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     KEYZINE: An e-zine for LEADERS:
   ABOUT THE PEOPLE PART OF BUSINESS
             Volume 7, October 2001
    Publisher: © Key Associates, LLC, 2001
           http://www.mkkey.com

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IN THIS ISSUE (the theme is Mediating Conflict):

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"Resolving conflict is rarely about who is right.
It is about acknowledgement and appreciation
of differences."
                 -Thomas E. Crum, The Magic of Conflict

"Loyalty to a petrified opinion never yet broke a chain
or freed a human soul."
                                                            -Mark Twain
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WHAT'S HOT IN LEADERSHIP
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SEEKING TO MANAGE CONFLICT, NOT 
RESOLVE IT.  EMBRACED, CONFLICT IS 
THE PREREQUISITE TO HIGHER ORDER 
THINKING.

BRINGING ALL PARTIES TO CONFLICT
TOGETHER TO WORK OUT ISSUES.

WORKING TOWARDS SOLUTIONS THAT
ARE "BOTH-AND" (WIN-WIN) RATHER 
THAN "EITHER-OR."

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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We have a rift between departments that has existed
for a long time.  What's the point of addressing it
now?  Rarely does a conflict cost an organization
less than $250,000 in lost productivity, illness, 
avoidance, wasted time, decreased decision quality
and sabotage.  Reorganizing does nothing to quell
it.  As a leader, you have the responsibility to see
it worked through.

What if parties to the conflict will not meet and
work on it?  Then you resort to "enforced mediation."
"You will come together and work through this
for the good of the organization and our customers."

Employees often come to me seeking my support
for their position on a matter over others'.  Should 
I endorse this kind of activity?  You listen to learn,
but you need to listen to all sides.  And they need 
to listen to each other.  Move the controversy to
a joint forum, where speaking and listening occur, 
then collective problem-solving/solution-generation.  
And maintain your role as an equal advocate to
all members of the organization.

Our discussions over sensitive issues often result
in heated emotion, grandstanding, walking out
and worsening the problem.  There is a process
we use called "mediation," that gets people
unstuck from their positions, forces dialogue
based on facts, and creatively engages participants
in developing multiple alternatives that optimize
everyone's interests.  You may need to have 
a neutral facilitator, who is strong enough to
hold the process in place.

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EDUCATION 
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The Negotiating Table, www.negotiatingtable.com/,
provides dispute resolution and training services to 
organizations and individuals.

In a one-day course at your worksite, participants 
learn how to identify their own and others' styles of 
managing conflict, work through differences themselves  
and to serve as a third-party mediator to others. 
www.mkkey.com/Key%20Associates/Conflict&ArtofIntervention.htm

For courses on how to mediate conflict and mediator 
certification training, check out 
www.mediationworks.com/mti/.

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OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES 
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Have a look at the Institute for International Mediation
and Conflict Resolution,  www.iimcr.org/, for global applications.

For application of mediation to cities, counties and
communities, see www.cmcmediation.org/.

For government and business applications, see
www.negotiationadvice.com/.

* In looking for assistance with conflict, distinguish 
between negotiation--which means trading by giving up 
something to get something--and mediation, which 
means searching for a solution that optimizes the 
interests of all parties.

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ARTICLES/PUBLICATIONS                              
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Bolton, R. People Skills. New York: Touchstone, 1979.

Cohen, H. You Can Negotiate Anything. Toronto: 
Bantam, 1980.

Crum, Thomas F. The Magic of Conflict. NY:
Simon & Schuster, 1987.

Fischer, R., & Ury, W. Getting to Yes. Boston, MA:
Houghton-Miflin, 1981.

Key, M.K. Creatively and constructively managing differences. 
In M. K. Key (Ed.) Managing Change in Healthcare: 
Innovative Solutions for People-based Organizations. 
Chicago: McGraw-Hill, 1999.

Key, M. K  A method for mediating conflict among 
differing mindsets. Journal of Healthcare Quality. 
November-December, 22(6), 4-8.

Kohn, Alfie. No Contest. Boston: Houghton-Miflin, 1986.

Mayer, Richard J. Conflict Management: 
The Courage to Confront. Columbus: Battelle Press, 1990.

Neuhauser, P.C. Tribal Warfare in Organizations: 
Turning Tribal Conflict into Negotiated Peace. 
New York: Ballinger Publishing Company, 1988.

Phillips, R.C. The Art of Managing Differences: 
Part I: Levels of Conflict. Presentation to the Michigan 
Construction User Council, October 20, 1987.

Ross, M.B. Coping with Conflict: The 1982 Annual for 
Facilitators, Trainers, and Consultants. University Associates, 
1982, 135-139.

Senge, P. The Fifth Discipline. New York: Doubleday, 
1990, 249-257.

Sholtes, P. The Team Handbook. Madison, WI: Joiner 
Associates, 1989.

Varney, G. Building Productive Teams. San Francisco: 
Jossey-Bass, 1989, pp 40-41, 68-77.

Walton, R.E. Interpersonal Peace-making: 
Confrontations and Third Party Roles. (2nd ed.) 
Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1987.

Wheatley, Margaret J. Leadership and the New Science: 
Learning About Organizations  from an Orderly Universe. 
San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 1992.

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MAINTAINING YOURSELF AS A LEADER
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The most common style of dealing with conflict is to avoid it.  
Most people think there is only one other choice, which is 
to aggress.  Thankfully, there are even more options.  
Check out what is going on inside of you.  Listen deeply 
to what others are saying.  Then pull people together 
to do the same.  Your creativity and theirs comes from 
expressing your differences. In an environment of mutual 
respect and appreciation, surface these differences and 
use them to bring about a better order of things.

Please recommend this e-zine to anyone who wants to be a better 
leader, coach, facilitator, or simply, to tune up their people skills.

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M. K. Key, Ph.D.
Psychologist
Key Associates, LLC
Nashville, Tennessee
(615) 255-0011, fax (615) 665-1622