Conflict Generators
Conflict can be good for an organization. Ice cream can be too. In either case, too much of a good thing usually leads to problems.
If you think your organization is plagued by more than its fair share of conflict, it’s time to investigate the underlying causes. Often times there are unresolved problems that act as massive conflict generators.
Tackling conflicts one-by-one is akin to swatting at mosquitoes. You know that smashing one might provide a psychological boost, but will do very little for your long-term comfort. If you want to have a lasting impact, you need to tackle the problems that are creating all the conflict in the first place. Here are eight that are often at the bottom of things.
- Unclear goals
- Fuzzy processes
- Undefined authority
- Extreme segmentation
- Poor modeling by senior leaders
- Scarce resources
- Favoritism and excessive politics
- Unmanaged stress
There isn’t an organization in existence that doesn’t have at least a few opportunities in this list. Figure out which ones are causing problems in your organization, bring together some smart people, and do something about them.
Photo by rmlowe
