quickly and effectively, and how to help avoid conflict by establishing a less contentious atmosphere that fosters more teamwork and (internal & external) customer service. Different personality types, workplace cultures, and responsibilities/goals can cause conflict between reasonable, professional, “nice” people. If conflict is a reality in your world, this presentation will help you resolve it. We will begin by identifying some of the many dynamics within which conflict can exist, realizing some of the contributors that lead to or cause conflict, and looking at the costs that can be associated with lingering, unresolved conflict. Without this initial shift of perspective, people often don’t see how imperative it is to address conflict and may not even realize the activators. This webinar will discuss the importance of identifying the involved parties, and separating them from the “innocent” observers, who often just want to see a fight. This usually helps to calm emotions and leads to our next topic...open, constructive communication. Participants will learn strategies to be more effective with their own ability to communicate, and ways that they can facilitate productive exchanges between team members.

Once we have laid that foundation, we will then move to a platform for conducting a productive and professional confrontation. Though the term confrontation often takes on the context of high emotion and a heated exchange, if done correctly, this does not have to mean an altercation. By applying the ideas you will learn in this portion of the presentation, it can remain conversational, and will allow everyone involved to feel like they‘ve been heard, and perhaps, to really hear the other person for the first time. Now that the lines of communication are flowing, we will establish three very important distinctions about what we want to accomplish as a result of the process. By identifying these objectives, participants will be better equipped to ensure the conflict gets resolved, and not just dragged out into the open. Finally, we will look at ways to foster an atmosphere that helps prevent disagreements from escalating into conflict. By eliminating old mindsets and grudges, leaders (regardless of their position) can help create an environment where team members can hold different perspectives, employ different approaches to problem solving, and even agree to disagree on certain things without holding onto any frustration they may experience. 

By incorporating these strategies, teams will experience higher productivity, create greater customer satisfaction, and enjoy work more, while reducing stress and turnover.