business lessons learned from conflict
Since launching this blog in 2004, I’ve visited and revisited the topic of conflict here a number of times. Although radiating from the same hub proposition – that it’s vital for lawyers to learn how to handle conflicts they regularly encounter as participants or neutral managers – each commentary offers a slightly different take on this important theme.
The conflict coverage at legal sanity to date includes:
- The importance of understanding our attitude about conflict
- The high costs of everyday conflicts
- Listening as a vital conflict resolution skill
- Conflicts as opportunities for personal growth
Continuing the conversation on conflict are two posts from a new-to-me blog called Client Service Insights (CSI). Both posts consider the ripple effects of coworker conflicts. The first one makes the apt observation that “how we treat one another as employees in the workplace, whether it's in front of the client or not, can have a direct impact on our ability to deliver truly excellent service to our clients.”
The second post highlights the point that not all workplace conflicts are bad for business. “Good conflict” is the byproduct of people’s passion about something they’ve created. According to the piece, this kind of dialogue-infused dispute provides a “fantastic learning experience” that “almost always results in taking a team's collective thinking to the next level.”
In an interview at Mediate.com, conflict and communication skills trainer Judy Ringer weighs in with some practical tips for improving our ability to handle workplace conflcit. Professional service consultant David Maister also adds his voice to the chorus with a very thoughtful post on Repairing Fences. Maister recognizes that the ability to step back, pause and put things in perspective in the face of relationship discord is a very valuable, albeit often elusive, talent.
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