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Conversations < Confrontation < Collaboration

What is the cost of avoiding the conversation versus the benefit of having it? Find out.
Become A Swe Leader
[social_warfare]

office conflict

Cheryl Smith Bryan, Founder of CSBryan and an ICF certified coach, has more than thirty years of experience in assessing and advising high potential employees and teams, and coaching leaders for career success. Cheryl’s clients appreciate her laser focus on leveraging strengths and addressing development areas in order to deliver measurable results. Cheryl received a BBA in Management from Texas A&M University and is certified in Organizational Dynamics as well as the Birkman and Hogan assessments. Registration is available now for her webinar at 12:00 pm. CT August 13th titled, “From Confrontation to Collaboration — Reframing Our View of Conflict” Here is a sneak preview:

In her book, Fierce Conversations, Susan Scott says, “Our lives succeed or fail one conversation at a time.” Do you find yourself putting off difficult conversations because you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or you are afraid of an unpleasant confrontation? The ability to have difficult conversations is essential to effectiveness as a leader and is a necessity for all professionals navigating changing market conditions.

What is the cost of avoiding the conversation versus the benefit of having it? Think about telling a subordinate that their performance is unacceptable. Being honest with a subordinate who isn’t performing up to expectations means you are supporting the rest of the team in meeting deliverable commitments. How about standing up to a bullying boss? What is the cost to your credibility and your health when you allow your boss to treat you unfairly?

If you reframe the concept of conflict as an opportunity for collaboration, disagreements could be addressed in a timely manner, colleagues could know their strengths and development areas, and you could establish healthy boundaries for how you expect to be treated. Reframing conflict isn’t easy. It requires understanding what makes you uncomfortable, considering the cost and benefit of each possible reaction and choosing how you will respond.

Susan Scott’s process can help you move toward collaboration. Here are the first two steps:

1. Identify your most pressing issue.

2. Clarify the issue. What’s going on? How long has it been an issue? How bad is it?

On the webinar we will review these plus the remaining five steps, along with common mistakes to avoid and how to use honest, respectful discussion to build relationships.

Send your questions or stories about dealing with conflict to cheryl@csbryan.com so we can discuss them in the webinar. No names will be mentioned! Check out www.csbryan.com and follow @CherylSBryan

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