This week I’ve been thinking a lot about conflict. Mostly though I’ve been thinking about how we perceive conflict as either destructive or productive. I realize that productive conflict sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s the way we view conflict in our organizations and in our lives that really determines the outcomes we get when conflict arises.
Conflict in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Set your personal experience aside for a minute and think about it.
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If you were to show me an organization where there is zero conflict, I mean none at all.
I would then share with you an organization where people have mentally checked out and no one seems to care anymore.
Anytime you have smart passionate people that are invested in their organizations and what they do, they’re not always going to agree. Even in the best organizations and the best relationships there’s going to be conflict. Effective people and effective leaders take that conflict and turn it into something positive.
So let’s talk about conflict in your world.
How do you manage a disagreement between two parties? Yourself and someone else.
How do you navigate a situation where one party hasn’t really lived up to the end of the bargain or has let the other side down in some way?
Do you handle it in a respectful way that creates accountability, or do you demonstrate anger and frustration?
How do you negotiate an agreement where neither party is going to get everything they want but both parties will get something?
Can you create a win-win scenario where there’s compromise and negotiation, leaving both of you satisfied with the outcome.?
That’s productive conflict and that’s really what sets apart High Performing Leaders and high performing organizations from everyone else. The next time you engage in what you think might be conflict, ask yourself-
How am I perceiving the situation?
What is the outcome I’m looking for and how do I need to behave in that situation in order to achieve that outcome?
Conflict doesn’t have to be negative, it’s all in how we perceive that conflict and manage it.
That’s What will allow you to get to your next level.
Until next time
Cheers to you and your continued success
And navigating conflict productively
One Quarter Turn at a Time
Some Quotes About Conflict:
An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.
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It is more rewarding to resolve a conflict, then dissolve a relationship. -Josh McDowell
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. -Albert Einstein
Looking forward to our next connection
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