Enhancing Effectiveness

January 15th, 2024
People having an open conversation at work

As leaders specializing in collaboration and conflict resolution, we focus today on making it safe for people to speak up at work. Fostering a culture of open communication is crucial for organizational success in today's dynamic and fast-paced work environment. The ability for employees to freely share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas can significantly enhance innovation, collaboration, and overall workplace satisfaction. Workplaces do face challenges, however, in establishing an atmosphere where individuals feel comfortable speaking up. The costs associated with an absence of open communication and the need for authenticity make it imperative to proactively build a culture that not only allows but encourages employees to share feedback honestly. Building on this article from the Greater Good Science Center from the University of California-Berkeley, I offer additional thoughts for your consideration.

January 1st, 2024
Girl with hand giving "ok" sign

As a leader involved with mediation, negotiations, and conflict resolution I have found humor to often assist at some point after authentic connecting relationships have been developed in the process. I wanted to offer some thoughts that you may find helpful in the fast-paced and often demanding environment of the workplace. Injecting a bit of humor can be a powerful tool to alleviate stress, improve mood, and foster a positive atmosphere among colleagues. Humor not only lightens the atmosphere but also has numerous health benefits,. 

December 25th, 2023
The words "Be creative" with a light bulb

How can you work something out with someone who is difficult to work with? As a mediation and negotiation specialist I thought I would share with you some lessons I have learned and provide insights for you from articles to help you when you are in this type of situation. If you approach conflict in the right way and with the right attitude this can offer you a real edge towards making progress. Keep in mind there is no one right answer. There are, however, ideas that may prove immensely helpful. Starting with this article from psychology today and moving forward read on.  Here are ten tips to help you from an experienced mediator.

December 18th, 2023
Photos of people being connected to one another

Building authentic, connecting relationships at work can be a game-changer for both personal satisfaction and professional success. Research shows that 60% to 80% of all difficulties in organizations stem from strained relationships between employees, not from deficits in individual employee’s skill or motivation. To make real connections, you need to tap into your emotional intelligence, sharpen your conversational skills, and master the art of listening actively. It is not just about "networking" but genuinely bonding with colleagues, including those you might find challenging to interact with at or through work.

 

[i] Daniel Dana, “Managing Differences: How to Build Better Relationships at Work and Home”

(2005, 4th ed.); Barbara J. Kreisman, “Insights into Employee Motivation, Commitment and

Retention” (2002).

December 5th, 2023
Light breaking through a dark cloudy sky

As a trusted leader, it's your responsibility to foster an environment where high-quality relationships thrive. Not only does your leadership foster a more pleasant workplace, it also contributes to increased productivity and job satisfaction. But often your job involves dealing with colleagues you don’t know well or may occasionally disagree with. Some of your colleagues may be in person and others may be virtual or hybrid. Here are 15 tips for educating and inspiring all of your colleagues to work better with one another, even when they have differences of opinion or limited interactions.

November 5th, 2023
A group of tools laid out on a table

In order to build collaboration skills and teams you need the right tools in the right hands in order build collaboration. When people work collaboratively with one another being trained, with the right tools, they can apply their skill set with the rest of the team and are affirmed for their contribution to the team effort, you are far more likely to have a successful collaboration. Having researched this topic I am sharing with you key elements from a commentary by Workest entitled Building Collaboration Skills for Individuals and Teams.  What follows is a summary of key points from their article  with personal anecdotal commentary from experiences as a manager with over 30 years’ experience and with over 1,2000 employees. I am offering these insights that will hopefully help you.

October 1st, 2023
The word "ASK" on a sign outside an establishment

As a person specializing in mediation and conflict resolution and as a speaker doing continual research in the area of collaboration, I want to share some insights with you about how to ask better questions. Why? Listening actively is the key to understanding related to both conflict resolution and collaboration. Taking this up a notch, asking even better questions will help you analyze the situation better, gain further insight, and produce better results.

September 18th, 2023
The word "Just Be"

As a mediation and negotiation specialist that focuses on conflict resolution and collaboration it is important for me to be authentic and care for myself given often stressful situations.  Recently I heard a speaker offer a quote from Parker Palmer. I appreciated the quote, so I researched additional quotes from Parker Palmer. This got me to thinking. I wanted to share two of his quotes with you and provide you with some thoughts you may find helpful for yourself, and you may want to share these with others to promote your and their mental and physical health.

September 12th, 2023
 A small and large dog looking out the window of a car

The focus of this commentary is on collaboration and how to apply best practices to assist in elevating your team. A framework is presented to help you see what actions  you should consider as you promote best practices. Ideally you can apply these tips immediately. However, sometimes collaboration stalls and conflicts arise. When that happens, communication is the key. Tips on how to address these types of concerns are provided that can be applied in a high percentage of these types of situations.

July 24th, 2023
Two students in natures setting studying materials together

Have you been in an argument, dispute, and/or conflict and wanted to know what you could do differently? The collaboration effect based on neuroscience suggests that you need be authentic and find common values to have a connecting relationship, listen actively, and then educate judiciously the way the other party wants to be educated to enhance your potential for success. Blogs on connecting relationships and listening actively have been offered the last two weeks. This week the emphasis is on an update to educating judiciously.

June 26th, 2023
silhouette of people around a circle

As a continual learner and speaker on the topics of collaboration, mediation and conflict resolution, and mediation and negotiation I am offering you a series of articles and blogs that can help you with the topic of collaboration. Below I have provided links to articles and blogs to what I think are some of the best commentaries to help you. These 37 sources have been categorized into 10 headings. 

June 19th, 2023
A group of rocks balanced on one another on a rocky beach

Working in the areas of mediation and conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation, and related areas I see the advantages of focusing on health, balance, and routines for success. This article provides you with several links to other sources to help with ideas related to health and balance in your work and life.  Often parties involved with the issues identified above are stressed and may have a difficult time seeing closure. As a mediator I do not assume from my experiences to know their experiences. Knowing this I realize that we all have varying degrees of health and balance in our lives. Some of the elements below have helped me personally. I simply wanted to share these with you to see if they may help you.  Let’s begin with the area of health.

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