Workplace Conflict Will Continue to Distract Management in 2007


by Rick Weaver - Date: 2006-12-28 - Word Count: 399 Share This!

Despite an increasing body of knowledge when it comes to workplace conflict, one trend has remained steady for the past 10 years. Validating earlier surveys, a recent study by Accountemps shows no change in the amount of time that supervisors are spending to resolve employee issues.

For the past decade managers have consistently spent 18% of their time distracted by personnel issues. This is due to several contributing factors:

1. Managers do not understand how to create a harmonious workplace. Without understanding teambuilding concepts that allow employees to identify and resolve their own issues while they are still minor issues, managers are being continually drawn into staff arguments.

2. Managers do not understand transparent leadership. A lack of advanced communication skills leads to a comfort zone for management wherein the manager "hides" thoughts, feelings, and organizational goals. Employs fill in this lack of communication with their own ideas about the results of their department and the mood of the supervisor. Ultimately this will lead to gossip and rumor.

3. Managers fail to complement. With such a large portion of their time spent resolving difficult personnel issues, managers lose their confidence in providing positive feedback to employees. Studies show that management will often feel that complements will come back to haunt them later. Consequently managers are reluctant to give credit for outstanding personal achievement. Employees see this as an insult to their abilities. Eventually employees will stop contributing above average or minimal requirements because of this lack of appreciation.

Multicultural Business Council (MBC) has identified several industry best practices for reducing or eliminating constructive workplace conflict. These best practices include development of intensive conflict resolution skills for managers, slightly more generalized conflict resolution skills for front-line employees, and administering conflict resolution assessments to the entire workforce.

Companies find these steps not only reduce the amount of time management must spend resolving unnecessary workplace conflict, it also results in higher degrees of quality and productivity. One company found an immediate 53% reduction in first-pass line rejects using the best practices identified by MBC. In another company, employee morale at an automotive assembly plant increased when employees started using the conflict resolution skills in their home life. Management at this unionized plant recognized common employees were less tense when they reported to work due to a reduction in personal problems. This also resulted in reduced time spent by management addressing conflicts born out of personal stress and anger by the workers.

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Related Tags: management, workplace, conflict, issues, employee

Rick Weaver is an accomplished business executive with a wealth of experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain enhancement, project management, team building, and process improvement.

Rick career began in retailing as a stockclerk, eventually becoming the Director of Vendor Development at Kmart Corporation during it's heyday. In this position he worked with hundreds of Kmart's suppliers to improve mutual processes, procedures, and profits.

As a consultant, Rick has worked with companies in various industries to develop leadership and business strategies.

As an entrepreneur, Rick has founded or co-founded six successful organizations, including non-profit and for profit.

Now in his role as president of MaxImpact, Rick uses his vast experience helping individuals connect to their dreams and teams connect to a common vision.

Rick's presentation style of blending humor, real life examples, and easy to implement ideas has made him a popular speaker at seminars, workshops, and conferences in in 43 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

(c) Max Impact Corporation

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