Rick Soreson argues conflict is inevitable and necessary for growth. He breaks down conflict resolution into three elements: active listening, honest communication spoken with care, and mutual respect, usually guided by a trained facilitator. When done right, relationships restore and productivity rises.
Active listening; honest communication (truth spoken with care); mutual respect.
90% of the time.
Welcome back to part two of embracing conflict. As we mentioned, conflict is inevitable and around every corner, we're not going to get away from it. The challenge is that the peace that we are after can only be found when we embrace the conflict and choose to go through it so we can grow through it. So how do we do that? What's the solution? How do we embrace conflict? First, I believe that it's about trusting that conflict is not the issue. You've got to believe that the issue is our failure to embrace it and see it for what it truly is. Second, we need to choose to embrace and resolve the conflict. Now, if you run a company, you need to choose to create a culture that embraces conflict for what it truly is. It's a doorway for growth, innovation, and the opportunity to accomplish something great together. Conflict doesn't have to be the great divider. Conflict, when embraced and understood, is actually a great unifier. You know, we often talk about conflict resolution, but the challenge is no one really knows what it is or how to do it. So typically, the loudest voice in the room wins, and the conflict continues to grow under the surface, and we end up losing relationship with some really great people. So what is conflict resolution? What does the process look like? Conflict resolution is the process of facilitating a peaceful and positive solution through doing three things. Now, that implies that there is a trained person like myself helping you to facilitate the process objectively. The first is active listening. You need to truly listen to the other person to be understood and heard, not simply to make your point. The second thing we need when resolving conflict is honest communication. We have to be able to speak honesty with love, not personal agendas, but the organization, the vision, the relationship in mind. And the third thing is there has to be a mutual respect. We can't attack each other when we're dealing with conflict. We focus on the issue at hand, the challenge or the problem or the obstacle that's getting in the way and keeping us from meeting our objective. When these things are in place from the beginning and everyone agrees to share the ground rules, the results are that 90% of the time, relationships are restored and vision is renewed, which leads to increased productivity and a stronger relationship. So let me ask you a question. Are you ready to grow? Then it's time to find some conflict. So, my friends, thanks for trusting me with your time today and for investing in your leadership. Hey, if you have teams or relationships within your company that need help building a culture that embraces conflict and sees it as an opportunity, not as an obstacle, let me know. I would love to serve you and help you develop that culture. Let's take the next step and build a culture that embraces conflict for our growth. As always, until next time. I'm Rick Soreson, and I'm believing that your best is yet to come.
