Hot, Sweaty, and Outta Control

HOT READS FOR THE PRACTIONER

Title: The Manager’s Conflict Resolution Handbook

Competency: conflict management

Who benefits: supervisors, managers, employees

Consultant Usage: handout for training classes, coaching others

What’s it about?  This booklet showed up in the mail about two weeks ago, a day or two after co-coaching a friend of mine who is having a terrible time with her boss.  This would have been a great give away to her. 

I remember thinking during and after the co-coaching sessions about “how high the emotions are”, “there is more here than just the issue being discussed” and “look at her body language”.  All three of my thoughts are central issues discussed in the booklet.

Let me be clear about this booklet.  It not a research-based, conclusions-reached study with credentials dripping from each page.  It is a simple booklet giving some practical suggestions on how to manage difficult situations.  Will the suggestions work?  Maybe.  Possibly.  But the booklet opens the door for positive outcome where none seemingly exists. 

I admit to being conflict aversive.  My three main tactics are (1) ignore, (2) run, and/or (3) hide.  But I know these tactics don’t serve me well.  And like me, many of us sometimes need simple reminders of what do in difficult situations: First do this, then do that.  This booklet serves that purpose very well.

There are a couple of really helpful tips for me.  There is a short chapter on what to do when you are confronted with a highly emotional response.  There is also a page devoted to why you should NEVER try to resolve a conflict by email.  Hmmm, and I thought that was my most clever avoidance tactic.

One thing that put me off a little bit about this booklet is the title suggests the content is for managers.  Clearly, the way it is written, a majority of the booklet is for anyone in an organization. 

If you are one who likes simple booklets on single work-issue topics, similar material can be found at http://www.cornerstoneleadership.com/Scripts/default.asp.

You know, if I really want to do a good deed today, I need to stop writing now and take this booklet over to my friend’s office.  I hope I am not too late.

Catch you next week.

 
[tags]managing conflict, conflict management, managing confrontations, assertiveness, bill bradley, william bradley,  bradley[/tags]

 

Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.