Failing, Innovation, Perseverance, Success

Are You Good at Failing?

October 2, 2014 Liz Stincelli

“There’s no learning without trying lots of ideas and failing lots of times.” —Jonathan Ive

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

Why Fail?

We always talk about success, but what about the stepping stones to success that we call failure? We’ve all heard the advice: fail fast and fail often. But why fail at all? When we fail, we gain insight into what went right and what went wrong. This information helps guide our next steps in the right direction. Failure helps us to learn what we don’t know so we can determine who or what we need access to for success. We can also share lessons learned from our failure with others and implement lessons others have learned from their failures. The fact is, you’re going to fail so you might as well get good at it.

Innovate

Brene Brown explained, “There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period.” Great innovations are developed through trial and error. It’s not very often you get grand innovation right the first time. The only way to assure you will not fail is by doing nothing and innovation is never built on inaction.

Fail

Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” As much as it may feel fatal, you will survive, failure is just part of the innovation process. The quicker you fail, the smaller and more manageable your mistakes will be. Every time you challenge yourself you are flirting with failure but, when you fail you have the opportunity to step up your thinking. You aren’t invincible so you might as well develop an accepting attitude towards failure.

Perseverance

Julie Andrews said, “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” Develop resilience; use your failures as learning experiences. Make adjustments and return better than ever. Fail, pick yourself back up and move forward. Failure can transform you and the way you look at the world around you. The more you fail the better you will become at making corrections quickly.

Success

Winston Churchill explained, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” Failure is a stepping stone to success. It often brings with it new opportunities and perspectives. Most great successes have been preceded by failure, sometimes multiple failures. You will achieve success once you are willing to accept failure as a way to learn and move forward.

Are You Good at Failing?

Woody Allen said, “If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.” Remember, failing is part of the journey. You learn more lessons and gain more wisdom from your failures than your successes can ever provide. Value and celebrate your successes, but learn to value the lessons that failure has to offer as well.

Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.

Collaboration, Leadership, Teamwork

Not an Army of One

September 25, 2014 Liz Stincelli 2 Comments

“As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” —Amy Poehler

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

Are You Going it Alone?

It’s easy to think that you will be better off if you just do everything yourself. Many times it is fear that prevents you from asking for help. You may fear that you will give more than you get, or that you will share more about yourself than you would like. You may fear having to share your success with someone else. The problem is, you can’t possibly know everything or see situations from every angle. The more you learn, the more you realize there is so much you don’t know. Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” You are limiting your chance of success when you insist on going it alone. So where should you start?

Great ideas

Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “I welcome and seek your ideas, but do not bring me small ideas; bring me big ideas to match our future.” The best ideas come from sharing and combining ideas from a diverse, variety of sources. Use technology to access the information and expertise you need from individuals from around the world. Develop a supportive atmosphere that encourages the sharing of ideas without fear of judgment. Ask the question “what if?”. Give everyone the chance to share; you never know where the next great idea will come from.

Relationships

Build relationships. Joyce Meyer explained, “We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics.” Much of your success is dependent on developing strong, authentic relationships. Get to know those you work with on a personal basis. Always be forthcoming and respectful in your interactions. Use the relationships you develop to foster the spirit of cooperation, encouragement, and support that leads uncovering great ideas.

Collaboration

Antony Starr told us, “Collaboration is the best way to work. It’s the only way to work, really. Everyone’s there because they have a set of skills to offer across the board.” Without collaboration, you can get stuck. You need skills and expertise beyond your own to continue to move forward. You have experts from around the world accessible right at your fingertips. The sky is the limit when you learn how to connect and collaborate with others. This collaboration is not about competing against each other, but innovating together to co-create something far beyond your individual capabilities. Identify a need, and then focus on who you need to help you find a solution.

Common ground

Improve your ability to collaborate successfully by finding common ground. Madeleine Albright recognized, “No matter what message you are about to deliver somewhere, whether it is holding out a hand of friendship, or making clear that you disapprove of something, is the fact that the person sitting across the table is a human being, so the goal is to always establish common ground.” People want to work with other people who they know and feel comfortable with. Find commonalities between you and your team members. Collaboration is not self-serving; think about the well-being of the whole not just the few. Create a shared vision where everyone wins. Finding common ground helps you break down interpersonal barriers and reduce the fears that prevent collaboration and block creativity. Learn to embrace the diversity that builds a strong team and encourages the discovery of great ideas.

Not an Army of One

Stephen Covey reminded us, “Synergy is what happens when one plus one equals ten, or a hundred, or even a thousand! It’s the profound result when two or more respectful human beings determine to go beyond their preconceived ideas to meet a great challenge.” Great challenges require great partnering. There is extraordinary power in people working together toward the same goal. Use diverse perspectives to change the way you view the need and the goal. Develop relationships with others; find common ground where you can share your expertise for mutual benefit and discover great ideas together. You never know where the next great idea might be found. You are not an army of one; build a network of experts to share in your exploration new ideas and great possibilities.

Collaboration, Flexibility, Structure, Work

The Way We Work is Evolving: Are You Ready?

September 18, 2014 Liz Stincelli 3 Comments

“The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!” —Earl Nightingale

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

The Way We Work is Evolving

The way we work is changing. Millennials will soon make up 50% of the workforce. This generation is used to being connected, collaborative, and operating on the move. They are used to using social platforms to share and communicate. They want the ability to work from anywhere, to have a voice, and to be allowed to learn about things that interest them. We’re all going to have to jump on the bandwagon. We can no longer work in the fragmented environment of the past. The evolution of work now allows us to be more connected and engaged. This new work environment offers us the opportunity to thrive if we are ready to step up and take control of our own career. Are you prepared for the new work paradigm?

Social media

Amy Jo Martin explained, “Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo, or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand.” Social media is changing the way we behave. In this new age, small actions can have a big impact. A “like” from the right person or a critical review can have far reaching implications. Social media is creating communities and enhancing transparency.

The evolution of work utilizes these social avenues to promote organizations, monitor public opinion, and stay connected to customers and colleagues. You must learn to be conscious of the impact your posts, status changes, pictures, likes, and shares have both personally and professionally. If you are going to be responsible for steering your own career path, you have to care about your digital footprint and your personal brand.

Flexibility

Will Smith said “And where I excel is ridiculous, sickening, work ethic. You know, while the other guys sleeping? I’m working.” New technology gives you freedom and flexibility to work anytime, anywhere, with anyone, and on any device. Shifting to the cloud now allows you to access the software technology you need for almost any task. You no longer need to work 9-5 or spend hours commuting to the office every week.

The evolution of work allows you the flexibility to work where and when you want. You must develop the discipline to ensure that you can complete your work without a set schedule or consistent work environment. You must stay up-to-date on the latest advances in technology. And, with the accessibility of connecting to your work anytime, anywhere, you must make sure maintaining a healthy work/life balance is a priority.

New ways to collaborate

Bill Gates tells us, “The PC has improved the world in just about every area you can think of. Amazing developments in communications, collaboration, and efficiencies. New kinds of entertainment and social media. Access to information and the ability to give a voice to people who would never have been heard.” New collaborative technologies allow you to easily share information and ideas. The ease of collaboration breaks down barriers. You now have access to people with expertise in any field from around the globe. Any information you desire can be found at your fingertips. You can connect with colleagues and collaborators on an international scale.

In a world with access to so many people and so much information, you must learn to filter the important information and focus on the task at hand. In this new world of increased collaborative ability, you lose much of the traditional face-to-face communication. You miss the little cues such as handshakes and body language. You must learn to compensate by building strong relationship where you can gauge conversational understanding based on tone and content. Always make sure your collaboration is a win-win situation for every participant.

Flatter structures

Steve McQueen said, “I can’t work in an environment where it’s a stiff hierarchy; that’s not my kind of way.” The hierarchical organizational structures of the past are being flattened. The evolution of work presents you with the opportunity to have a voice without needing to climb the corporate ladder. You now have the opportunity to serve as a leader without holding a formal position of authority through your influence and expertise.

Your work is now becoming self-directed. You are able to share your expertise and interests in a public arena. This offers the chance to be recognized for your contributions and to become a subject matter experts and thought leader. You must develop the skills, knowledge, and discipline necessary to work autonomously. You must be ready to speak up and share your voice. You must also be willing to listen to others to understand their point of view and not to judge.

Are You Ready?

The way you work is changing and the future looks much different from the past. Are you ready? Do you have a clear understanding where you want to take your career? Are you ready to embrace new technology and social platforms on a continual basis? The way we work is evolving, are you ready to evolve with it?

Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at

stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.

Focus, Mission, Motivation, Why

What is Your Personal Mission?

September 11, 2014 Liz Stincelli

“Outstanding people have one thing in common: An absolute sense of mission.” —Zig Ziglar

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

You Are on a Mission

Maya Angelou told us about her mission, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” Whether you have given conscious thought to it or not, you are on a mission. Others come to know your mission by watching your behaviors. Your mission serves as your guiding light. It helps people understand who you are, what is important to you, and what you want to accomplish. It guides your values, vision, and goals. Make sure you are following your mission by design and not default. Give some thought to the following factors.

Why

Simon Sinek explained, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Your “why” is as important to you as it is to others. Your “why” is the foundation with which your decisions and actions are based. Make sure you have given it some real thought. What is important to you? Do you understand why you’re doing what you’re doing? Are your words and actions in line with your “why”? Your “why” provides the underpinning for your mission.

Motivation

Lou Holtz said, “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” What is your motivation? Our dreams come true when we are motivated enough to take action. What do you want bad enough to put in the hard work necessary to achieve or acquire? Why is it so important to you? Knowing your personal mission will provide you with motivation and strength to keep you going when times get tough.

Focus

Tony Robbins tells us, “One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” Identify where you are focusing in every area of your life. Where is your family focus? Your educational focus? Your community focus? Your career focus? Identify where you are, where you want to go, and where your focus needs to be to get there. Your mission should guide your focus.

Legacy

Jan Brewer stated, “My mother always told me that as you go through life, no matter what you do, or how you do it, you leave a little footprint, and that’s your legacy.” Intentional or not, you are leaving a little footprint. What would you like people to associate with your name? When you have a clear picture of the legacy you would like to leave you are more engaged in creating it. When you live your mission, you create your legacy.

What is Your Personal Mission?

Viktor E. Frankl understood that each of us has a personal mission when he said, “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.” You are important. Your personal mission is important. Your mission should emphasize who you are not just what you want to accomplish.

Jan Bruce explained, “Purpose is the thing that will keep you afloat no matter how the tide turns.” You can’t build something meaningful without a sense purpose and a mission to guide you. Your mission serves as a moral compass to help you make the right decisions about what to do and why to do it. Remember, you are on a mission. Make it a good one.

Change Management, Leadership, Opportunity, Success

Challenging the Status Quo

September 4, 2014 Liz Stincelli

“The riskiest thing we can do is just maintain the status quo.” —Bob Iger

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

The Status Quo

As Marshall Goldsmith said, “What got you here won’t get you there.” What is sufficient for success today will not be sufficient tomorrow. You must learn to be agile. Evaluate where you are today and where you want to go. Will continuing on your current route get you there? If you are seeking long-term success you must constantly challenge the status quo.

What is your mission?

Your purpose should provide a clear mission. Who needs you? What do they need and why? What must you do to meet those needs? When you have a reasoned mission, you have a clear picture of where you are going and how you will behave on your journey. This clarity allows you to remain calm during times of adversity. It helps you view the lessons of past experiences with an eye for the future. With a clear mission you will find it easier to stay true to your values. Colin Powell reminds us, “Fit no stereotypes. Don’t chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approach best accomplishes the team’s mission.” Continually challenge the status quo in light of your mission.

Innovation

John Emmerling tells us, “Innovation is creativity with a job to do.” Innovation allows you to create something new that meets an unmet need and provides value. The ability to innovate requires that you overcome our fear of challenging the status quo. When you take all of your small ideas and combine them, you often come up with one, great idea. Focus on looking for ways to innovate everywhere. Listen to the needs of your customers, employees, and stakeholders as you consider challenging the status quo.

Opportunity

When you challenge the status quo you open yourself to seeing opportunity where you least expect it. Ask questions. What is working and what isn’t? How can I make it or do it better? Milton Berle said, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” Constantly step outside your comfort zone. Take on challenging situations. Be willing to look at situations from a new perspective. Welcome opportunities to collaborate in new and creative ways. Look to the work of others for inspiration and opportunity to reevaluate the status quo.

Change

Change is a necessity; we must change or we become obsolete. William Pollard said, “Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.”Learn to question the status quo and then embrace the change that is required to achieve success today, tomorrow, and into the future.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Howard Schultz believes that, “Any business today that embraces the status quo as an operating principle is going to be on a death march.” It would be foolish to think that you can continue to be successful by doing the same things tomorrow that you did yesterday. You must learn to adapt your thinking to embrace new challenges, strategies, and ways of approaching your work. Clarify your mission, pursue innovation, seek opportunity, and embrace change. Challenge the status quo and move your business forward.

Inspiration, Opportunity, Success

You Can Do This

August 28, 2014 Liz Stincelli

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” —Vince Lombardi

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

It’s All About You

Maya Angelo reminded us that, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” It’s all about you; you are in control. Have you thought about all the possibilities? We all have dreams. Do you have the will and dedication to make yours come true?

Dreams

What are your dreams? Dig beneath the material things and accomplishments. What are the feelings associated with achieving your dreams? Your brain does not respond to things or actions, it responds to the way those things make you feel. Develop a clear vision of where you are going. Now see yourself on that journey.

Motivation

Success takes action. What motivates you? What is your “why”? Place reminders where you will see them every day to remind you why your dreams are important. Make a plan and then develop the self-discipline necessary to stick to that plan. Don’t let yourself become complacent and content with the status quo. Make the commitment to yourself that your dreams will be a priority.

Opportunity

Bobby Unser said, “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Take the steps necessary to ensure you will be prepared when an opportunity arises. Learn to recognize opportunity in unexpected forms and places. Be prepared to sell yourself and your abilities. When you position yourself to win it is only a matter of time before the right opportunity presents itself.

Fear

We’ve all heard that people fear public speaking more than they fear death. But, for all of you who have been required to give a speech publically, you didn’t die did you? Nothing horrific happened. In fact, I would bet that you actually felt a certain level of pride afterward. Proud of the fact that you succeeded in facing your fear. Bill Cosby said, “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” Learn to embrace the fear. The more you try, the more you fail; the more you fail, the closer you are to success.

You Can Do This

Arnold H. Glasow told us that, “Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” Chase your dreams, come to know you motivations, seize opportunity, overcome your fear, and then celebrate the small wins along the way. It’s all about you; you are in control; you can do this.

Leadership, Leadership Brand, Leadership Development

Do You Need a Leadership Brand?

August 21, 2014 Liz Stincelli

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”—John Quincy Adams

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

Do You Need a Leadership Brand?

Whether to are the CEO of a large corporation or an employee working on the floor, in the trenches, you have the ability to inspire and influence others. This ability places you in a position to serve as a leader, with or without formal authority. Have you thought about your leadership brand? Do you know what leadership means to you? Can you define your leadership style?

As Malcolm X said, “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything. “ Your leadership must stand for something. When you are purposefully developing your leadership brand you are deciding what you stand for. This is represented by your values and principles. And, these values and principles guide your attitude and behaviors as a leader. Take a good look at yourself in the following areas. How are these areas influencing your leadership brand?

Values

Your values embody what you find important in life. They represent what you truly believe in. Your leadership brand starts with your values. You need to really give some thought to what matters most to you. How do you want to be remembered? What do you want your legacy to be?

Principles

Your principles provide the rules for your behavior. These rules are based on your values. As you develop your leadership brand, evaluate yourself honestly. Where are you strong? Where are you weak? What do you need to improve on? Your principles should inspire you to become a better leader. Are you setting the leadership example you want others to follow?

Attitude

What does your attitude say about your leadership brand? How do you treat those your leadership serves? What experience do you want your leadership to provide? Your attitude will exemplify your values. Is your attitude towards leadership authoritative? A servant? Do you believe in allowing employees to participate in leadership? As a leader you must keep an eye on your attitude because you can guarantee that your followers will be.

Behaviors

As you are developing your leadership brand, keep in mind that your leadership behaviors should be consistent; others should know what to expect from you. They should also have a clear understanding of what you expect from them. Be conscious of your behaviors, you are setting the example for others to follow.

Your Leadership Brand

Be purposeful about your leadership brand. Your values, purpose, attitude, and behaviors provide a good starting point for developing a purposeful leadership brand. Be conscientious of your words and actions; make sure they represent what you truly stand for. Ask yourself if you are being the kind of leader you would want to follow.

Collaboration, Empowerment, Engagement, Innovation, Leadership, Organizational Culture

Growing New Leaders

August 14, 2014 Liz Stincelli

“Growing other leaders from the ranks isn’t just the duty of the leader, it’s an obligation.” —Warren Bennis

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

Why Grow New Leaders?

Developing leaders throughout your organization places you in a position to conquer new leadership challenges where innovation and flexibility are the keys to success. When you build on the expertise within the ranks of your organization you improve efficiency and effectiveness. Growing new leaders allows you to tap into the talent and potential of your team members. Let’s look at three of the factors that promote the growing and nurturing of new leaders.

Environment

You must start by creating an environment where others have the opportunity and are encouraged to lead. Develop a culture where employees embrace collaboration and open communication. Value the diversity that offers a continual flow of new perspectives. Provide employees with an environment that challenges them in a way that engages and inspires. Encourage the sharing of ideas by asking great questions and valuing the answers you receive. Provide work that employees can feel passionate about. Network and relationship building are important factors in leadership. Help and encourage employees to build their network and develop strong relationships built on trust and respect. Implement programs where new leaders can be mentored.

Opportunity

If you want to grow new leaders you must provide them with experiences that help them understand who they are, what they stand for, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. Give them the opportunity to participate in solving difficult problems. Allow them to make mistakes and help them learn how to grow from the lesson these mistakes teach. Encourage them to share their ideas and allow them to participate in planning and implementation of new ideas. Every employee has valuable ideas, insights, and perspectives; engage them in productive conversations. When employees feel like they are an integral part of the organization they will be more motivated and engaged in growing as a leader.

Aptitude

Give employees the training and experiences they need to develop leadership skills. These skills will enable them to have a positive influence on colleagues, make informed decisions, and contribute new ideas. Help them develop an understanding of their own biases and how these biases can impact decision making. Teach them to appreciate the benefits of obtaining diverse points of view. Help them develop the ability to ask the right questions so they can make sense of overwhelming amounts of information. Teach them the value of networking. Create in them an ownership mentality. And, most importantly, serve as a role-model of good leadership and show them how to bring out the best in others.

Everyone Wins

Everyone wins when you grow new leaders and develop the leadership pipeline throughout your organization. When you have individuals with leadership ability at every level of your organization you increase the speed at which you can respond to change, your ability to be flexible, and your ability to respond to uncertainty. When you become more involved in the leadership development of your employees you will experience improved employee and customer satisfaction. By growing new leaders, your organization becomes more nimble and innovative, able to respond more quickly to customer needs and changes in the business environment.

Change Management, Collaboration, Communication, Engagement, Leadership, Organizational Culture, Planning, Team Building

How Are You Managing Change?

August 7, 2014 Liz Stincelli

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” —Arnold Bennett

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

Why Change

Fight it all you want, change is inevitable. When we fail to embrace change we cause ourselves undue stress and waste valuable time and resources. Why change? Change becomes necessary when the needs of our organization, customers, or employees change.

How We Change

Once we realize that needs have changed, and therefore we need to evolve; we must set a realistic change goal. Every level of management must roll-up their sleeves and get involved. Employees must understand and believe the reason for the change and the benefit to them personally. The organization must be committed to pursuing the long-term vision and the change requirements associated with it. Here are four factors that will help you manage change.

Purpose

Have a clear purpose. How will this change influence, improve, and impact others? What problem are you solving or what are you improving on? How will it benefit you customers? How will employees benefit? How does this change fit into the overall organizational objectives? People’s main concern is their own well-being; your employees need a clear understanding of your purpose and how they will be impacted by the change.

Plan

Create a proper plan for implementing change. Spend extra time formulating a good plan. Build flexibility in the plan. Set clear goals, identify milestones, and outline the timeframe. Ensure that goals are ambitious, yet attainable. What scope does the plan cover and what are the deliverables? Identify what success looks like. Determine what relationships and resources you will need to accomplish your goals. Do your plans for change fit with the vision of the organization? You must determine a budget for the plan. Specifically identify who will be accountable for each task. Then, bring the right team of people together to implement the plan. Check results early and often to ensure you are not veering off course.

Culture

Develop an organizational culture that embraces change. Your culture should encourage a sense of responsibility, camaraderie, and generosity. Encourage the development of strong relationships throughout your organization. Let employees share in the leadership responsibility. Make sure you have the right people serving in the right roles. Provide engaging work for your employees and allow every employee to use their expertise in achieving shared goals. Build loyalty by promoting a positive culture that encourages employee participation. You should encourage innovation and allow for mistakes. Help employees develop collaborative and decision-making skills. Promote transparency. Create an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect where teams are motivated and engaged.

Communication

Successful change management is more dependent on communication than on strategy. Make sure you are clearly communicating with your employees early and often. Set an example of the level of communication that is expected. Talk truthfully about change. Be genuine in both your words and actions. Clearly outline ownership and accountability. Promote a common understanding of the long-term vision of the organization as well as the immediate goal. Listen more than you speak and ensure that you understand what’s being said. Communication is the only way to succeed. If your communication isn’t reaching your team, you won’t be successful at managing change.

Take-Away

Change is inherently uncomfortable, but the fact is we must change or we become obsolete. Failing to recognize the need for change can result in wasted time, energy, and resources. You can minimize the fear and resistance associated with change by defining and sharing a clear purpose for the change; by setting realistic goals; and evaluating who and how others with be affected by the change. Communicate the purpose, goals, and benefits to all parties that will be impacted. Always be transparent and open in your communication. Develop a culture within your organization that is agile and embraces change. Create a plan for the implementation of change and outline how success will be measured. Engage employees in the process of identifying the need for change, formulating a plan, and implementing the change. When employees are invested in the change process managing change can be a positive, transforming experience.

Collaboration, Communication, Conflict Management, Leadership, Team Building

Resolving Conflict-It’s Not about Winning

July 31, 2014 Liz Stincelli

“Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” —Ronald Reagan

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

What Causes Conflict and How Do We Resolve It?

Conflict is the mental struggle that arises when our ideas, needs, wishes, or demands are in opposition to those of others. Conflict is inevitable when you bring people together from different beliefs and backgrounds. When we spend time in conflict with each other we are wasting energy and destroying any sense of camaraderie. Conflict does not resolve itself and only escalates if not addressed. Unresolved conflict can result in the loss of productivity, cooperation, collaboration, and creativity. Let’s look a little deeper at some of the factors that cause conflict and how we can resolve them.

Cognitive bias

Cognitive biases are thinking errors that impact how we interpret the world around us. These biases often occur when we try to over-simplify how we process information. Biases cause irrational thinking and affect our ability to make sound decisions.

Biases can influence in simple ways such allowing the way you currently feel to color the way you interpret the world around you. They can permit your judgment to become dependent on previously provided evidence with little regard for new evidence. You may have the tendency to listen only to information that confirms your preconceived beliefs or to interpret information in a way that confirms these beliefs. Your expectations could be unconsciously influencing how you perceive the outcome of interactions. It is also easy to let ourselves get caught up in group think and adopt the beliefs of others without proper evaluation.

When we experience a cognitive bias it impairs our ability to rationally interpret information and experiences. It is easy to fail to recognize and compensate for our own biases. We must be aware of these biases and how they impact our thinking in order to prevent and resolve the conflict they may cause.

Ambiguity

Conflict often arises when we assume all parties are talking about the same thing. Often we find that each participant to a conversation has their own definitions and meanings which are not in agreement with each other. In order to eliminate ambiguity we must come to the same understanding, with the same definitions and meanings by asking open-ended questions which you do not have preconceived answers for. Listen with the intent of gaining an understanding of how other parties perceive the situation.

Many times conflict involves the perception we have of the role we play in a group differing from how others see it. Conflict becomes more likely when we are operating under different assumptions about our roles and responsibilities than those we work with. Clear, written communication can be effective at keeping ambiguity to a minimum. Make sure you know what the conflict you are experiencing is really about. Work together to assign clear roles, define reality, and eliminate ambiguity.

Communication

The most successful approach to resolving conflict is open, two-way communication. In order to communicate effectively you must learn to listen without passing judgment. Each party to the communication will apply their own definitions and meanings; therefore, you can’t just listen to the facts. You have to ask probing questions and come to a consensus on the definition and meaning of the facts. Also, don’t just listen to others to figure out how you can get them to agree with your point of view. Listen to really understand and appreciate their reality so you can understand where they are coming from.

Be clear and consistent with communication from the very beginning of the relationship. Ask questions and keep an open mind. Talk through and test the feasibility of proposed solutions together. Prepare in advance for difficult conversations. Define how you see the problem. What points do you think are important? Come prepared to propose possible solutions. Make sure your message is clear and concise. When working to resolve conflict, watch the tone and language that you use and keep your emotions out of the discussion. Be an active listener and show yourself to be transparent and trustworthy. Focus on mending relationships before turning your focus to tasks.

Spanning boundaries

To resolve conflict we must learn to build bridges between management, employees, suppliers, and customers. We must develop strong relationships between people with differing beliefs, experience, and knowledge. By clarifying the role that each individual plays and the purpose of the team you can capitalize on the power that individual differences bring to the table.

Establish commonality by creating a shared vision, building trust, and coming together to achieve a higher purpose. Co-create something greater than could be achieved individually by combining a shared vision and strategy with the expertise, resources, and experiences of each individual. Span boundaries by accepting and appreciating the diversity that builds a great team.

It’s Not about Winning

Conflict is inevitable. It’s usually rooted in poor communication and the inability to control our emotions. When working to resolve conflict, listen with the intent of developing a connection, not to merely respond. Don’t communicate with the goal of getting the other person to agree with your point of view; communicate to bring differing points of view together to co-create something that is new.

When dealing with conflict, keep your emotions in check and maintain moral high ground. You do not have the power to change others so you may have to look at ways you can change your approach to managing relationships to avoid and resolve conflict. Conflict can be about bringing differing opinions together and co-creating something fantastic. Don’t think of resolving conflict in terms of winning. It’s not about seeking to defeat an enemy but about finding common ground for cooperation, compromise, and collaboration.

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM

Employee Advocate | Leadership Consultant | Author | Speaker