Conflict Resolution

Here's an excellent post by Shannon Wills, via Scott McArthur's blog, on how a manager should go about solving a conflict between two staff members. Link here.

In reading it I was struck by the simple fact that the same strategy can be used effectively to resolve conflicts between feuding spouses or feuding children.

It might feel strange for marriage and couples counselors to take their cues from management theory, but, we should all get the best advice from wherever we can find it. The fact that this strategy represents practical advice, roughly in the same way that 12 step programs do, and does not pretend to be science, should lead us to take it more seriously.

Coaching is more about leadership and management than it is about medical treatment. Thus, its natural allies are found less in the hospital or laboratory than in the workplace and the boardroom.