Page 75 - Lighting Magazine December 2019

Recent studies show that disengaged employees cost their firms $450 to $550 million annually, while the cost of disengaged managers is even more stag- gering at $77 to $96 billion each year. Conversely, a healthy culture with an engaged workforce typi- cally generates 2.5 times more revenues than their competitors with lower engagement. Customer retention rates are 18-percent higher for companies with highly engaged workforces.
We asked two highly respected business manage- ment consultants for their perspective on resolving conflicts in the workplace.
Front-line approach
Jason Bader, a principal of The Distribution Team, tackled the subject of internal staff issues and shared suggestions on how leaders and managers can most effectively resolve conflict within their team.
Bader has more than 30 years of experience in distribution, overseeing operational teams, managing small and large facilities, and serving in an executive management capacity for the last 10 years of his distribution career. He has also served on the board of directors of STAFDA (Specialty Tools and Fasteners Distributor Association) and was the youngest president in the association’s 26- year history.
“People in management positions have to step up and de-escalate conflict,” Bader advises. “When someone comes in blazing and wants to unload on you, you’ve got to take a deep breath and just let them do it. Going toe-to-toe is exhausting; instead, use this as an opportunity to listen to what they’re
saying and understand their issue. The best way to do that is to stop talking, listen carefully, and then repeat their points back to them, lowering your tone and slowing the pace as you go along. Be patient; you may have to do this step several times to totally grasp all of their concerns.”
Among many people’s pet peeves are when people don’t seem to be listening to them, or when managers are playing favorites.
“This is where little things can turn into some- thing much bigger,” Bader notes. “It’s up to good leaders to get ahead of the problem. You can’t feel entitled to just ‘run the show’ because you sign their paychecks. That’s not the way to gain loyalty and dedication. You’ve got to show your team that you have their back and have their best interest at heart.
“To do that, you need to make yourself available and ensure that your team feels safe to enter that ‘open door’ you say you have. Once they’re in front of you, employees need to know that you are really listening. When they’re speaking, give them your full attention. I often recommend taking notes as they speak. Active listening is key in resolving conflict.”
One of the ugliest scenarios can occur when there is an inner-office dispute between team members. To successfully resolve that type of issue without causing even further damage, leaders must ensure their decisions can’t be taken personally.
“Don’t ever pit employees against each other or make one feel unheard,” Bader states. “Protect the stability of your team by ensuring your deci- sions don’t appear personal. Instead, refer back to the core values of the company. Point to your values, mission, and vision when settling disputes, and choose the position that best reflects them. By doing that, no one can accuse you of showing favoritism.”
Bader acknowledges that while ideally these types of conversations should occur in a private setting, sometimes you don’t have that option. “In those cases, you just have to drop your ego and let the person vent,” Bader says. “However, with all that said, in the rare instance that someone on your staff is creating conflict just for sport, you need to terminate their employment before they can wreak havoc on your company.”
Many times, employees aren’t actually angry with their manager or colleagues. Their frustration can often be traced back to a new pressure they feel from something in the workplace or within their own lives.
“You can’t
feel entitled
to just ‘run
the show’
because you
sign their
paychecks.”
—Jason Bader, The Distribution Team
Conquering conflict
DeceMber 2019 | enLIGHTenment Magazine 71