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Keep disagreements healthy and productive
In today's workplace communication is key, collaboration crucial and teamwork a top management buzzword. And rightly so, for these facets encourage knowledge sharing, co-operation and a joint sense of purpose. However, such an increase in interpersonal relationships all too often creates an unwanted and often unmanaged side effect: conflict.
A major cause of under-performance
It is estimated that over 65 percent of performance problems do not result from lack of skill or motivation but from strained relationships. Senior managers who are used to merely tolerating their peers are suddenly being asked to collaborate and co-ordinate with other departments, a process that inevitably leads to the odd clash of minds or parting of views, And whilst disagreement, debate and questioning is the sign of a healthy organization, prolonged arguments and inter-departmental feuding are destructive activities that help no one.
Harvard Business Review recently picked up on this theme in an article entitled "Bob's meltdown". In the fictitious situation, a number of employees at "Concord Machines" report on a public confrontation between the traditionalist general manager (Bob) and the newly arrived head of knowledge management (Annette). The conflict took place in the staff canteen in front of an external visitor.
Wider effects
According to most accounts, Bob was in the wrong for openly shouting at Annette, however the reports also reveal that he was under intense pressure to meet sales targets in order to keep the business going. The article demonstrates the different perspectives of those directly involved as well as witnesses to the conflict and is followed up by suggestions from three management professionals on how the situation should be resolved.
And although conflicts in the workplace are not always as open or as dramatic as Bob's meltdown, the complex nature of organizational structures means that whole departments can become embroiled in "them and us" feuds. For example, marketing versus finance or operations versus knowledge management (a potential consequence if the situation at Concord Machines were mishandled).
Territorial games
And not only does confrontation affect whole areas of your organization, it also comes in many forms. How many of these territorial games sound familiar? Strategic noncompliance - agreeing to something and then waiting until the last minute to back out;