Workplace Conflict Resolution Essentials For Dummies, Australian and New Zealand Edition

Workplace Conflict Resolution Essentials For Dummies, Australian and New Zealand Edition

Released February 2015
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9780730319450

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Book description

Resolving conflict in the workplace? No problem!

Working your way through a conflict in the office can present unexpected challenges, but there's no need to feel unprepared — Workplace Conflict Resolution Essentials For Dummies has you covered! In the book, you'll find practical, expert guidance on various approaches to negotiating and mediating a successful resolution for you and your team. You'll get coverage of negotiation techniques, mediation methods and solutions for managers and employees dealing with workplace conflict, and tons of tips on building and maintaining successful teams to work through existing conflicts and help avoid future disturbances.

Encouraging colleagues to work together toward a common goal is an essential skill that all successful business professionals must possess. Rather than resorting to arguments, surrendering, running away or filing a complaint, this resource shows you how to address uncomfortable conflict in the workplace head-on, giving you the tools and advice you need to restore peace, prevent conflicts from ever starting in the first place, and maintain better productivity while boosting morale.

  • Offers clear instruction for addressing conflicts, resolving disputes and restoring peace and productivity to the workplace

  • Helps you find a solution and explore positive means for resolving conflicts

  • Illustrates how working through problems within your team makes the workplace the positive environment it should be

  • Provides guidance on developing the key negotiation and mediation skills you need to create a harmonious workplace

    • Whether you're new to managing professionals, working your way up the corporate ladder or just want to brush up on your knowledge base, Workplace Conflict Resolution Essentials For Dummies has everything you need to ensure your workplace environment is positive and productive!

    Table of contents

      1. Introduction
        1. About This Book
        2. Foolish Assumptions
        3. Icons Used in This Book
        4. Where to Go from Here
      2. Chapter 1: Conflict Resolution at Work
        1. Considering Common Contributors to Conflict
          1. Acknowledging differing perspectives
          2. Recognising emotions in others
          3. Handling communication mishaps
          4. Deciphering group dynamics
          5. Assessing your own role
        2. Mediating like a Pro
          1. Following eight steps to a resolution
          2. Facilitating a conversation between two people
          3. Managing conflict with a team
        3. Tapping into Conflict Resolution Expertise
      3. Chapter 2: Understanding What People Bring to Conflict
        1. Rediscovering Communication
          1. Changing the goal of communication
          2. Choosing words carefully: The importance of language
          3. Body language: Others’ and your own
          4. Discerning tone of voice
        2. Figuring Out Why People Think the Way They Do
          1. Values: Understanding what’s important to people
          2. Filters: Sifting through information
          3. History: Operating from the past
        3. Considering the Importance of Emotions
          1. Listening to what emotions tell you
          2. Dealing with emotional intensity and impact
          3. Acknowledging and processing difficult emotions in your team
        4. Responding to Conflict
          1. Giving in
          2. Avoiding the fight
          3. Fighting it out
          4. Compromising
          5. Working together
      4. Chapter 3: Determining How Groups Contribute to Conflict
        1. Observing Your Organisation’s Culture
          1. Identifying the organisational focus
          2. Considering hiring or promoting practices
          3. Considering how your company adapts to change
        2. Recognising Team Dynamics
          1. Dealing with mismatched expectations
          2. Acknowledging assigned and assumed roles
          3. Redefining power
        3. Groups Behaving Badly
          1. Joining cliques
          2. Finding allies
          3. Creating inaccurate assumptions
          4. Perpetuating gossip
      5. Chapter 4: Practising Self-Awareness: Understanding How You Foster Conflict
        1. Micromanaging
        2. Stirring the Pot
          1. Dividing rather than uniting
          2. Appearing to take sides
        3. Not Taking the Time to Gain Understanding
          1. Overreacting
          2. Misunderstanding the real issues
          3. Looking the other way
          4. Being dismissive
        4. Talking about the Work Ineffectively
          1. Not sharing your contributions
          2. Underrepresenting your team
        5. Creating Ill-Defined Expectations and Responsibilities
        6. Hiring the Right Person for the Wrong Job
        7. Living in Fix-It Mode
          1. Talking instead of listening
          2. Being judge and jury
          3. Rescuing instead of coaching
        8. Denying Shortfalls
          1. Letting egos get in the way
          2. Lacking training or skills
          3. Being uncomfortable with change
      6. Chapter 5: Knowing When to Address Conflict
        1. Assessing the Cost and Severity of the Conflict
          1. Hard costs associated with unresolved conflict
          2. Soft costs associated with unresolved conflict
          3. Determining severity
        2. Approaching Employees and Gathering Information
          1. Knowing your intent
          2. Sorting out the players
          3. Considering the meeting place
          4. Being consistent in your inquiries
          5. Asking questions
        3. Evaluating the Details of the Conflict
          1. What you know
          2. Follow-up conversations
        4. Empowering Employees to Handle the Issue Themselves
          1. Providing tips for success
          2. Motivating your employees to succeed
          3. Wrapping it up
        5. Watching Their Progress
          1. Complimenting their progress
          2. Knowing what to watch for
          3. Responding to progress
      7. Chapter 6: Developing a Plan and Preparing for a Meeting
        1. Preparing the Parties for a Conversation
          1. Inviting your employees to the meeting
          2. Explaining your role
          3. Helping employees get into the right frame of mind
          4. Assuring confidentiality
          5. Defining meeting parameters
          6. Giving pre-work/homework instructions
        2. Setting Up the Meeting
          1. Choosing a neutral location
          2. Allowing enough time
          3. Facilitating a comfortable environment
        3. Preparing Yourself
      8. Chapter 7: Starting a Mediation Meeting and Creating a Working Agenda
        1. Facilitating Effectively
          1. Establishing rapport and making employees comfortable
          2. Showing your neutrality
          3. Actively listening
          4. Saving your questions for later
        2. Reviewing the Ground Rules for the Discussion
          1. Explaining roles and responsibilities
          2. Directing the flow of information
          3. Stressing uninterrupted time
        3. Giving the Participants a Chance to Present Their Perspectives
          1. Deciding who speaks first
          2. Listening to the second participant
        4. Summarising and Reflecting Back What You Hear
          1. Reflecting emotions
          2. Reframing statements
          3. Neutralising the perspectives
        5. Creating an Agenda
          1. Transitioning from the past to the future
          2. Demonstrating accessibility and ownership
          3. Separating their topics
          4. Labelling and defining issues
          5. Considering common agenda topics
          6. Using the agenda for negotiations
      9. Chapter 8: Negotiating Possible Solutions to a Conflict
        1. Encouraging Communication
          1. Transitioning from past to future
          2. Motivating and encouraging your employees
          3. Listening and interjecting
        2. Focusing on Values Rather Than Issues
          1. Discovering what’s really important
          2. Reading between the lines to find values
        3. Fostering Brainstorming
          1. Defining brainstorming ground rules
          2. Narrowing the possible solutions
        4. Asking Great Questions
          1. Knowing which questions to use when
          2. Sequencing your questions
          3. Avoiding unproductive questions
        5. Working through Resistance
          1. Identifying common causes of resistance
          2. Exploring the impasse
          3. Creating options
          4. Testing the margins
          5. Refocusing on values
          6. Interrupting negative behaviours
          7. Trying one last time to overcome resistance
        6. Meeting Privately with Each Individual
          1. Choosing who goes first
          2. Allowing parties to open up with added confidentiality
          3. Venting and exploring
          4. Preparing an employee to return to the open session
      10. Chapter 9: Offering Proposals and Crafting Agreements
        1. Continuing Negotiations
          1. Proceeding with the meeting
          2. Listening for the good stuff
        2. Developing Solutions during the Open Session
          1. Recognising the non-negotiable elements of a good settlement
          2. Troubleshooting problem areas
          3. Writing it down
        3. Concluding the Meeting Optimistically
          1. Settlement
          2. Interim agreements
          3. No settlement
      11. Chapter 10: Adapting a Conflict Meeting for the Entire Team
        1. Acting as Facilitator
        2. Gathering Information from the Group
          1. Recognising what you know
          2. Crafting questions to find out more
          3. Using interviews and surveys
          4. Creating a timeline
        3. Assessing the Intensity of a Conflict
        4. Formulating a Meeting Plan
          1. Determining the goal of your meeting
          2. Creating an agenda
          3. Proposing ground rules
          4. Considering breakout groups
        5. Kicking Off the Group Meeting
          1. Setting the tone
          2. Presenting the agenda and finalising the ground rules
          3. Hearing from the participants
          4. Using intervention strategies
          5. Breaking into small groups
          6. Coming back to the larger group
        6. Devising a Plan for Follow-Up
          1. Assigning next steps
          2. Creating benchmarks
      12. Chapter 11: Determining How Your Company Can Help
        1. Working with Human Resources
          1. Partnering with you to tailor your approach
          2. Letting you know when action is required
          3. Providing training resources
          4. Accessing employees’ work histories
          5. Identifying employee support programs
          6. Investigating mediation programs
        2. Proactively Designing a Conflict Resolution Plan
          1. What you can do
          2. What your company can do
          3. Choosing a starting point
      13. Chapter 12: Ten Pearls of Wisdom from Professional Mediators
        1. Value the Process as Much as the Outcome
        2. Accept That Her Truth Is Her Reality
        3. Rapport Matters
        4. Be Present and Available
        5. Find Common Ground for More Success
        6. Be Aware That This Isn’t the Participant’s Best Moment
        7. Silence Is Golden
        8. Be Curious
        9. Fear Rules the World
        10. Look to the Future
      14. Index
      15. About the Author
      16. Business & Investing
      17. More Dummies Products

    Product information

    • Title: Workplace Conflict Resolution Essentials For Dummies, Australian and New Zealand Edition
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: February 2015
    • Publisher(s): For Dummies
    • ISBN: 9780730319450