.com Conflicts exist in every workplace, and if left unchecked they can reduce productivity, decimate morale, fracture relationships, and even spark litigation. According to conflict resolution specialists Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith, however, such undesirable results could be eliminated through management behaviors that forestall any related misunderstandings. In Resolving Conflicts at Work, they draw upon real-world examples (both good and bad) to explain "how and why we all get stuck in conflict." They then outline "8 Paths from Impasse to Transformation"--which include understanding a conflict's real meaning, listening actively to those involved, separating what matters from what doesn't, and handling resultant problems creatively--to resolve those that do arise. The chapter on listening, for example, offers concrete advice such as "demonstrate that you have heard the other person's deeper needs and feelings" by making reference to them in your conversation; it also suggests replacing phrases that threaten, judge, blame, and accuse with those that clarify perspective ("When did this happen?"), acknowledge differing viewpoints ("I can see you really feel angry about that"), and invite elaboration ("Why is that important to you?"). The plan requires effort and commitment, but should prove beneficial to managers who are serious about improving their work environments. --Howard RothmanFrom the Inside FlapThis essential guide offers numerous suggestions for transforming conflict into opportunities for positive change and improving workplace relationships. Based on decades of experience resolving highly complex organizational disputes, the authors provide practical methods you can use every day, in any work setting, to improve communication and reduce conflict. Whether you need to know how to approach your boss on a sensitive matter, mitigate a personality clash between team members, raise uncomfortable issues, or proactively head off anger, you will find clear and effective tools in this valuable book.Resolving Conflicts at Work maps out eight paths to hone your conflict resolution skills and generate positive, productive change. The authors offer detailed directions on how to understand the culture of conflict, search beneath the surface for hidden meaning, separate what really matters from what's in the way, solve problems creatively, negotiate collaboratively. . . and much more.This book leads you step by step to a deeper understanding of the issues that drive conflicts. You will discover that by listening respectfully to your adversaries you can jointly fix the problem, create dialogue over issues that divide you, work through your differences, and improve your relationships. With this guide, you can develop a dynamic, do-it-yourself approach to resolving every workplace conflict you face.Learn How to Turn Workplace Conflicts into Creative Insights, Productive Relationships, and Powerful Paths to ChangeCreate a new sense of yourself in your organization, a new direction in your life, and a new understanding of your adversaries with this highly practical guide for resolving conflicts, miscommunications, and misunderstandings at work. Two veteran professionals show you how conflicts-and the process of resolving them-can offer extraordinary opportunities for personal growth, deeper and more satisfying relationships, and enhanced morale."A semiFrom the Back CoverThis essential guide offers numerous suggestions for transforming conflict into opportunities for positive change and improving workplace relationships. Based on decades of experience resolving highly complex organizational disputes, the authors provide practical methods you can use every day, in any work setting, to improve communication and reduce conflict. Whether you need to know how to approach your boss on a sensitive matter, mitigate a personality clash between team members, raise uncomfortable issues, or proactively head off anger, you will find clear and effective tools in this valuable book. Resolving Conflicts at Work maps out eight paths to hone your conflict resolution skills and generate positive, productive change. The authors offer detailed directions on how to understand the culture of conflict, search beneath the surface for hidden meaning, separate what really matters from what's in the way, solve problems creatively, negotiate collaboratively. . . and much more. This book leads you step by step to a deeper understanding of the issues that drive conflicts. You will discover that by listening respectfully to your adversaries you can jointly fix the problem, create dialogue over issues that divide you, work through your differences, and improve your relationships. With this guide, you can develop a dynamic, do-it-yourself approach to resolving every workplace conflict you face. Learn How to Turn Workplace Conflicts into Creative Insights, Productive Relationships, and Powerful Paths to Change Create a new sense of yourself in your organization, a new direction in your life, and a new understanding of your adversaries with this highly practical guide for resolving conflicts, miscommunications, and misunderstandings at work. Two veteran professionals show you how conflicts-and the process of resolving them-can offer extraordinary opportunities for personal growth, deeper and more satisfying relationships, and enhanced morale. "A seminal and path-breaking book on the age-old question: How do you restore civility in a world roiling in conflict?"-Warren Bennis, coauthor of Co-Leaders and Organizing Genius, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, USC Marshall School of Business "A gold mine of wisdom about how to resolve our conflicts at work and to transform our organizations and our lives in the process. I learned a lot from reading this book and recommend it highly."-William Ury, author of Getting Past No and coauthor of Getting to Yes "The brilliance of this book is that its lessons apply in any workplace setting. With its rich collection of practical advice and deep insight into conflict, it's a must read for those who want to create healthier and more effective organizations." -Blenda J. Wilson, president and CEO, The Nellie Mae Foundation "Learning how to resolve conflict is key to business success. This book is a valuable guide to solving problems at all levels of organizations. . . . Practical and inspiring."-Jerry Cooper, Executive Vice President, Showtime Networks, Inc. "Conflict drains everyone involved, which is why every worker, no matter what the context, can benefit from the rich insights and practical tools provided in this book. It is a treasure of information and strategies that can be put to use every day, anywhere, any time."-William J. Cirone, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools where can i find good book reviews Resolving Conflicts at Work: A Complete Guide for Everyone on the Job
35 of 35 people found the following review helpful. Resolving Conflicts at Work, A Complete Guide for Everyone..By Marla GoldstoneI review a great deal of material relating to organizational, management and general human resource development in my role as an O.D. and training manager. Most of what I see is pre-digested and re-packaged common sense, masquerading as the newest thing that will save, drastically improve, maximize and strengthen 'your profits and your people'. In other words, I am not easily impressed.This book is an exception. Unresolved conflict is at the bottom of many organizational and personal ills. This practical, well researched book is both honest and refreshing - in particular for its courage in naming and addressing the impact of the 'un-namable'at work, the "F" word, i.e. feelings.What I especially appreciate about the book is the emphasis placed on exploring personal responsibility, one's own context and emotional landscape. If as Eleanor Roosevelt stated, no one can make you inferior without your permission, no one can make you a victim in conflict either.Without resorting to jargon or pat solutions, this book covers the important steps needed to work through and ultimately resolve conflicts. There are comprehensive chapters that discuss: listening from the heart, being vulnerable in expressing needs, managing emotions - including anger, dealing with difficult behaviours, problem solving, and negotiating.There are great questions and exercises throughout the book to help you to uncover what lies beneath a particular conflict. The book maintains an upbeat, positive tone that conveys hope and encourages optimism. I particularly like the perspective of seeing conflict as an opportunity to grow in learning and understanding.On the other hand, nothing is ever perfect and what is missing is a bibliography. In addition, I would have appreciated a focused discussion on dealing with issues of power and authority in work conflicts. Many employees are reluctant to risk confronting their bosses for fear of losing their jobs. Power differences are a tragically mismanaged issue in many dysfunctional workplaces.Nevertheless this is an excellent resource for anyone who had ever had a conflict at work or at home - in other words, all of us!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy Andrew BairdGood book for new managers.14 of 16 people found the following review helpful. The spirituality of conflictBy John S. RyanI like this book. Ken Cloke is good in general on the topic of transformative mediation, and this volume -- co-written with Joan Goldsmith -- does a fine job of offering transformative-mediation-based insights to the actual parties to conflict. (This isn't a guide for mediators; it's a guide for "conflictees.")Cloke and Goldsmith offer what they call eight "paths" toward transformation. I won't detail them here since you can read about them yourself with 's nifty new "Look Inside" feature; what they have in common is that they offer the reader ways to think about and to approach conflict that may help to turn it into an opportunity for transformation. The background setting is officially the "workplace," but the guidance is easily generalizable to other contexts.Then, too, some readers may think the whole field of nonviolent/transformative conflict resolution is full of feelgood warmfuzziness, suitable only for tender-minded Joe and Jane Sensitive utopian escapists. But these authors repeatedly insist -- rightly, in my opinion -- that resolving conflicts is a _much_ more active process than avoiding them, much more demanding of real courage and tough-mindedness. (And they don't present their approach as a solution to _every_ conflict.)The most important thing to know is that Cloke and Goldsmith treat conflict as a spiritual opportunity. They stop short of maintaining that conflicts are actually _provided_ to us in order to promote our spiritual growth; for that, the reader is referred to Mark Rosen's excellent and delightful _Thank You for Being Such a Pain_, which takes as its premise that difficulties are given to us by Providence. But Cloke and Goldsmith do the next best thing and offer lots of helpful advice on how to _treat_ conflicts as opportunities; as such, their book stands well on its own merits, and in my own view works even better as something of a companion to Rosen's.A good book, then, well worth reading for its insights on workplace conflict and on conflict generally, on the opportunities conflict presents and how to take advantage of it as a means for personal transformation. And I personally recommend that readers who believe in a providential God take a look at Rosen's book too.This book (and Cloke's work generally, along with some of the other conflict resolution/mediation literature) might also be of interest to another class of reader: libertarians and classical liberals who want to see people empowered to manage their own problems without government intervention.I'm sometimes surprised at how little my fellow libs have to say about alternative dispute resolution; you'd think we freedom-lovin' folks would be all over this field by now, and yet too many of us seem to be satisfied with airy references to "defense agencies" and the threat of force as the first, last, and only disincentive to aggression. It doesn't seem to occur to many of our most public voices that personal transformation -- what my generation used to call "raising consciousness" -- is the (only) key to avoiding many conflicts in the first place.At any rate Cloke and Goldsmith's book is a pretty good place to start for the libertarian reader interested in conflict resolution. (William Ury's _The Third Side_ is another nice companion volume, devoted precisely to the question of how people might possibly -- and do -- manage to resolve conflicts without the help of a centralized State.) If you liked Mary Ruwart's _Healing Our World_ (which see), you'll probably like this stuff too; Ruwart has a fine sense of the spirituality of liberty.(On the other hand, followers of Ayn Rand will probably _hate_ this stuff. And now that I think about it, one of the most damning criticisms I could make of Rand's ethics, and her philosophy generally, is that it tends to strip people of _precisely_ those spiritual virtues that make peaceful conflict resolution possible.)