*Note: Lindsay cowrote this piece with Joan Bunashe, The Optimization Coach.
It’s no secret that conflict is a part of life and definitely a part of day-to-day business. When we spend so much time with the same people every day, conflict is inevitable. But, as a leader, you probably dedicate more of your time on issues like productivity and meeting deadlines than on conflict resolution. When there is strife and personalities clash, you may reach for what you think will be a quick fix: find the “problem” people and separate them from the rest of the group. Despite your best intentions, hunting for a problem person, labeling, or ostracizing is not the answer. Labeling any of your team members or allowing them to label each other as “toxic,” “the problem,” “a jerk,” etc., only perpetuates disconnection.
If not handled properly, conflict alienates people and gets in the way creativity and productivity. There’s another, more effective way to bring your team back together and lead them to success. Of course, despite your best efforts to keep the team intact, you may realize that a particular employee is not the right fit for your culture, making it a good time to consider...
Read more here.
