Conflict-Busting

  Career Development   Communications Management   New Practitioners   ProjectsAtWork  

Putting out fires is an all-too-common job requirement for many project managers. If you are struggling with resolving conflicts on your team, here are some tips for turning those emotionally charged disputes into productive conversations.

Disagreements, disputes and honest differences are normal in any project. When these normal occurrences are treated as opportunities for exploring new ideas or solutions, they can become catalysts for increased energy and productivity. Getting to that place starts with an honest discussion, according to Steven Dinkin, president of the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) and co-author with Barbara Filner and Lisa Maxwell of The Exchange: A Bold and Proven Approach to Resolving Workplace Conflict.

The Exchange supplies readers with proven tools for resolving emotionally charged disputes. It is based on a four-stage, structured process 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 NCRC mediators for more than 25 years and includes constructive techniques to use in face-to-face meetings with disputing or disruptive employees. Project managers can use this process to break down barriers — and to create changes that have a positive effect on their teams.

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