Page 76 - Lighting Magazine December 2019

Conquering conflict
72 enLIGHTenment Magazine | DeceMber 2019
www.enlightenmentmag.com
“I also recommend that, as leaders, you train your team in appropriately dealing with conflict. For example, your delivery drivers probably encounter these issues more than anyone else in your organiza- tion. Do role-playing exercises with your drivers on scenarios they may encounter so they are prepared to handle them as your ambassadors in the field.”
In some situations, though, purposeful conflict isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Your sales team is probably full of competitive people, so you’re in- evitably going to have some conflict on occasion,” he explains. “It’s important to emphasize that you’re all working together to achieve the same goal. Once that belief is instilled, their competitive natures will be a huge asset to the company.
“For that reason, I don’t usually recommend hav- ing sales contests. You’re setting yourself up for issues. Instead I encourage clients to set a team goal and offer a team reward. I’m a huge believer in event-based rewards — group activities like bowling or ball games can enhance camaraderie, but every- thing in moderation. It shouldn’t be at the expense of people’s time with their families.”
Bader notes that many of the same tenets apply when issues arise with vendors or customers:
➥ Slow down the conversation
➥ Ensure the other person knows you’re
listening
➥ Take the emotion out of the discussion by
staying true to your company’s core values
➥ Define the identifiable point at which your
values won’t stretch beyond.
“If you stick to this method of conflict resolution,
you have the best chance of avoiding more seri- ous trouble for yourself and your organization,” Bader remarks. “Just because you may not agree with someone on a particular point doesn’t mean you can’t get along or should stop doing business together. But if they aren’t working toward the same goals as you, it’s okay to fire an employee, customer, or vendor.
“Any time there is conflict, it is stealing resources from your company — primarily the time you and anyone else involved must spend working through it — that could be focused on profitability and pro- ductivity,” Bader says.
preserve the Family
Business management consultant Rich Schmitt has spent much of his career working one-on-one with closely held, family-owned companies in the electri- cal, plumbing, and hard goods supply chains. He has one clear credo for conflict resolution: Preserve the family relationship first.
Schmitt is President of Schmitt Consulting Group, which he founded after more than a decade of consulting and management experience with a Fortune 100 company. Rich and his daughter, Jen, have gained tremendous respect for the integrity of their work. Part of that is due to their grounded approach of coaching clients through any issues that exist among family members involved in the business before focusing on their companies.
“Difficult situations can arise when there are mul- tiple siblings or generations,” he shares. “And often the process of destroying the family was pretty far along before they called us, but we’ve always been
“The older generation can get offended when the new generation doesn’t follow the same practices.”
—Father-daughter team Rich and Jen Schmitt of Schmitt Consulting Group