Conflict Resolution Strategies

Real conversations at work feel rare. Lately, in my work with employees and leaders, I’ve noticed a troubling pattern: real conversations don’t happen. Instead, people get stuck in confrontation, cynicism, or silence. This pattern reminded me of a powerful chart I often use with executives to talk about this. It shows that real conversations—where tough topics are discussed productively—only happen when two things are present: high psychological safety and strong relationships. Too often, teams fall into one of these traps instead: (a) Cynicism (low safety, low relationships)—where skepticism and disengagement take over. (b) Omerta (low safety, high relationships)—where people stay silent to keep the peace. (c) Confrontation (high safety, low relationships)—where people speak up but without trust, so nothing moves forward. There are three practical steps to create real conversations that turn constructive discrepancies into progress: (1) Create a norm of curiosity. Ask, “What am I missing?” instead of assuming you’re right. Curiosity keeps disagreements productive instead of combative. (2) Balance candor with care. Being direct is valuable—but only when paired with genuine respect. People engage when they feel valued, not attacked. (3) Make it safe to challenge ideas. Model the behavior yourself: invite pushback, thank people for disagreeing, and reward those who surface hard truths. When safety is high, people contribute without fear. Where do you see teams getting stuck? What has helped you foster real conversations? #Leadership #PsychologicalSafety #Communication #Trust #Teamwork #Learning #Disagreement

Drafting Dispute Resolution Clauses for US Jurisdiction These clauses are a strategic roadmap for managing conflict, crucial for saving time, money, and stress if a disagreement escalates. The approach of a lawyer should centre on efficiency and control. The focus should be on resolving issues quickly and cost-effectively, while giving the clients a degree of predictability over the process. Good Faith Negotiation This is the simplest and cheapest, aiming for a direct resolution between the parties. One should specify who (e.g., senior management) should be involved and set a clear timeframe, like 30 days, to ensure prompt action. Mediation If negotiation falters, we move to non-binding mediation. A neutral third-party mediator facilitates discussion, helping find common ground. It's confidential, less formal than court, and often successful, focusing on settlement rather than legal victory. We usually split the mediator's costs and set a timeframe, perhaps 60 days. Binding Arbitration If mediation fails, arbitration is the next step. Here, a neutral arbitrator (or panel) makes a final, binding decision, much like a judge. This is chosen for its speed, privacy, and generally lower cost compared to litigation. When drafting, it's important to: *Explicitly state it's "final and binding." *Reference established rules, like those from the American Arbitration *Association (AAA) or JAMS, to provide clear procedures. *Define the number of arbitrators (one is often quicker). *Specify the location (venue) for arbitration. *Include waivers for jury trials and class actions, as these rights are typically given up in arbitration. #agreements #arbitration

In the last major internal conflict I had, I stopped and thought: am I the first one to live this?! Hostility. Threats. Ah, and I was in the car on the way back from the hospital from giving birth. Nice welcome back 😂 Managers spend up to 40% of their time handling conflicts. This time drain highlights a critical business challenge. Yet when managed effectively, conflict becomes a catalyst for: ✅ Innovation ✅ Better decision-making ✅ Stronger relationships Here's the outcomes of my research. No: I wasn't the first one going through this ;) 3 Research-Backed Conflict Resolution Models: 1. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model (TKI) Each style has its place in your conflict toolkit: - Competing → Crisis situations needing quick decisions - Collaborating → Complex problems requiring buy-in - Compromising → Temporary fixes under time pressure - Avoiding → Minor issues that will resolve naturally - Accommodating → When harmony matters more than the outcome 2. Harvard Negotiation Project's BATNA Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement - Know your walkaway position - Research all parties' alternatives - Strengthen your options - Negotiate from confidence, not fear 3. Circle of Conflict Model (Moore) Identify the root cause to choose your approach: - Value Conflicts → Find superordinate goals - Relationship Issues → Focus on communication - Data Conflicts → Agree on facts first - Structural Problems → Address system issues - Interest Conflicts → Look for mutual gains Pro Tips for Implementation: ⚡ Before the Conflict: - Map stakeholders - Document facts - Prepare your BATNA - Choose your timing ⚡ During Resolution: - Stay solution-focused - Use neutral language - Listen actively - Take reflection breaks ⚡ After Agreement: - Document decisions - Set review dates - Monitor progress - Acknowledge improvements Remember: Your conflict style should match the situation, not your comfort zone. Feels weird to send that follow up email. But do it: it's actually really crucial. And refrain yourself from putting a few bitter words here and there ;) You'll come out of it a stronger manager. As the saying goes "don't waste a good crisis"! 💡 What's your go-to conflict resolution approach? Has it evolved with experience? ♻️ Share this to empower a leader ➕ Follow Helene Guillaume Pabis for more ✉️ Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dy3wzu9A

If our front line workers are not influencing up, we have a continuous improvement problem. The best ideas and insights come from those who are on the front lines of the business therefore their valuable perspectives MUST be heard. Most companies still have a hierarchal structure which means that front-line workers are tasked with influencing up! Simply put, this means communicating effectively with their managers to gain their support or persuade them to see things from their perspective. In a rigid hierarchical structure, this can be difficult as front line workers can have limited direct access to senior leaders and may have to pass their ideas or concerns through multiple layers of management before they reach the top. All this 'red tape' and associated delays can frustrate people to the point that they just stop trying. We also see (unfortunately) that hierarchies can create power differentials between managers and their direct reports. Managers with unchecked power and ego can create a work environment where employees feel intimidated and fearful. If any of this resonates with you, you may be interested in knowing that there are numerous ways to turn this around. Lean thinking helps a lot here! 💡 If restricted communication is the problem- simply make it a priority to spend more time with people (by going to the Gemba, facilitating daily huddles, holding Kaizen events, organizing regular town hall meetings or hosting Q&A sessions with senior leaders, where employees at all levels can directly voice their ideas and concerns. 💡 If power dynamics is an issues, why not try something like reverse mentoring: Pair senior leaders with junior staff in mentoring relationships where the junior employees share insights and feedback. This can help flatten perceived power imbalances and promote mutual respect. Leadership training is also vital in reducing these issues. 💡 If there are cultural barriers, work on promoting a culture of openness: Actively foster a workplace culture that encourages questioning and exploring ideas. Visual boards can collect people's ideas for further exploration. 💡 If psychological safety seems low, train and coach all leaders to develop psychological safety in their teams. Create team agreements between leaders and teams that clearly conveys behaviours that are out and behaviours that are in (like raising concerns and suggest improvements). 💡 If slow decision-making is an issues, streamline approval processes: simplify the decision-making process by reducing unnecessary steps and empowering more employees to make decisions at their level. Keep trying until you find ways to hear front-line workers voices loud and clear to the point that they are informing continuous change and improvements every day for better decisions and a more inclusive workplace. #lean #leanthinking #continuousimprovement #employeeengagement #inclusion #frontlineworkers #leadership

Consent vs. consensus in decision-making... As the owners of a company's messaging, communicators and brand-builders are tasked with getting the entire organization to echo foundational concepts and to do so with authenticity. Everyone should be bought in. It is often the hardest (but most important?) part of the job! In fact, in almost any role (especially founder!) there are projects that involve taking a large group of stakeholders and getting them across the finish line to a decision. What are some ways we can unite people more effectively? 1. Consent vs. consensus Before you even start a project, identify the people who need to be explicitly bought in (consensus) vs. those who can disagree and commit (consent). This will reduce the number of viewpoints you need to spend significant time and resources incorporating. 2. Intake Sit with each person with whom you need to achieve consensus and understand their goals. To be successful, you have to know where each person is coming from. 3. Regular checkpoints "Ta-da! Here's the finished proposal..." is usually a recipe for disaster on all but the most minor items. Find a mid-point check in where you can present what you're thinking and get initial feedback before you spend the time, resources and political capital to finish it only to have it blown up at the last second. 4. Present the pushback and address it up front You already know at the time you present that there will be questions or even objections. Before those voices can share their dissent, address it up front. "Here's the other way(s) we thought about doing it and why we decided against it." This shows you've thought through all angles and by timing the pushback up front, your ideas are what the team is left with at the end. The timing matters. 5. When to compromise and when to push back... Within brand work (and I'm sure many other disciplines) too much compromise can turn the finished product into Frankenstein's monster. Trying to glue together a bunch of disparate ideas can weaken or destroy the cohesive concept you went in with. Know in advance where you can be flexible and what's core to the idea. 6. Find advocates In those initial conversations, you'll identify people who are already on the same page. They think this work is important, and they share your overall view on the outcome. Engage them more deeply throughout the process so it's not just one voice (yours) representing the output. Remember: as hard as it can be to get to resolution, it is ultimately a gift to be the person who unites lots of different perspectives into a winning whole. It's not always a glamorous role -- but I would argue it's one of the most important. Any tips you'd add?

Your employees have wishes. Not for ping-pong tables or pizza Fridays, but for a small shift in your leadership. Unfortunately they probably aren't going to tell you what they really need. According to research, 58% avoid giving honest feedback to their boss—because they don’t believe it will make a difference (SHRM, 2023). Their silence isn’t compliance, or lack of engagement. It’s protection. Fear of retaliation, power dynamics, or simply not wanting to "rock the boat" prevents employees from speaking up. How you can grant your employees' wishes without magic wands? Here are five powerful shifts. 🌟 1. Lead from clarity. When priorities shift weekly, employees get lost in the fog. They don’t need the full strategy brief—but they do need to understand the why behind the change. 👉 What to do: Pause before pivoting. Write out your reasoning. If you can’t explain it clearly, the team won’t follow it confidently. Clarity fuels progress. 🌟 2. Keep your promises. Even small promises—“I’ll get back to you next week”—carry weight. When those are forgotten, trust begins to unravel. 👉 What to do: Calendar your commitments. Follow through, or circle back if something shifts. When your word holds weight, so does your leadership. 🌟 3. Invite their perspective. Your employees have insights you can’t see from the top. But if disagreement feels dangerous, those insights stay buried. 👉 What to do: Normalize feedback. Encourage respectful dissent. Create safe ways to speak up. Your best ideas might be stuck behind a culture of silence. 🌟 4. See them and the value they bring. People want to contribute more than what's in their job description. They want to make a difference, but you have to pay attention. 👉 What to do: Ask for their ideas. Celebrate them when they step up. Example: At Diageo, a multinational beverages giant, employees saved $7.8M just by sharing what they already knew. 🌟 5. Build trust with your actions. Trust doesn’t come from slogans or values painted on the wall. It comes from the way you show up—especially in the small moments. 👉 What to do: Be present. Listen more than you speak. Acknowledge gaps. Every interaction is a chance to either build trust—or burn it. ✨ Conclusion According to Gallup, companies that actively seek employee feedback experience 14% higher productivity and 21% higher profitability. No fairy dust required. One small but powerful action is more sustainable than Ping Pong Tables and Pizza. Do you have more to add? Let’s learn from each other 👇 #LIPostingDayApril  #Leadership  

💜 How Small Conversations Lead to Big Impact Transformation is never just about processes and models—it’s about people. As we embark on the journey to introduce the Harmonized Product Operating Model. Leading a unit of 800+ talented colleagues, I am reminded daily that the heartbeat of change is dialogue. To truly understand the pulse of our organization, we’ve launched a series of intimate breakfast sessions ☕ 🥐 — small groups, open conversations, and honest reflections. These moments are not just about sharing croissants and coffee; they are about listening, learning, and growing together. Today’s session surfaced important concerns: the need for clearer documentation of our standards, protecting agility, ensuring team cohesion amidst structural changes, and managing the balance between new responsibilities and existing workloads. These concerns are real, and it is our responsibility as leaders to address them with intention and integrity. Here are just some ideas how to move forward: ✅ Build Transparency & Clarity: We will co-create unified guidelines for our discovery phase, ensuring everyone has access to the knowledge they need. ✅ Safeguard Agility: By reviewing our processes, we’ll look to streamline discovery without compromising our agile spirit—focusing on outcomes, not just activities. ✅ Foster Team Unity: We’ll design scrum routines that bridge heterogeneous teams, while respecting the unique strengths of each group, minimizing unnecessary meetings. ✅ Empower with Purpose: Clear role definitions and smart delegation will help developers stay focused on innovation, while management responsibilities are distributed thoughtfully. ✅ Prioritize Well-being: We will monitor workloads and provide support, ensuring that parallel initiatives don’t overwhelm our teams or managers. ✅ Encourage Open Dialogue: Breakfast sessions will continue, empowering every voice and surfacing challenges early—because the best solutions come from within our community. Change is not easy, but when we walk this path together—with empathy, transparency, and courage — I am confident we will emerge stronger and more united. Thank you to everyone who has shared their perspective so far. Let’s keep the conversation going and shape our future, one breakfast at a time. #Leadership #Transformation #HarmonizedOperatingModel #Teamwork #ContinuousImprovement #ListenToLead

📢 Why do Some Employees Hesitate to Speak Up? It’s Not Just Personality 🛑 Picture This In a regional strategy meeting, Raj, a marketing specialist from a high power-distance culture, notices several gaps in the campaign plan. However, he remains quiet, waiting for his manager to invite his input or provide clear instructions. In his culture, deference to leadership is a sign of respect. Meanwhile, his manager, accustomed to a low power-distance environment, runs the meeting with the expectation that employees will proactively share their ideas. As a result, important insights are missed, and the project moves forward without critical improvements. 🤔 Cultural Differences Matter 🚧 When power distance is high, employees defer to leadership, waiting for direction. 💬 When power distance is low, employees expect shared decision-making and open discussion. The impact? ❌ Employees from hierarchical cultures hesitate to challenge authority. ❌ Leaders from egalitarian cultures struggle to engage hierarchical team members. ❌ Critical conversations remain one-sided, limiting real change. Leaders who don’t recognize this crucial cultural difference may unintentionally exclude those from cultures where hierarchy is deeply ingrained. Over time, teams struggle with miscommunication, low engagement, and a breakdown in collaboration.   💡 Four Strategies to Bridge the Power Distance Gap 1️⃣ Adapt Your Leadership Style A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. ✔ In high power-distance cultures, provide clear structure and guidance while gradually encouraging participation. ✔ In low power-distance cultures, foster open dialogue and collaborative decision-making. 2️⃣ Set Clear Expectations Make it known that every voice matters by explicitly stating: "We expect everyone to contribute ideas in meetings. Your perspective is valued." 3️⃣ Use Anonymous Input Channels For employees hesitant to challenge authority publicly, offer anonymous surveys, private feedback channels, or one-on-one check-ins with leadership. 4️⃣ Coach Leaders to Be Cultural Translators Train managers and supervisors to: 🔹 Recognize when hierarchy is shaping team dynamics 🔹 Invite participation in ways that align with cultural norms 🔹 Create psychologically safe spaces for open discussion 📌📌 When leaders recognize and bridge cultural differences like power distance, they create workplaces where every voice feels heard and valued. Building true inclusion isn’t just about inviting participation—it’s about ensuring everyone feels safe and empowered to speak. #InclusiveLeadership #CulturalCompetence #GlobalTeams #TeamHierarchy __________________ 💡 Turn Cultural Differences into Your Team’s Competitive Advantage! Ready to build a culturally competent team? Let’s work together to turn cultural differences into strengths! 🎁 Click the link on my profile to book a complimentary session and discover how we can empower your team to thrive globally. 

Stuck on a Big Team Decision with differing views ? Here’s my take on how to get everyone on the same page... During my career, I have been in so many meetings where the team just can't agree on the next move. It’s tough to move forward , but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Based on my personal expereience, here are 10 simple steps that have helped me to bring people together when opinions are all over the place: 1) Start with real talk. Let everyone speak openly. People need to feel heard before they’ll be open to compromise. 2) Make sure we’re all talking about the same problem. Clarify what the decision is really about — you’d be surprised how often that gets fuzzy. 3) Find common ground. Even if the ideas differ, the goal is usually shared. Starting there works. 4) Bring in the facts. Opinions matter, but data and anecdotes keeps things grounded. 5) Set clear decision rules. Know in advance how you’re going to decide — By vote? Consensus? Leader’s call? I have used all three at different times ! 6) Look at all the options. Go wide before you go deep. Don’t shut down ideas too quickly. I found this the hardest to do. 7) Build some middle ground. You probably won’t please everyone — but you can often find a “good enough” option most can support. 8) Get a fresh pair of eyes. Sometimes an outside voice or expert view helps cut through the fog. 9) Make the call. After all the input, someone’s got to decide. Don’t drag it out forever. As a leader, the buck stops with you. That's Ownership . 10) Circle back later. Check how it went. What worked? What didn’t? It’s all part of your personal learning for next time. I’ve found that some of my best team moments came after tough decision-making sessions — when people felt heard, respected, and aligned again. Would love to hear your experience and insights on how you handle decision gridlock in your team... #Leadership #Teamwork #DecisionMaking #Coaching #management

I once worked with a team that was, quite frankly, toxic. The same two team members routinely derailed meeting agendas. Eye-rolling was a primary form of communication. Side conversations overtook the official discussion. Most members had disengaged, emotionally checking out while physically present. Trust was nonexistent. This wasn't just unpleasant—it was preventing meaningful work from happening. The transformation began with a deceptively simple intervention: establishing clear community agreements. Not generic "respect each other" platitudes, but specific behavioral norms with concrete descriptions of what they looked like in practice. The team agreed to norms like "Listen to understand," "Speak your truth without blame or judgment," and "Be unattached to outcome." For each norm, we articulated exactly what it looked like in action, providing language and behaviors everyone could recognize. More importantly, we implemented structures to uphold these agreements. A "process observer" role was established, rotating among team members, with the explicit responsibility to name when norms were being upheld or broken during meetings. Initially, this felt awkward. When the process observer first said, "I notice we're interrupting each other, which doesn't align with our agreement to listen fully," the room went silent. But within weeks, team members began to self-regulate, sometimes even catching themselves mid-sentence. Trust didn't build overnight. It grew through consistent small actions that demonstrated reliability and integrity—keeping commitments, following through on tasks, acknowledging mistakes. Meeting time was protected and focused on meaningful work rather than administrative tasks that could be handled via email. The team began to practice active listening techniques, learning to paraphrase each other's ideas before responding. This simple practice dramatically shifted the quality of conversation. One team member later told me, "For the first time, I felt like people were actually trying to understand my perspective rather than waiting for their turn to speak." Six months later, the transformation was remarkable. The same team that once couldn't agree on a meeting agenda was collaboratively designing innovative approaches to their work. Conflicts still emerged, but they were about ideas rather than personalities, and they led to better solutions rather than deeper divisions. The lesson was clear: trust doesn't simply happen through team-building exercises or shared experiences. It must be intentionally cultivated through concrete practices, consistently upheld, and regularly reflected upon. Share one trust-building practice that's worked well in your team experience. P.S. If you’re a leader, I recommend checking out my free challenge: The Resilient Leader: 28 Days to Thrive in Uncertainty  https://lnkd.in/gxBnKQ8n