Annual Conference Reporter on the Scene:
Manage Conflict Like Ted Lasso—New Skills for Dealing with Workplace Conflict

Presenter: Candice Gottlieb-Clark
Reporter: Pam Cusick, Rare Patient Voice

SUMMARY OF THE CONFERENCE SESSION
Dealing with conflict at work is inevitable. Yet it often stems not just from the observable actions and issues at hand but the underlying experiences, expectations, and emotions of those involved.

Taking a thoughtful approach centered on trust and seeking full understanding is vital for leaders hoping to transform conflict situations into positive outcomes and agreements. At the QRCA 2024 Annual Conference, we were fortunate to hear from Candice Gottlieb-Clark. Candice is a renowned author, business advisor, coach and conflict management specialist. She founded Dynamic Team Solutions to help businesses strengthen their leaders and teams through enhanced communication, teamwork, leadership, and conflict management.

In this session, Candice reminded us that workplace conflicts hide much beneath the surface. Savvy leaders look deeper at underlying issues to enable people to constructively resolve clashes themselves with compassion and wisdom. The end results are relationships renewed rather than broken, and teams made stronger through adversity faced together.

KEY SESSION TAKEAWAYS
Throughout the session there were so many great takeaways. Here are just a few:

• There are four main causes of workplace conflict:
• Poor communication
• Workplace stress
• Unhealthy relations
• Personal baggage

Of these, the biggest culprit is personal baggage! We all come to the table with different experiences, cultures, values, and beliefs—and these impact the way we receive and process information. We may also be impacted by expectations (e.g., who should do what), emotions, and chronic issues (e.g., health issues, planning a wedding). We all bring these things with us to the workplace and our teams do too!

• In the midst of conflict, we often fall back on assumptions that do not help with resolution. We may assume someone is to blame, is lying, or that their behavior is intentional. We may believe it is an unfixable personality difference, or we may assume that everyone thinks just like us and should get on board. Shifting our perspective can help us move to the next level. Instead of relying on these assumptions, assume people:
• Have a valid reason for what they did.
• Either they didn’t intend to cause harm or they believe their behavior was justified.
• They believe they are being fair (your job is to find out why).
• In difficult clashes between team members or colleagues, following certain best practices helps address conflict constructively:
• Hear Each Person's Full Story: Making space to let parties share both what happened and why from their vantage point. This shows care and makes finding solutions possible.
• Shift Your Perspective: We all see through our own lens. Assume others have valid reasons driving their choices and genuinely see themselves as being fair. This avoids quick judgment and blaming.
• Find the Root Causes: Personality differences rarely fully explain conflict. Rather, it's the unspoken expectations and baggage we carry that shape reactions. Leaders must uncover this.
• Empower Resolution: Manage by leading the parties to drive understanding and agreements. Don't just dictate fixes, facilitate their insight and ownership.

The bottom line is workplace conflicts hide beneath the surface. Savvy leaders look deeper at underlying issues to enable people to constructively resolve clashes themselves with compassion and wisdom. The end results are relationships renewed rather than broken and teams made stronger through adversity faced together.

FINAL COMMENTS AND TAKEAWAYS
Poor communication is often identified as a key element in conflict, but personal baggage is really the bigger issue. Taking a thoughtful approach centered on trust and seeking full understanding is vital for leaders hoping to transform conflict situations into positive outcomes and agreements.

About the Reporter

Pam Cusick, Rare Patient Voice

Find Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamcusick/

Rare Patient Voice: https://rarepatientvoice.com/