Workplace success through constructive conflict resolution
Posted by Kalani Iwiula on Thu, Dec 02, 2010
With a trend toward increasingly diverse workgroups, conflict in the workplace is becoming more pervasive and unavoidable than ever. However, the negative impact of conflict on the financial and emotional well-being of an organization and its employees can be significantly decreased with effective leadership and a constructive organizational culture that encourages conflict resolution.
Agatha Gilmore, a senior editor for Chief Learning Officer magazine, reports that engaging in or resolving conflict in the workplace consumes anywhere from 25 to 40 percent of a manager’s time. In her article, Gilmore cautions that “conflict results in stress, frustration and anxiety—which, according to the Centre for Conflict Resolution International, can end up costing an organization $1.7 billion in lost work.”
So what’s the solution? According to Gilmore, leaders must be able to model and facilitate positive conflict resolution strategies.
Leadership development is not an easy task, but with the right tools, organizations can provide their leaders with insights into their personal styles and how these styles combine to shape their leadership performance. Multi-rater assessments, such as our Acumen Leadership WorkStyles™ tool, offer leaders a 360° feedback experience and a clear and meaningful direction for growth.
Take a moment to read Gilmore’s article and find out if your organization and leaders are heading in the right direction to build a constructive culture and foster effective conflict resolution.
Special thanks to Meghan Oliver for this article contribution.