Question of the Day: Dealing With Conflict?
Key Question: How Do You Effectively Deal With Conflict?
Part of our mission in leadership development is to be aware of some of the more daunting challenges in our business world. No surprise. Conflict tops the list. Our research brought us to a current best seller by an organization that focuses a lot on mindset and the behaviors supported by that mindset. The Arbinger Institute is the author and is enjoying the success of “The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict”, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, now in 4th printing. In the Preface I found this comment:
“Conflict is ubiquitous. Workplaces, homes, and communities are riddled with it.“
They go on to report not nearly enough people understand what to do about it. A Stanford University Executive Coaching Survey is cited that reports in the business world, company CEOs feel a greater need to improve their conflict management skills than skills of any other type. This is followed by the comment that a study of parents would likely yield similar results. Another perspective on conflict is that it’s not all bad. It’s important that new ideas go through the rigors of evaluation and debate. Conflict often results. Some conflict is desirable. It just needs to be sensitively resolved. Leadership!
This is an interesting leadership area – conflict resolution – and has been the undoing of many a good business when not done well. Here’s a source of knowledge and wisdom that has been one of our guides. “The Anatomy of Peace” by The Arbinger Institute. Their earlier milestone work is “Leadership and Self-Deception”. They are a solid resource of clear and wise business-thinking.
In the first book I cite above, the authors tell of an executive coaching survey published by Stanford University that reveals that company CEOs feel a greater need to improve their conflict management than skills of any other type. And I am certain at the heart of that perspective is the value of healthy relationships that know how to address conflict effectively. And my 50+ years of being in leadership brings me to a strong conclusion that you cannot, over a meaningful time-period, experience positive and robust business results without healthy relationships… and some well facilitated conflict.
It’s the relationship skills, teaming, communication, culture and of course, your business results. Leadership soup! And as one of our great leadership authors says (Pat Lencioni) organizational health trumps everything else in business. There are many styles of leadership that work. The test is - are you getting the right results? The economy will eventually give you the answer, but smart leaders are always figuratively looking “over the horizon” to see if we are “on course”. So, our conclusion here at the Academy is leaders are always evaluating their performance. It’s most effective when you get your leadership team engaged in guarding against performance drift and helps us not only stay on course, but as an important part of our culture, keep looking for ways to get better.
Looking back at my career, some of the most enjoyable times have been the situations where real emotional debate broke out over which idea we should go with. Conflicts of ideas but not personalities. The best ideas should win, not the strongest personalities. We can show you the type of leadership models that help you bring out the best, address conflict and reinforce healthy cultures….and business results. To learn more about the Academy of Family Business, our curriculum and coaches, please email us at: info@myAFB.org