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Important Topics on Harnessing the Power of Conflict

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Four Myths That Perpetuate Abrasive Behavior At Work

When we join a company, partnership or team, our expectation is that everyone involved will exhibit professional behavior toward us and each other. Instead, it’s highly possible that we may become one of the more than 60 million adults in the United States who are affected in some way by bullying behavior at work.

What kind of behaviors are we talking about? Our definition is any interpersonal behavior that causes emotional distress in others sufficient enough to impede their productivity or disrupt organizational functioning. It isn’t just a personality conflict — it’s a chronic pattern of disrespectful behavior.

When your business team starts spiraling down

A healthy business team is one with strong relationships and vibrant engagement. It’s a beautiful place to be, where people feel heard and creative ideas bump against each other in an open, constructive way. We call it the Creative Tension Zone and it’s the dream (or should be) of any organization with an aim toward consistent growth.

Teams fall out of this place for various reasons, and the spiral downward can devolve into destructive conflict. It is critical to know where you and your team are on the Conflict Curve in order to make good decisions in “real time” so you can recognize what’s happening and pull your team back from the Conflict Spiral abyss.

The Difference Between HR and Organizational Ombuds Functions

On average an ombuds will see 3-5% of an organization’s members in the course of a year. Our work as organizational ombuds has increased steadily over the last couple of years, where we’re initially called in because someone in leadership is being dogged by a “small” conflict that won’t go away but keeps festering and growing until they can’t sweep it under the rug any longer. (From there, we typically enter a contractual arrangement with clients where we serve as their ongoing go-to ombuds, mediator, and conflict adviser.)

10 Ways an Ombudsman Can Increase Your Workplace Productivity

He could have been sitting in the corner of the conference room where I was convening as Organizational Ombuds for a team that was stuck - there was (emotional) clutter, plenty of discord, and a really difficult situation. Tension was high, people were venting. At any moment (my experience told me) someone could explode with frustration. It was like a freight train approaching the room, about to crash!

Creative Tension in the Workplace: Who needs it? You do!

Creative Tension Zone is where huge ideas emerge, innovation thrives, and empires are built! The most successful workplace teams know how to manage constructive conflict to encourage creative tension. What every leader needs to know about leveraging the power of conflict in a team.

Workplace Conflict: How to Deal with Hot Buttons

Have you ever said: “That person just presses my buttons”? We call these 'conflict hooks', because your reaction to the button-pusher has the potential to feed conflict. Understanding what conflict hooks are can help you and your team make better response choices.

9 Early Warning Signs of Workplace Conflict

Conflict doesn't just appear out of nowhere. There are always signs warning that a conflict is developing. Managers who know what these signs are can be more effective leaders by confronting the problem before it rages out of hand. By resolving conflict in the early stages, the company will run much more smoothly and the overall productivity level will be increased considerably. What are these subtle signs of conflict to look for?...

August 10, 2023

Here’s a simple, powerful exercise to boost trust within your hybrid work team

August 10, 2023/ Mark Batson Baril

What factor in high-performing teams is even more important in a hybrid work environment than it ever was in the office setup? In one word, Trust.

Here are just a few key reasons why:

Trust bridges the gap caused by people working from different locations and time zones. Separation can cause misunderstanding, wrong assumptions and, well, mistrust. When trust is embedded in the org culture, teams are more apt to believe in each other’s commitment, intentions, professionalism and work ethic. Trust engenders collaboration which is connected to strong performance.

August 02, 2022

Five Steps to Build Better Team Relationships

August 02, 2022/ Mark Batson Baril

Building great companies takes building great teams. Building great teams takes...conflict.

Sound counterintuitive! Especially in an economy where going out on a limb imposes a lot more risks than usual, who would want to add conflict to the equation?

It’s natural to avoid conflict. It’s what separated life and death for early cavemen; we have evolved but with that same wiring embedded in our psyche: “Keep things safe'' and “Don’t rock the boat.” In today’s world, avoiding conflict actually becomes a detriment in building the relationships teams need in order to work together and get things done.

June 07, 2022

The Game-Changing Tool for Productive (and Pleasant) Work Conversations

June 07, 2022/ Mark Batson Baril

What I know from my work as conflict advisor/mediator is that tough conversations are inevitable - in our work lives, community lives, and personal lives. And who in their right mind wants to have a difficult conversation?

Right - no one! So what we tend to do is avoid it, put if off for a day, a week, even a year. But does the issue go away? No, in fact, it festers and grows until it becomes something much more destructive and even dangerous. (That’s too often when we’re brought in to mediate a dispute or conflict that’s gotten out of control over months or even years.)

As an expert in conflict, I’m here to tell you conflict cannot be swept under the rug!

November 02, 2021

The #1 Tool You Need to Manage Toxic Behavior at Work

November 02, 2021/ Mark Batson Baril

“It’s not sweat or revenue that makes companies tick; it’s trust,” says John Hall writing for Forbes.com. Trust is a foundational principle of the work we do with teams at Resologics, which is why we study interpersonal relationship factors in the workplace that either enhance trust or erode trust.

My work with teams and leaders has convinced me that it's a worthy effort to assess individual styles and behaviors and their impact on the level of trust within a workplace. The most poisonous situation I see that challenges trust involves the abrasive coworker or leader.

We see how a persistent pattern of disrespectful, aggressive, even bullying behavior drives people away from that individual and the goals they're trying to accomplish. It erodes trust in the individuals at the receiving end of this behavior, and also in the perception that management isn’t doing anything to address the problem they are experiencing so acutely.

August 12, 2021

Time Capsules and Change

August 12, 2021/ Mark Batson Baril

Over the years, I have done my share of renovating houses or commercial buildings that I’ve owned. I developed the tradition of creating a time capsule and inserting it somewhere in the structure — behind a wall, under a floor — so that 100 years later somebody will uncover it. I love to imagine someone finding it and seeing a snapshot from the past tied to something dear to them, and me.

One renovation was a building built in the 1890s and needed a lot of work. The plan was to convert it to an office building to work in and lease out. Our hopes were super high and we were feeling really positive that we were onto something special with this new business concept, so the renovation was a labor of love (and a lot of our money).

April 13, 2021

How to Find Out if Chronic Bad Behavior is Poisoning Your Workplace

April 13, 2021/ Mark Batson Baril

“It’s not sweat or revenue that makes companies tick; it’s trust,” says John Hall writing for Forbes.com. “Trust touches every area of business. Research published by Harvard Business Review bears this out: Workers at companies where trust is high report 106% greater energy in the office, 74% lower stress levels, 76% greater engagement, and 50% more productivity than their peers at low-trust businesses.”

Trust is a foundational principle of the work we do with teams at Resologics, which is why we study interpersonal relationship factors in the workplace that either enhance trust or erode trust.

My work with teams and leaders has convinced me that it's a worthy effort to assess individual styles and behaviors and their impact on the level of trust that bring the outcomes you see in the stats above.

March 30, 2021

3 Steps to Build Trust in Your Team

March 30, 2021/ Mark Batson Baril

We explored in the article, "How Trust is Essential to a Productive Workplace," what can happen when trust is missing, and how trust is a cornerstone to employee engagement, productivity, and more. As Dr. David Ballard, the head of APA's Center for Organizational Excellence, says: “...Lack of trust should serve as a wake-up call for employers...Trust plays an important role in the workplace and affects employees’ well-being and job performance."

Building trust within your team is an ongoing process that grows over time, and it starts with you as the leader of your team, department, or organization.

January 28, 2021

How To Build Or Repair Trust In Your Team: The Trust Formula

January 28, 2021/ Mark Batson Baril

[Reprint from Forbes.com article by Forbes Coaches Council Member Mark Batson Baril, September 28 2020]

Over the years as an organizational ombuds, I have witnessed the dynamics of thousands of interpersonal relationships in teams. What key factor, particularly during any period of crisis, differentiates the high-performing, responsive team from the one that goes down in flames?

The factor that consistently rises to the top is trust. Mavenlink’s “Future of Work” survey highlights trust as “a pillar of strong work cultures.” More than half of respondents listed it as a top-three preference for “what enables a workplace culture that creates success.”

January 05, 2021

14 Key Steps To Become A Better Team Player At Work

January 05, 2021/ Mark Batson Baril

From Expert Panel, Forbes Coaches Council, Forbes.com, Dec 2, 2020

As a member of a team, you have a responsibility to help your co-workers, just as you’d expect them to offer assistance when you need it. However, when we’re all busy with our own responsibilities, we may not always be mindful of the challenges our colleagues are facing.

That’s why we asked the members of Forbes Coaches Council what professionals can do to create the most mutually supportive dynamic between themselves and their teammates. Below, they share 14 ways you can focus on becoming the best team player you can be to better support and collaborate with your colleagues.

July 31, 2020

15 Proactive Strategies That Establish Entry-Level Professionals As Leaders

July 31, 2020/ Mark Batson Baril

From Expert Panel, Forbes Coaches Council, Forbes.com, December 11, 2019

Update From Mark, July 31, 2020: Although the current pandemic has had a significant effect on employment and new hiring for the foreseeable future, it is still important to perhaps more than ever to consider your reputation as a leader at any stage of your career. These tips are still relevant and I hope helpful as you navigate these challenging times and continue in your career.

As a newer employee, establishing your reputation among more seasoned colleagues can be a challenge. However, positioning yourself as a leader early on can have both immediate and long-lasting benefits in your career.

How can you stake your claim as a trustworthy future leader and prove your value to your senior co-workers? We asked a panel of Forbes Coaches Council members to share some lesser-known ways for greener employees to establish themselves as leaders. Their best tips are below.

March 23, 2020

A Guidepost for Maintaining Team Trust in a Time of Crisis, COVID-19

March 23, 2020/ Mark Batson Baril

Our niche is in helping teams use conflict and creative tension to increase their performance so they reach objectives faster. Over the years it became clear that without high levels of trust in place as a foundation, heightened conflict competency was an elusive goal.

What is also clear is that during times of crisis, trust can be both easier to build and tougher to maintain.

Easier to build in that the team may have a clear, common enemy to fight against and, with the right leadership, can rally around that common interest to trust each other more. Tougher to maintain because in times of crisis, decisions need to be made fast and with vigor which can result in mistakes made and transparency forgotten.

May 28, 2019

Want a Successful Workplace Team? Start with the Trust Factor

May 28, 2019/ Mark Batson Baril

What makes you trust someone? Is it that you believe they’re competent? That you feel safe with them? That they’re well-meaning and want to help? You might say, it depends. Or, one of these possibilities feels much more important to you than another. Is it possible that someone else might have a completely different set of factors for trusting that same person?

These simple questions have already uncovered a lot of layers, wouldn’t you say? That’s why we say that building trust in a team is an ongoing process that is as complex as the varying personalities, backgrounds, and experiences of each and every member.

April 17, 2019

The Innovation Side of Conflict

April 17, 2019/ Mark Batson Baril

“How could conflict possibly be good for a business?” Conflict is not good or bad, or something that we can guard against like the flu. Conflict is a natural part of human behavior and a necessary part of teamwork, innovation, problem-solving, and change. What we do with the opposing ideas or needs that we call conflict can result in positive or negative outcomes, depending on how we handle them.

March 26, 2019

Systemic issues that cause conflicts in teams

March 26, 2019/ Mark Batson Baril

Behind most disputes is a system that perpetuates the problem. Uncovering the system will reveal why these negative conflict outcomes keep coming back, and, hopefully, how to fix them for good.

What do we mean by “system?”

Have you ever been on a business team where the same issues seem to arise again and again? You thought you had dealt with the problem by training, shuffling the team, dismissing a person who was obviously at the center of the issue, or simply waiting for it to take care of itself - only to see something similar rear its ugly head a few weeks, months, or even years later.

If this is the case, count on the possibility that something deeper - systemic - is going on within your team or within your workplace. So, the challenge is to get to the root of the problem.

February 19, 2019

Building Teams that Trust

February 19, 2019/ Mark Batson Baril

Harnessing the power of positive conflict in your team and workplace creates a higher level of engagement, decision-making, innovative thinking, and productivity. The functional factor that creates this kind of high-performing team? Simply put, Trust.

Trust is something most people see as “soft,” unquantifiable and not worth measuring, thus not an element of good business to be considered.

Not so, according to our research, surveys, on-the-ground experience, and team training tool! Most importantly, trust is a trait that can be developed, improved upon and nurtured - a crucial consideration for any leader who wants to build high-quality, high-performing teams.

December 05, 2018

How to Build Trust in Your Team? Start with You, the Leader

December 05, 2018/ Mark Batson Baril

It’s not an easy thing to spot - or accept - lack of trust from your team members. Erosion of trust could originate from any number of things: poor workplace policies, unsettling (true or untrue) rumors circulating around, lack of communication from management, disgruntled employee or partner disputes, or an organizational culture that doesn’t value its people.

Whatever the cause, the longer it persists the more difficult it is to rebuild that loss of trust. And the more dangerous it is to an organization’s ability to function successfully. Trust starts with leadership.

August 29, 2018

How to Build Constructive Conflict into Your Team

August 29, 2018/ Mark Batson Baril

It is never too soon to start building the foundation of constructive conflict into your team(s), to harness that creative power as well as preempt potential negative conflict.

Bottom-line reason? Conflict is one of the most powerful tools teams can have. Harnessing constructive conflict creates an exciting environment of innovation, forward momentum and productivity. Negative outcomes from conflict emerge when it is ignored.

I’m going to share with you some of the conflict-handling behaviors you might be able to spot in your team members - or yourself!

May 25, 2018

Team Retreats Worth Attending? Yes!

May 25, 2018/ Michael Fryer

Let’s just cut to the real question: Why should leadership invest in a retreat?

The quick answer is, they shouldn’t - unless it is going to be a meaningful experience for everyone with well-defined outcomes.

The deeper answer is this: We live in an incredibly busy culture and work environment. This busyness means that lots of things get done. It also means that lots of things get left undone. Important conversations get put on the back burner. Things expressed in yesterday’s conflict get overtaken by today’s crisis or new deadline. Expectations become ignored or dismissed. We lose track of why we’re doing this work.

And, as the old Irish saying goes, “Expectation is just resentment waiting to happen!” The workplace begins to feel stressful, uninspiring, and even pocked with negative conflict. It’s exhausting.

Enter the definition of “retreat:” a quiet or secluded place in which a group of people can reset and think clearly…

February 28, 2018

Easy Conversation Starter Tool to Grow Team Trust

February 28, 2018/ Mark Batson Baril

Trust is essential to a productive workplace and to a successful team venture. Trust is a cornerstone of our work with strengthening teams through conflict competency, and I’m often asked by leaders, “So, how do I actually go about creating that trust??”

To build trust within your team or group, start right out of the gate to create a space for open, honest interaction. Our team uses conversation to help people feel comfortable with one another. It’s a simple but powerful way to start building trust in a team.

October 12, 2017

3 Fundamentals to Understanding Trust Within Your Team

October 12, 2017/ Mark Batson Baril

Whether your team is a startup partnership, annual fund drive committee, you and your siblings working together to make caretaking decisions for your parents, or the exec board for a Fortune 500 company, understanding trust is a cornerstone of getting the job done well.

A treasured mentor and colleague once told me. “There is no such thing as trust.” That one comment has had me puzzled and searching for answers for years - in a good way.

Resoblog

resoblog

Important Topics on Harnessing the Power of Conflict

Featured Blog Posts(scroll down or search for all posts)

Featured Blog Posts
(scroll down or search for all posts)