Workplace disputes are inevitable. Regrettably, many such conflicts end up in the courts for resolution. In addition to consuming incredible amounts of money, time and energy, lawsuits often ruin long-standing relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and shareholders.

It is common in most workplaces to find reluctance to confront a colleague about behavior that’s distracting, unprofessional, or just plain rude. But avoiding the problem can affect morale and productivity. Unresolved or mismanaged conflict is costly. Studies show that 24-60% of management time and energy is spent dealing with anger. There is no doubt that this leads to increased stress among employees, hampered performance and absenteeism, which, in the ends reflects in decreased productivity.

While it might be tempting to think that an employee’s skills and motivation are the main reasons for performance problems, researchers now estimate that strained relationships between employees have the most significant part of reason (65%).* Researchers agree that the reasons conflicts might appear into an organization are various. But a survey of thousands of US managers involved in some sort of workplace dispute documented the disturbing results on productivity:

• 48% decreased their work effort
• 47% decreased their time at work
• 38% decreased their work quality
• 66% said their performance declined
• 80% lost work time worrying about the incident
• 63% lost time avoiding the offender
• 78% said their commitment to the organization declined

Leaders in the workplace need to acknowledge not only the inevitability of conflict, but also its importance in the organization. When viewed as an opportunity for growth, disagreements in perspective, strategy, knowledge and competency can become crucibles in which creative solutions are developed and wise trade-offs among competing objectives are made. We believe that instead of trying simply to reduce disagreements, senior executives need to embrace conflict and, just as important, institutionalize mechanisms for managing it within their organization.

Our experience with groups across the country shows that periodic, facilitated conversations among work teams by a neutral third party can prevent existing differences from developing into conflict, while at the same time, helping to manage underlying conflicts that are often long-standing between individuals and departments. The discipline of clear, respectful communication is a cornerstone of this work, as well as a developed understanding of how change and the rate of change can contribute to workplace stress and conflict.

Our work in the area of workplace dispute resolution has produced proven results. As mediators committed to just, respectful and productive workplaces, we work in partnership with HR and organizational leaders to help create systems that openly name and embrace conflict in order to improve the quality of product and performance for all involved.

*”How Toxic Colleagues Corrode Performance,” Harvard Business Review (April 2009)
by Christine Porath and Christine Pearson

Carol Guenther, Senior Consultant and Mediator
The Reid Group

The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.
Frederick Buechner

When we talk with potential clients about their particular challenges and how we can help them transform those challenges, some of them will ask out loud what many of them are thinking: Why should we choose you? What sets you apart from all the other consultants out there?

Recently, The Reid Group team spent some time thinking about those questions. What follows is our sense of both why we do what we do and what distinguishes our approach from that of other consulting firms.

The deepest desire of both individuals and organizations is for meaning and purpose. For the individual, we understand this as living out one’s calling. For an organization, this is the pursuit of a corporate mission. We believe this too is a calling.

In the best of situations, these callings reinforce one another. The individual’s vocation contributes to and carries out the mission of the institution. The purpose of the institution is enhanced and promoted by the dedication of the individual.

At The Reid Group, we are dedicated to helping both individuals and organizations achieve this best-case scenario. This commitment sets our priorities, determines our approach, and shapes the way we act.

Our framework is comprehensive. We bring our expertise in the areas of Planning, Leadership Development, Leadership Search, Mediation and Fund Development to bear on the challenges you face. Whether we are working with you or with your organization and its members, we focus on the need for clear direction and strategy, effective sustained leadership, the skill to manage conflict and the capacity to fund the enterprise.

While we operate out of this holistic framework, we do not believe that “one size fits all.” We work with you to analyze your unique situation and to address your specific needs. We measure our success by the degree to which you achieve the results you desire.

In working with us, you and your organization will become more conscious of and committed to living out your calling, operating at your fullest capacity and contributing to a good beyond yourselves.

Every individual and organization must be adept at interpreting the changing environment and making the adjustments needed to stay on goal. We understand that despite every best effort, no one can avoid setbacks and failures. The key is to remain flexible, to recover your balance, to sustain energy and to maintain commitment.

Integration, adaptability and resilience are the marks of the effective individual and the successful organization. Each of these is a combination of knowledge, attitude and skill. You can acquire knowledge, develop attitudes, and perfect skills. The Reid Group is committed to helping you do all three.

Lucien Roy, Consultant
The Reid Group