Expectations for Conflict Resolution

First, ask yourself...
Is everyone on your team in agreement as to how to approach a conflict?

Conflicts in the workplace don't just appear out of the blue. They are typically caused by what is known as a normal difference, which includes things such as: a difference in opinion, difference in goals, difference in communication styles, difference in past experiences, a difference in motivation, etc. When working side by side with other human beings, normal differences are common and often unavoidable. But in order to help reduce the number of these normal differences that turn into full-blown conflicts, it's vital for everyone to be on the same page as to how to handle them when they do come up!

How should you approach someone you don't agree with? How quickly should you make the confrontation? Should you involve others, or go right to the source? What sorts of things should you personally consider prior to approaching the person in the first place? The above questions were just a few potential expectations that when determined, communicated, and agreed upon by the team will help to stop the normal differences from turning into something much more disruptive.

These normal differences can't be counted on to work themselves out. It is vital to have agreed-upon expectations and even a formal process in place as to how to approach others when a normal difference occurs, and then how to work it out to ensure that both parties are happy with the result.

Setting Expectations to help with Productivity

First, ask yourself...
Do expectations (or lack thereof) influence your team's effectiveness or productivity?

Today's organization is run (and structured) much differently than that of years past. Organizations today are MUCH more interdependent - meaning other people and other departments play a role (sometimes a significant one) helping one another accomplish ultimate goals. We interact with more people in many more areas of the organization as well- we are no longer confined to our silos within our respective departments or locations/branches. Finally, it is much more common today to "bounce around" within one company due to broader job descriptions, the desire to have cross-functional skills and employees, and the increase of technology.

The above are just a few reasons why having clear expectations for our teams is so vital. These expectations are referred to as Team Operating Norms (TONs). A few examples of common TONs are: the way members of the team approach conflict, the process for meetings, how we give/receive feedback, and how we communicate with each other.

TONs help to ensure that any new members joining the team (whether the stay will be permanent or simply for a single project) are crystal clear on expectations, and understand how to interact with the other members of the team - especially when the new team members are already used to working and interacting in a DIFFERENT way based on their last job or team. And don't forget, TONs also help to significantly increase productivity, strengthen relationships, and enhance the effectiveness of communication amongst the current members of the team!

Promote Open Communication With Your Employees!

First, ask yourself...
Would you like your employees to feel more encouraged to share their ideas and opinions?

We are all familiar with the concept of "walking the talk" which means to follow through on what we say because in reality, our actions speak louder than words. As leaders, it is vital to walk the talk when it comes to promoting the idea of "open" communication, because when our actions do not mirror our words, dramatic negative fallout can occur. When employees feel that they cannot approach their manager with a question, concern, or simply to challenge something they don't agree with, the following are likely to happen: more long-term conflicts will take place, innovation will be stifled, reactive attitudes will form instead of proactive ones, and there will be a lack of trust within relationships.

If an environment of honest, open communication is something we desire to have, we can't simply just talk about it; employees must see it taking place, and it starts with us, as leaders, actively promoting it. Actions such as proactively soliciting feedback (even if we know it might not be all wonderful compliments), encouraging others to play devil's advocate (especially to our opinions), and commending others for proposing ideas that might be different from ours will show that we actually mean what we say about open, honest dialogue.

Taking these proactive steps makes it clear to the others on the team that their opinions matter and that we value what they bring to the table - likely resulting in an increased level of employee engagement and sense of ownership.

**This tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Successfully Empower Your Employees!

First, ask yourself...
Would you like to be able to empower your employees to make more decisions on their own?

Empowering employees helps free up the manager's time for more important tasks, and helps to develop the employees' skills and increase their engagement at the same time. Empowerment is obviously a good thing, but how come we are not always able to empower our employees as much as we would like? Well, many factors contribute, but one that is often overlooked is the amount of information we share with them, and how this act (information sharing) directly impacts our ability to empower, and their success when empowered!

When we actively and openly share information with our employees, 3 major outcomes are likely to occur:

1. Commitment and overall employee engagement will increase since they will feel like a bigger and more integral part of the team
2. The amount of innovation and proactiveness on their part will skyrocket
3. They will have the knowledge and ability to make decisions on their own (no longer will they have to run to us every time they have a question, or encounter a problem or challenge).
   

So what info do we share? Well, each organization is different, and each employee is different. A few ideas to get you started: company financial data, the needs and wants of the customers, strengths and weaknesses of the organization, info about competition, and overall organization and team goals.

This tip was taken from "Empowering Others for Success" which is the July session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Take More Responsibility!

First, ask yourself...
Is your reaction to a situation ever to immediately avoid responsibility, without even realizing it?
Given the choice, most people would choose to accept responsibility for their lives. After all, who doesn't like being in control of their own destiny? The problem is that we often fall into a reactive, or victim-like state of mind without even realizing it, simply due to the language that we use on a regular basis! Think about it...how many times in a given day do you use phrases like "I can't..." or "I need to..." or "I have to..."?

When we use reactive phrases like these, it automatically puts us into a subconscious "victim" state of mind where we are giving up control of what happens, and basically saying to ourselves "I have no power, it's not up to me anymore." When this is the case, it's no wonder we disown responsibility, and then tend to blame others or make excuses.

The next time you are about to say one of these phrases, try changing the words you use and see what happens to your attitude. In the future:

Replace I can't... with "I won't..."
Replace I have to... with "I choose to..."
Replace I need to... with "I want to..."

Build Trust With Employees

First, ask yourself...
Does the lack of trust you share with a co-worker ever decrease your ability to be effective?

Trust is one of the main foundations of any successful organization. Why? Because of the need for interdependence: other people, teams, and departments have an influence on how well we perform or the success we have in doing our job 100% right.

When considering trust, there are 3 components that contribute to the amount given and received:

Integrity - The individual acts in accordance with values/principles, and they can be counted on to keep their word (ex: Your employees arrive on-time to work when you are out of town at a conference and there is nobody watching)

Competence - The individual is fully capable of performing their roles and responsibilities well (ex: Your sales people are able to successfully compare your product/service to your competition's, which will help close the sale)

Compassion - The individual cares about the needs of others and is committed to contributing to the good of the team (ex: People volunteer to stay in during lunch to help another department finish a big project for an important customer which is due that same day)

Each of these components carries more important in different situations, but one fact remains constant: the lack of any one of these components will weaken the relationship, which will have an adverse effect on areas such as productivity, communication, service to the customer, efficiency, and teamwork- just to name a few!

Helping Employees With Change Management

First, ask yourself...
Do your employees ever seem to "lose steam" at some point of the process during a big change?

Going through change is difficult for many reasons. Change requires people to take a chance, step out of their comfort zone, and possibly do things they have never been asked to do before. We as leaders must do all that we can to ensure we get the best possible result from change.

To achieve the best possible outcomes, we will need the commitment, motivation, and effort from each and every one of our employees throughout the entire change process. To help make sure this happens, we should try to "create victories" for them as much as possible. It is important to show them how well they have been doing. They desire to know that their efforts are working, and that they are making progress or accomplishing something with all of their hard work. Creating victories can come in many different forms- anything from sharing a weekly progress report, to e-mailing an update, to giving periodic awards to people for accomplishing specific goals.

Showing our employees that they are doing a great job, the changes they are trying to make are working, and that they are on the right path, will help to keep them properly motivated and their minds focused on the end goal.

This post was made by Jeff Rosset, President of Compass Coaching & Development. Visit us at www.Compass-CD.com to learn more about our leadership development services.