13

Oct

Should you pick your battles?

jeff

animosity, argue, conflict, disagree, diversity, mastering conflict, passive-aggressive, teamwork

About teams, Be a better team member, Communicate, conflict, Horror Stories, Right Words to Say

You tell yourself you’re picking your battles, but are you really just carrying a grudge? If so, you’re entering a downward spiral.

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06

Oct

Recognizing Superpowers

jeff

conflict, decision making, friction, matrix organizations, Team Dysfunction, Tension

About teams, Be a better team member, Communicate, conflict, Contribute, How to fix teams, Right Words to Say

Do you have a colleague that drives you nuts? Have you ever considered that the very behavior that is driving you to distraction is exactly what they were put in the organization to do? Can you appreciate the superpowers in your organization?

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08

Sep

Optimists, Skeptics, and Cynics

jeff

decision making, emotional, optimism, optimists, pessimist, skepticism, skeptics

Be a better team leader, conflict, Contribute, How to fix teams, Right Words to Say, Strategy & Planning

It’s easy to be attracted to optimistic thinking and turned off by cynicism, but both optimistic and cynical decision-making is lazy. Use this approach to improve the rigour of decision making in your business.

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08

Jul

Is it Manipulative to Use Productive Conflict Techniques?

jeff

authenticity, coercion, communication, conflict, manipulation, validation

Communicate, conflict, Right Words to Say

I’ve been asked whether or not my productive conflict techniques are manipulative. Here’s my answer.

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09

Jun

Bad Advice: Why You Shouldn’t Come with a Solution 

jeff

arguments, communication, conflict, cross-functional teams, issues, problems, solutions, team building, Team Dysfunction

Be a better team member, Communicate, conflict, Contribute, How to fix teams, Right Words to Say

Arguments often start when someone proposes a solution without getting alignment on the problem they’re solving for. Here are the three situations in which you shouldn’t start with a solution.

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02

Jun

The Vicious Cycle of Bad Behavior

jeff

abuse, bullying, frustration, reciprocity, research, retaliation, Team Dysfunction

About teams, Be a better team member, conflict, Horror Stories, How to fix teams

In moments of weakness, you might let out a nasty remark or be too quick to criticize. New research suggests that your slip will lead to retaliation. Here are the do’s and don’ts to prevent starting a vicious cycle of bad behavior on your team.

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26

May

The Right Words: The Two Truths

jeff

arguments, communication exercises, conflict, disagreements, opinions, team building exercises

Be a better team member, Communicate, conflict, Right Words to Say

It only takes an instant for a conversation to turn into an argument. With the right words, you can change that trajectory and wind up solving a problem as an ally, rather than fighting as adversaries.

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28

Apr

How to Avoid an Argument

jeff

argue, argument, conflict, fight, how to, instructions, invalidated, problem solving, team building, Team Dysfunction, validation, youtube

Announcements, Be a better team member, conflict, How to fix teams, Right Words to Say

Simple and effective techniques you can use to head off the next potential argument on your team.

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10

Mar

The First Steps to Create a Productive Conflict Habit

jeff

alignment, conflict, decision making, disagreement, diversity, The Good Fight

About teams, Announcements, Be a better team leader, Be a better team member, conflict, Exercises, Right Words to Say

Building a productive conflict habit is critical to having a high performing team. But don’t go from 0 to 60 overnight. Use these 9 techniques to introduce low impact conflict on your team.

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10

Feb

Exercise: Fostering a Culture of Productive Conflict

jeff

conflict, debate, discussion, exercise, leadership development, offsite, organization development, team building, Team Dysfunction

Be a better team leader, conflict, Exercises, How to fix teams

Too many leaders give their team permission to give feedback, to disagree, or to challenge one another’s ideas. Permission won’t drive action. If you want more healthy conflict on your team, stop giving people permission and start helping them appreciate their obligation.

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