Joyce Weiss

I work with organizations and individuals who want to kick conflict and chaos to the curb - Queen of Conflict Resolution and Communication Coach

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Why Conflict in The Workplace Research Matters: Part Three

If you are a senior level executive can you relate with any of the questions below?

  • How successfully does your organization resolve conflict in the workplace?
  • Do you have to deal with strong egos from colleagues or upper management?
  • Are your managers empowered to handle conflict in the workplace?
  • Is morale an issue that never seems to improve?

If so, this article (third in the series) contains strategies that may help you solve these challenges.
Don’t worry if you didn’t read the first two articles.  You will find the links towards the end.

Conflict in the Workplace for Senior Level Executives

I asked the following questions to senior level executives:conflict in the workplace

  • What areas can help improve communication and morale?
  • What are the barriers that stop your team from performing well?
  • How can senior level executives support managers and directors?

Here are some of their answers:

  • I’m not sure if we have the right team in place, yet firing is such an issue.
  • We need to train our managers, but we aren’t getting a training budget.
  • We have some big egos in upper management, and this is creating a lack of trust in certain departments.

Solutions to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace for Senior Level Executives conflict in the workplace

1.  I’m not sure if we have the right team in place, yet firing is such an issue.
Ask your managers to dig deep by asking their direct reports what positions would showcase their skills.
This could be an easy fix when employees find departments that are best suited for their needs.
Teach your managers and directors to have those tough conversations with mediocre employees to resolve conflict in the workplace.

2.  We need to train our managers, but we aren’t getting a training budget.
Ask your managers and directors to explore online training programs.
Purchase books about advanced management or technology and conduct book reviews at meetings.

3.  We have some big egos in upper management, and this creates a lack of trust in certain departments.
This comes up during many of my coaching sessions.  I always tell my clients that this is a tough one to solve at times.  It all depends on how open upper management is to constructive feedback.

Here is an example of a successful communication from a very daring client of mine, Sue.  She was upset that her ideas were discounted at a management meeting.  These are her actual words:
“I was embarrassed when I shared my ideas at the team meeting because they were strongly rejected without any explanation.  I understand that all ideas can’t be accepted by top leadership.  There is silence in many of our meetings because the team doesn’t feel listened to by leadership.”

After this strong and important comment was made, Sue was taken very seriously and she received the respect she deserved.
   

Let’s Get Real About Conflict in the Workplace

The comments above are typical of many of my clients.  All levels of an organization share their frustration and they want to resolve this conflict in the workplace.  The challenge arises when there is no trust or employees attempt to convey ideas to their leaders and nothing changes. Senior level executives need to make sure that their managers and directors communicate in a way where their direct reports feel heard.  Do a search on my blog for numerous articles on these topics.

Read the first article in the series, “Why Conflict in the Workplace Research Matters:  Part One.”

Read the second article in the series,“Why Conflict in the Workplace Research Matters:  Part Two.”

I want to hear from you

Send me an Email with your questions or comments on your frustrations and conflict in the workplace. You will receive a response from me because I enjoy connecting with my loyal readers!  🙂

Please share this and any article that speaks to you or your company.
Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts.  Help us help them reduce conflict and improve leadership skills and quality of life.

Read more articles and listen to podcasts at our Knowledge Base Page, Conflict in the Workplace, here.

This is Joyce Weiss, Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

Until next time, Remember…“You Get What You Tolerate!”

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Why Conflict in the Workplace Research Matters: Part Two

If you are a manager or director, do you compare your conflict in the workplace with other managers or directors?
Would you like to find out what issues other managers experience?
Do you want to learn strategies how you can resolve some of your conflicts?

If so, the next two articles are for you.  They contain information I gathered from recent workshops on Resolving Conflict in the Workplace.  Let me know your specific stress so I can write about topics that fit your needs.

Read the first article in the series “Why Conflict in the Workplace Research Matters: Part One.”

Conflict in the Workplace for Managers and Directorsconflict in the workplace

I asked the following questions to managers and directors:

  • Where do you need support from senior level executives?
  • How would you rate the productivity of your meetings?
  • What do you need from upper management to help you achieve company goals?
  • What conflict in the workplace issues do you experience?

Here are some of their answers:

  • I need more staff because my team and I are all stretched to the max.  They tell us that they can’t afford to hire, but we’re all frustrated and the customers are starting to complain.
  • Star employees are leaving because we are not addressing their training issues.
  • Many of our leaders don’t know how to conduct a meeting; consequently, many meetings are a waste of time.
  • How can we reach company goals if I have to continually put out fires for my team?

Solutions to Resolve Conflict in the Workplace for Managers and Directors

  1. I need more staff because my team and I are all stretched to the max.  They tell us that they can’t afford to hire, but we’re all frustrated and the customers are starting to complain
  • Upper management needs to know about customer complaints.
  • Meet with other managers and directors.
  • Find solid evidence on how much the company is losing by not hiring qualified employees.

      2.  Star employees are leaving because we’re not addressing their training issues.

  • Ask them to find online courses that interest them if training and continuous improvement are on their list.
  • Proact and meet with star employees to discover what the company needs to keep them motivated.

   3.  Many of our leaders don’t know how to conduct a meeting and so many meetings are waste of time.conflict in the workplace

  • Amazon has are numerous books on How to Conduct Productive Meetings.
  • Purchase a few copies and conduct book reviews.
  • Each team leader will share what new strategies they learned and discuss these gems.
  • Ask employees how leaders can improve meetings.  This constructive feedback will be very helpful if it’s done with the right intent-positive feedback and not sarcasm!

4.  How can we reach company goals if I have to continually put out fires for my team?

  • Delegate to your team leaders.
  • Train them to resolve the conflict between employees or with customers.
  • This will allow you to work on company goals and free up your time to do what you need to do.

Let’s Get Real About Conflict in the Workplace

The comments above are typical of many of my clients who are managers and directors.  All levels of an organization share their frustration and they want to resolve this conflict in the workplace.  I suggest that you conduct your own research with your employees.  Take the ideas from the articles in this series as a starting point for your own issues to discuss.

I want to hear from you

Send me an Email with your questions or comments on your frustrations and conflict in the workplace. You will receive a response from me because I enjoy connecting with my loyal readers!  🙂

Please share this and any article that speaks to you or your company.  Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts.  Help us help them reduce conflict and improve leadership skills and quality of life.

Read the first article in the series “Why Conflict in the Workplace Research Matters: Part One.”

This is Joyce Weiss, Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

Learn how I can leverage my 30+ years of communication and leadership consulting and coaching experience to help your organization address career skills here.

Until next time, Remember…”You Get What You Tolerate!”

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Why Conflict in The Workplace Research Matters: Part One

Do you compare your conflict in the workplace with colleagues or family members?
Would you like to find out what keeps your peers up at night?
Do you want to be a fly on the wall when I interview clients about their stress?

If so, the next few articles are for you.  They contain information I gathered from recent workshops on Resolving Conflict in the Workplace.  Let me know your specific stress so I can write about topics that fit your needs.

Conflict in the Workplace for Individual Employees

I asked the following questions to individual employees:

  • What do you need to improve your quality of life and working conditions?
  • What are frustrations that you experience?
  • How would you rate your level of being heard at meetings?
  • How does the company address conflict in the workplace?

These are some of their answers:

  • Spend more time with my family.
  • We are doing way too much and the quality is suffering.
  • I’m not heard at meetings.
  • I tried to share ideas and was shut down so I just sit there.

Solutions to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace for Individual Employees

1. Spend more time with family.
Give suggestions to management about what other companies are doing to help employees balance work and home.
Discuss the option of working from home 1-2 days a week.
Find on-line stress management programs.
Bring in a local speaker during lunch and learn programs.

2.  We are doing way too much and the quality suffers.
Give management suggestions on better ways to save time.
Check out the MI LEAN Consortium for resources on productivity.

3.  I’m not heard at meetings.
Let’s start with the obvious-make sure and speak loud enough to be heard.
If possible look at the meeting agenda and think about solutions to company challenges.

4.  I tried to share ideas but was shut down so I just sit there.
The following strategy may work if you have a good working relationship with your boss.
“I don’t want to be insubordinate.  I do want to discuss a concern of mine.
I was embarrassed when my ideas were strongly rejected at the meeting because it seems like some management doesn’t want our feedback.”

Let’s Get Real About Conflict in the Workplace

The comments above are typical of many of my clients.

All levels of an organization share their frustration and they want to resolve this conflict in the workplace.  The challenge arises when there is no trust or employees attempt to convey ideas to their leaders and nothing changes.

Stay tuned.  The next few articles will contain information I gathered about managers and senior level executives.  I promise to cover solutions to many of these frustrations.

Watch my video on Working with a Bad Boss

I want to hear from you

Send me an Email with your questions or comments on your frustrations and conflict in the workplace. You will receive a response from me because I enjoy connecting with my loyal readers!  🙂

Please share this and any article that speaks to you or your company.
Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts.  Help us help them reduce conflict and improve leadership skills and quality of life.

LEARN MORE how Joyce can help your company eliminate destructive conflict in the workplace here.

 

This is Joyce Weiss, Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

Until next time, Remember…”You Get What You Tolerate!”

 

 

 

 

 

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Powerful Leadership Skills to Build Trust at Work

Effective CommunicationDo you want to improve your leadership skills and communication?

Is your team disengaged?

Do employees push back?

Are you rescuing employees instead of having them take care of their own conflict at work?

The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them –
Ernest Hemingway

This article covers frustrations that my clients experience at work. I interview clients before each coaching program or workshop and specific patterns are apparent.

What are Some Leadership Frustrations?


Top level leaders are exhausted because they are taking over the responsibility from their directors or managers who are not having tough conversations with their team.

The same communication issues occur and nothing seems to get resolved.

Why Does This Happen?

As you know many managers/directors are not trained sufficiently on how to deal with tough conversations. The untrained managers know their job responsibilities. Employee push-back, gossip or any conflict are all issues that they want their boss to resolve.

How Can Top Managers Improve their Leadership Skills?

Top level leaders must have that tough conversation even if their senior staff pushes back and says, “I’m too busy to have productive conversations with employees.” Everyone is busy. It’s the responsibility of upper management to empower the entire team so they feel safe and to solve their own “drama” with bullies, narcissists, or low productive employees. At times leaders need to help managers or team members if a resolution is not found.

Specifically, What Can You DO to Change?

Stop rescuing your team by taking over their job responsibilities especially if your communication skills are excellent. This is your time to train managers and directors to do this on their own. You may think that I’m sounding like MRS. Tough Gal. I’m not. I hear complaints daily about employee morale and some leaders are in a rut and continue this same pattern.

Whose Responsibility is it Anyway?

Everyone’s – not just top leaders, the entire team. It will take you longer to resolve this conflict in the workplace if there’s no trust or lack of training programs. But it’s solvable. Recognize that there is a conflict with communication in your organization and do something immediately.

What Resources Do You Have for Us to Improve Our Leadership Skills?

I want to hear from you

Send me an E-mail describing the frustrations and stress that you experience at work with colleagues or leaders?

Please share this and any article that speaks to you or your company.

Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts to reduce conflict and improve leadership skills.

This is Joyce Weiss, Executive and Career Coach

Please visit our FAQ page to discover how our services can help your improve your organization’s communication?

Until next time, Remember…“You Get What You Tolerate!”

PS. Read my article on How to Set Boundaries at Work

Contact Joyce

Email: joyce@joyceweiss.com
Phone: 248-681-5831