Conflict and disagreements are invaluable opportunities to resolve issues and create new opportunities. As the leader, it allows you to voice your concerns and listen to others’ opinions. While many of you may not welcome listening to ideas that are not your own, consider this:
If you listen to others with an open mind, manage the conversation appropriately, and build upon others’ ideas, you will build a team that engages in their work at a whole new level. Conflict is a gift that creates success!
3 “How-to’s” to Create Amazing Outcomes from Conflict
Listen for the gold. Welcoming others input is a gift you give to them, and yourself. Allowing them to share ideas and recommendations without fear is important to eliciting solutions. This provides them, and you, the freedom to design new outcomes out of the conversation! To accomplish this, you first need to stop your mental monologue from chattering! Truly engage in the conversation. This can open up clarity for new ideas and how to accomplish them resourcefully. Remember, no one person has all the answers. No one person knows all the right questions to ask. No one person is right all the time. (Including you.)
Years ago I had a boss who didn’t listen for the gold. His normal response to anything new was, NO! When I approached him with a plan to help employees feel comfortable about their pension benefits, due to the pension plan being terminated, he thought it was a stupid and time-consuming idea. He failed to listen for the gold. He was right about it being time-consuming. However, a well-designed communication process is rarely stupid. In this case, employees were thankful I had taken the time to let them know what to expect with their future pensions. Interestingly, years later, he showed me a system he thought was brilliant. I smiled and reminded him that it had been my idea, and the work I had done to make it happen!
Mindfulness. Being present when others are talking is critical. Too often we allow ourselves the misperceived luxury to think of other things, check our electronic messages or zone out. (In other words, we multi-task and still think we are being present and effective.) Checking out of a conversation often hurts you in the long run. Your team will stop sharing ideas or problems with you. Many will leave to work for your competition using the ideas that you refused to consider and build upon. Become the type of leader that listens and builds alignment. The positive dividends it pays are endless.
Believe in yourself and others. We all have limiting beliefs that can get in our way. These biases or preconceived notions usually limit our ability to listen, build upon ideas and execute proper action. Why? We fail to trust ourselves, our team and our plans of action. Work through these beliefs with a trusted business advisor or coach. Remember, success is an inside job. Believing in yourself and others is the key to achieve amazing results.
Learn how to handle conflict by not overreacting to it, ignoring it, or avoiding it. Use the gift of conflict to make yourself a better leader and help build teams that create new ideas and make positive and powerful differences within your company.
For additional insights, get your copy of: How to Have a Conversation Beyond 140 Characters! (Break through your #1 fear when having conversations!) http://ow.ly/i5gH300fkDy
©Jeannette Seibly 2016
Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com or contact Jeannette for a free, confidential conversation at http://SeibCo.com/contact .