Leadership Competency 8: Dealing with Conflicting Ideas

In any organization, it is inevitable that people will occasionally clash in ways that are uncomfortable and distracting for the whole team. Sometimes, the most effective teams are made up of people who have strong opinions and very healthy egos! Other times, your best performers can present the biggest management challenge. Unfortunately, personal problems and character issues also manifest themselves in the workplace. We are all human, and we bring our human frailties and issues to work with us.

The presence of conflict is not what causes problems; rather, it is how the conflict is addressed that can create disruptions in work flow, communication breakdowns, and stressed relationships.

Think of when you go to the gym to exercise. A good workout will leave your body in conflict – achy muscles, sore legs, and a desire to collapse! But the pain is only temporary and in the end it is good for your body to help it grow stronger. So it is with conflict. When conflict is managed wisely and responsibly, it can actually strengthen trust and cooperation within the team.

An arena where conflicting ideas or views are handled appropriately is a place where learning truly occurs. Your ability to manage these views plays a large part in how those you lead respect you. Do you try to silence those that disagree, or do you encourage discussion to find out the source of the conflict? Conflict and confrontation is inevitable. What is your plan?

Objectives:

During this course you will:

• Review Birkman assessment results
• Identify areas for improvement
• Engage in active discussion
• Practice examples in role plays and activities
• Create specific action items to put into practice immediately

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Encourage others to express conflicting or competing points of view
• Speak out on important issues
• Win the confidence of others by dealing fairly with other points of view
• Listen without interrupting
• Work to reach decisions that include the benefits of other points of view

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