Resolving Conflict in Teams

Easy Isn’t Necessarily Best

Guy Harris — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:38:57 +0000

Yesterday, I stopped at a fast-food restaurant to grab a sandwich. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed six or seven cars in the drive through line and no one standing in line inside the building. So, I parked my car, walked inside, purchased my sandwich, and returned to my car in about [...]

Some Thoughts to Consider

Guy Harris — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:57:01 +0000

I’m buried in some projects that I hope to be announcing in the next few weeks. These projects are keeping nearly all of my writing time occupied. I’ll have more information to share soon. In the meantime, here’s a great post by Tammy Lenski you might enjoy: In workplace conflict, don’t mistake your experience for reality

Conflict Can Be Good

Guy Harris — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:44:58 +0000

While this blog is primarily about exploring thoughts, tips, techniques, and approaches for resolving conflict in teams, I thought it might be important to acknowledge that conflict can actually be a good thing in some situations. Good conflicts are the natural result of people working together towards a common cause. Well-intentioned, hard-working people can have honest [...]

Acknowledge Emotions Before Solving Problems

Guy Harris — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:30:46 +0000

Recently, I was working through an issue with another person. They were distressed over the results of a process that affects both of us. I helped to create the process. I have authority to change the process if necessary. And I have knowledge of the system to troubleshoot and fix a fair number of problems. As [...]

Patience Really Is a Virtue

Guy Harris — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:46:27 +0000

This week, I’ve been wrestling with various server and domain pointing issues related to this site. After nearly five days of working to get things settled, I think I’m almost there. I don’t think this blog or my business site ever went totally offline. (Although I did lose my email for about 3 or 4 [...]

The Power of Thank-you

Guy Harris — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:22:57 +0000

This morning I have been catching up on reading some of my favorite blogs. As always, I saw really thought provoking content by Tammy Lenski, Victoria Pynchon, Kevin Eikenberry, and Kare Anderson. The post that struck me the most was Common Courtesty Should Not Be An Oxymoron by Diane Levin. I’m not sure why it struck me [...]

Stop Long Enough to Really Understand

Guy Harris — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:12:43 +0000

Recently, I participated in a meeting for an organization where I serve as one of the leaders. During the meeting, one person made a statement of opinion. Then another member countered with their opinion. Pretty soon, the two of them were engaged in a heated discussion. Both of them were arguing there positions relative to [...]

Why I Don’t Want to Be a Tolerant Person

Guy Harris — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:07:58 +0000

Last week, I attended Shadow Day at my daughter’s school. On Shadow Day, parents attend classes with their children. As I sat in her American Literature class listening to a discussion of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic The Scarlet Letter, her teacher questioned the virtue of tolerance. In his brief comment on the topic, he referenced a talk [...]

Elementary School Conflict Resolution: What Adults Can Learn From Kids

Guy Harris — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:19:19 +0000

I found this video today as I was looking around the web for new ideas and learning resources. At the moment, I don’t have much to say to add to this teacher’s comments. I was really intrigued by her comment that young children are often better at finding creative solutions to conflicts than adults. This is [...]

Road Rage, Interpretations, and Workplace Conflict

Guy Harris — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:18:46 +0000

As I returned home from taking my daughter to school last Friday, a gentleman in a van pulled out in front of me and forced me slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him. When we passed each other, he looked at me sheepishly and waved. Clearly, he did not see my car. I’m guessing that [...]