multiple,
disconnected escalations up separate
management chains.That is a recipe
for inefficient and ineffective resolution.Instead, leaders need to hold
employees accountable for escalating
conflict together, and should refuse to
accept unilateral escalations. This is
equally true in the case of conflict between
business partners.
Second, make the resolution process,
upon escalation, as transparent
as possible. Leaders should not simply
hand down decisions which may
be interpreted as a "loss" for one side
or the other, or could be perceived to
be politicallymotivated. Instead, leaders
need to take the time to explain the
reasons for their decisions, and ensure
that people in their organizations understand,
and have confidence in, the
integrity of conflict resolution procedures
at the executive level.
In terms of organizational structure,
there is not one right answer.
That said, fewer layers of management
generally leads to more efficient
and effective conflict resolution versus
more layers of management. And while highly matrixed structures can
work and may sometimes be the best
answer, too often they reflect an attempt
to address every issue and activ-ity through complex reporting lines. I
generally recommend a simpler organizational
structure, with more use of
cross-functional teams for special
projects, and robustly defined processes
to enable effective collaboration
across organizational boundaries.
Finally, ensure that escalated conflicts
are resolved at the lowest level of
management possible. This is more
efficient, and leads to decisions being
made by those who are closest to the
issue and likely to be best equipped to
determine the optimal resolution.
What is the role of leadership in
initiating a collaboration initiative,
managing conflicts, getting the parties
on the board, etc? How often
do you see very effective leadership contributing to effective collaboration
results?
Effective leadership is essential to
successful collaboration. One of the
most important thing leaders can
and must do is to acknowledge the
inevitability, and indeed the value,
of conflict. Too often, leaders, with
the best of intentions, inadvertently stifle conflict. They do this by overemphasizing
the importance of
alignment and agreement, without
simultaneously stressing the importance
of diverse ideas and constructive
disagreement. They thus limit
innovation and drive conflict underground
where it festers and becomes
toxic. Successful collaboration
requires leaders who are able to
create a safe environment in which
conflict can be engaged, and who
demonstrate by their own behavior
a willingness and ability to address
conflict, in a constructive, respectful
manner.
