Tag: leadership
How Much Can the Boss Do About Workplace Conflict?
Executives ask me frequently: Why do they have to get involved in their subordinates’ conflicts? Why don’t they just work these things out themselves like adults instead of acting like they’re in high school? After... Continue readingHow to Get Back to Business After a Conflict
After a conflict, when you’re working your way toward agreement, with mutual respect and the necessary data in hand, a kind of horse-trading often takes place: “I’m willing to compromise on these dates and give... Continue readingHow to Use Facts and Opinions to Defuse Conflict
Last week’s post on reconciliation in the midst of conflict, looked for mutually held purposes and values that opponents could use as a foundation for conversation, and encouraged the practice of focused listening and empathy... Continue readingHow to Use Shared Values and Empathy to Defuse Conflict
Last week’s post on workplace conflict looked at the impact of personal differences and style as well as the roles that different individuals might take in instigating or sustaining a conflict. The next step in... Continue readingWhy Conflict Happens at Work, and How You Can Think About It
We all experience conflict on the job. Just the act of trying to coordinate activities with others -- or, actually, any attempt at working together -- can trigger conflict, even if everyone involved cares about... Continue reading
You Can Coach Your Boss: 3 Powerful Uses of the Platinum Rule
“Can you give advice for those with managers who fit these descriptions?” A discerning reader posed that question after reading my last two blogs, How 3 Leaders’ Mistakes Undermined Their Leadership, and How to Use... Continue reading
How to Use The Platinum Rule to Engage Employees
Remember Silvia, Ophelia, and Felix, from last week’s blog -- the senior execs who were turning off members of their staffs? This post will show how we adjusted these execs’ behavior to match the realities... Continue reading
How 3 Leaders’ Mistakes Undermined Their Leadership
All in the same week, I had the opportunity to deal with three very different senior managers. Each was responsible for a different organizational function, and each had a different leadership style. And yet all... Continue reading