Promoting dialogue: The method bar
Conflicts are much more common, especially in today's world, where everything has to be done much faster and often with fewer resources. Concerns about one's own job, however, increasingly lead to them being carried out covertly and coldly.
Managers bear primary responsibility for shaping an open feedback culture. They set an example in their role and are closely observed by employees in their behavior. This is particularly true when it comes to dealing with conflict situations. Does the manager avoid them? Does he or she tend to play down conflicts and/or wait (too long)? And employees learn from this behavior that it is usually not worthwhile to address disturbances because often nothing changes.
Creating an open, trusting feedback and conflict culture is the best way to prevent conflict because disruptions and irritations can be addressed constructively. The selection from the method bar gives you ideas on how to strengthen and develop your feedback and conflict culture.
My safety zone
In conflict situations, people fall out of their safety zone, which is needed in order to conduct a constructive dialog. Two typical reactions can then be observed: attack or retreat. Knowing oneself well in one's patterns is an important element - as well as what the counterpart tends to do and why. The following questions will help you to reflect:
- In what situations and/or with whom do I fall out of my safety zone?
- How do I then behave concretely? What do I feel then?
- What do I think I am stimulating in the other person through my behavior?
- What do I need to return to or stay in my safety zone?
SAY IT! Addressing conflicts constructively
| SDo not give a neutral description. Important: Refrain from judgment or interpretation! | I noticed that you usually go home at 4:00 pm. |
| ADescribe the effects (on myself and others) in a factual manner. | For me, this means that I then receive practically twice as many calls. And since a lot of customers call at this time of day, I can't manage my own work. |
Gnaming feelings |
And that annoys me. |
Erquestions about how the counterpart Situation experienced |
I would like to understand your thinking. How is it that you go home just then? |
| Sconclusions. How do we want to handle it in the future? Do you have a suggestion on how we...?
|
Possible solutions could look like this: - 2-3 days stay until 18.00 - Switch phone to colleagues - Other ideas? |
Our energy barrel
Use a team meeting to take a deeper look at the current mood and energy in the team.
- What percentage of our energy barrel is currently full?
- What fills our barrel?
- What empties our barrel?
- What lessons do we learn from this?
- What measures can we use to strengthen our cooperation and our team spirit in the long term and permanently?
Flash
This tool is particularly suitable for quickly picking up the current state of mind, e.g. after sessions. Have a brief exchange on the following two questions:
- What went particularly well?
- What can we do differently?
Mood barometer
Use a scale representing opposite poles (e.g. -5 / 0 / +5 or thunderstorm and sun - just whatever fits your environment). Have your team members score on the barometer how they experience the current mood in the team / collaboration, etc. Pick up individual voices on this and have them discuss together what can be done to either preserve a good result or what approaches are possible for improvement.
No matter what you do or take from the method bar: Basically, anything that makes feedback natural in an organization and gets people talking supports it!
Author:
Bärbel Kürzl is a partner at askplus AG, Meilen; her focus is on mediation, on facilitating organizational and team development processes, and on leadership development. www.askplus.ch
