Listening to Conflict: Finding Constructive Solutions to Workplace Disputes

Description

Sometimes the most obvious solution is the most effective one--and the one least considered. Take conflict resolution. It's not the persuading, cajoling, arguing, or even trying to win that's going to solve the problem. Instead, the key to finding effective, lasting solutions to combative disputes is simply to listen. Listening, as author Erik J. Van Slyke defines it, isn't the same thing as nodding your head in passive agreement. To really work, listening has got to be active and empathetic. It's got to lead to a sincere understanding of the other party's motivation and objectives--and to be the foundation for taking positive, constructive steps towards resolution. And that's exactly what this unique, refreshing book will help you do. Filled with original exercises, examples, and models, Listening to Conflict shows you how to successfully resolve workplace disputes by practicing and perfecting the art of listening. You'll find probing insights and step-by-step guidelines on how to: * Develop self-awareness--or "listening to ourselves," understanding our preferences, perceptions, and resulting behaviors--to set the stage for better relationships * Turn self-awareness into self-mastery, thus changing the action/reaction cycle that so often leads to an impasse during disputes * Use empathetic listening techniques to convey understanding and encourage open communication * Incorporate listening into a six-step collaborative resolution process * Create a culture of constructive conflict * And more. And Listening to Conflict helps you solve not only your own conflicts. You'll also learn to referee disputes between employees, co-workers, customers, suppliers, or even senior managers. By putting this listening-based approach into action, you'll establish your position as an objective mediator...you'll guide combative parties towards constructive solutions...and you'll build the kind of productive relationships that don't allow natural conflicts to deteriorate into destructive disagreements. Everyone has to deal with workplace disputes. They're forever simmering under the surface, sometimes even boiling over in nasty explosions. But while conflicts are inescapable, they ARE solvable. Not by fighting or sulking or bullying, but by learning to employ the powerful art of listening.