Conflict Resolution at Work for Dummies®

Chapter 18. Tailoring Your Approach to the Organizational Chart

In This Chapter

• Resolving issues with a person on your staff

• Talking through a conflict with a peer

• Approaching your boss with a concern

Finally resolving a conflict in which you're one of the players may be at the top of your to-do list, but having to actually sit down and address it is probably causing a certain amount of anxiety, especially if the person you're in conflict with is a peer on equal footing or an individual higher up than you on the corporate ladder.

After you decide to tackle a one-on-one conversation using the skills I lay out in Chapters 15 through 17, give some thought to how you'll tailor your approach based upon your audience. Before you jump in with both feet, you need to take into consideration who the other person is in the organization, what title she holds, and what power she has to affect your future. (Hint: Everyone has power!)

Who hasn't heard the nightmare story about an employee who treats his co-worker badly only to face her a few years down the road in an interview for his dream job at another company. Ouch! So take care to treat everyone with the same level of professionalism.

In this chapter, I cover the nuances you need to know so you can effectively conduct yourself in a conflict meeting when your role changes from that of manager to peer to subordinate. I discuss how to acknowledge hierarchies and still have productive conversations about conflict. I also break down the possible scenarios ...