Exposing the Inexcusable Excuses for Not Handling Conflict

*Pre-approved for 3 hours of General Credit by the Human Resources Certification Institute

Whether from weariness, fear, or complacency, it can be tempting to lull yourself into ignoring conflict.  Doing so, however, isn’t an indication of graciousness, patience, benevolence, or political acumen.  Instead, an aversion to constructively handling conflict indicates incompetence in one of the most important facets of management.

Particularly pervasive within the management ranks of nonprofits is the frequency with which conflict festers.  Correlated to a cause-driven orientation can be a kind individual nature that makes it hard for many managers in the nonprofit arena to confront poor performers and other problems.  Preferring to maintain workplace friendships and avoid unpleasantness, nonprofit managers can use the very real need for collaboration to cloak their inability to confront, even when key stakeholders lodge repeated complaints.

The absence of a willingness to confront conflict can perpetuate numerous negative impacts throughout the organization:

• Consensus decision making becomes synonymous with no decision making
• Territorialism intensifies
• Progress on projects is hijacked
• Problem solving comes to a grinding halt
• Innovation is suffocated by the lack of robust discussion
• Business outcomes are impeded
• Respect for both management and leadership is eroded, and their ability to inspire is diminished
   

This session dismantles a compendium of excuses for not managing conflict, and reveals the flawed reasoning embedded within the excuses.  A list of Top Ten Tips is also provided to help attendees more successfully manage conflict.