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

If you’re the leader in your organization, you have given more credit than you are due and more blame than you are responsible for. That’s the way people see you.

Three ways you can handle conflict: prevention, discovery, and hitting it head on.

An Ounce of Prevention #

As a leader, you’re a lot like a fireman.

One aspect of a fireman’s job is fire prevention.

You <prevent fires by keeping gasoline away from lit matches.

Rules and vision statements provide an excellent way to prevent conflicts. They do this by writing scripts that people use to define their activities. If the script is good, there shouldn’t be any misunderstanding that can lead to a fight.

We wear masks of civility around others rather than speak everything that is in our minds. For example, if you thought your coworker’s dress was absolutely ghastly, would you tell her if it really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things?

Of course, there is a time when honesty is called for. It doesn’t have to be brutally delivered if a softer hit will do the job. The measuring rod for this is what effect something has on the group as a whole, not just you.

So, make sure you don’t put flammable materials together if you want to prevent conflicts.

Discovery - A Prescription for Peace #

There’s always something hiding in the bushes that can catch fire.

Do your best to discover what they are so you can address them before they turn into full-scale conflicts.

People forget the organizational mission, too. Most of us forget every thought about work when the five o’clock whistle blows. Whenever I’ve asked anyone, “Are you ready for the weekend?” the answer is always some form of “Yes.” After that, we have to psyche ourselves up for another workday. As a leader, it’s your job to periodically, even daily, remind your team what game they’re playing - and why.

Hitting Conflict Head On #

So don’t wait. Be strong and courageous. Fight if you must, but do all you can to keep the bleeding to a minimum.

Also, remember why you’re fighting. If you don’t have a vision to guide you, you may not have the resolve to see it through. And you might make a choice that will make the conflict worse.

Reference:
McKinley, Frank. How to Lead Unwilling Followers: Strategies to Overcome Resistance (Leadership Series Book 2) . Sagacity Learning Solutions. Kindle Edition.