How to Resolve Conflict in Organizations

Introduction

When I look broadly at what I do as an organizational consultant, I realize that my focus is often that of conflict between and within organizations and that over 50 per cent of what I do is to deal with ‘people’ conflict. This is the substance of my consulting work even if it is not labelled as such. Conflict is everywhere – in the relationship between a Finance Director and his direct report; in the strategic choices among the members of an executive committee; the appalling team behaviour in another executive committee; in the stand-off between HR and the ‘business’ that so often occurs; in an acquisition. I have been involved in all of these issues and hundreds more. People didn’t understand each other, didn’t like each other ...