Tips for having conflict-busting conversations in workplace
By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 17 August 2011, 20:48 IST
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Bangalore: A long-time consultant is offended by something a new salesperson said on a conference call and is threatening to leave. And an employee in marketing is furious about being passed over for a promotion in favor of her coworker and is trying to discredit her. These are just a couple of examples of the workplace conflicts that take up 42 percent of the typical manager's time. The trick to moving past these conflicts and on to increased productivity for everyone at your organization, says Steven Dinkin, knows how to broach the topics in a way that leads to improved working relationships. Dinkin knows what he is talking about. He, Filner, and Maxwell have spent years heading up the National Conflict Resolution Center. Their new book supplies readers with proven tools for resolving emotionally charged disputes. The Exchange itself is a four-stage, structured process specifically designed to encourage discussion of all the issues in dispute- even the intense, emotional issues- in ways that are more productive than a gripe session. It derives from the conflict resolution model used successfully by National Conflict Resolution Center mediators for more than 25 years and includes constructive techniques to use in face-to-face meetings with disputing or disruptive employees. You can use this process to break down barriers- and to create changes that have a positive effect on your whole workforce. It's important to note that The Exchange was designed by mediators for managers. Managers learn a structure and skills similar to those mediators know and use, but it also takes into account managers' responsibilities, both to their companies and their employees The following tips- excerpted from The Exchange- will teach you how to turn your next meeting with conflicting employees into a productive conversation. Start with an icebreaker

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