01.30.08
What is Conflict Costing You/ Your Company Part IV
The third reducible cost is loss of skilled employees. Organizations invest in employees’ skills by paying a premium salary upon hiring and by providing training thereafter. Exit interviews, which ascertain reasons for terminations, reveal that chronic unresolved conflict is a decisive factor in one leaving a job in at least 50% of all voluntary departures; and chronic unresolved conflict accounts for up to 90% of all involuntary departures (except due to downsizing). Replacing an employee costs 150% of his/her total annual compensation. So referring to our earlier example with Wanda, Fred, and Charlie, if Fred decides to leave the cost or replacing him would be $40,000 X 150% = $60,000; since it would be voluntary use 50% or $30,000 that could be attributed to conflict.
… more reducible cost factors in Part V
What is Conflict Costing You/ Your Company Part III
Continuing from Part II, the second reducible cost is reduced decision quality.When a decision is being made under conditions of conflict, these decisions are always inferior to decisions made when cooperation prevails. Even if someone is not in a position that is deemed “decision maker” there can still be a cost to minimal decisions. For example, let’s say that a secretary decides to put all calls through to voice mail since he/she doesn’t want to talk with their supervisor – thus the supervisor misses an important call that can cost the company a huge sale. Good decisions must be based on an optimum quantity and quality of objective information. If conflict is present between people who share decision-making authority the resulting decisions are likely to be contaminated. A realistic figure for cost in this arena could be very low to exceedingly high depending on the decisions… let’s not put a dollar value here. We’ll just say that the cost could run from low to high.
…more reducible cost factors in Part IV
01.28.08
What is Conflict Costing You/ Your Company? Series, part I
What is the cost that conflict is causing your industry, your company, your team? You might be amazed at the amount of money that is being thrown away by ignoring or down-playing conflict that is occurring in the office. “Conflict is the least recognized cost and the largest reducible cost to an organization.” (Managing Differences.Daniel Dana, Ph.D. copyright 2006). This series is going to take you through 8 different ways conflict is a cost to an organization. Before reviewing the next few sections, think of a conflict that is occurring in your organization, it can be between two people or between groups of people, etc. The more individuals involved the higher the cost. Also take into account, those that are observing or effected by the conflict that is around them; this is an additional cost as well. (Much of the information provided is research from Daniel Dana Ph.D.)
….. to be continued in part 2
01.23.08
YOU’re In Control – conclusion
YOU can take this sort of control over change into YOUr personal life as well. Is there a need for a change of attitude when at home. Husband and wife come home from work, make dinner, crash and say so little to one another. What if just one of them decided that this was not enough for them, they decide to take control of the situation and make some changes. The husband decides that the first thing he is going to do when he (or his wife) arrives home is to give her a big, sweet kiss and hug. What changes could happen in that for their conversations, mood, even marriage. Thus his wife would change… she has to change because there is a change in her environment.
Control…. control is a magnificent thing. I often hear: “I’m not in control of …..”. But there is always a degree of control YOU have. YOU have control over what YOU do with something, how YOU react to an idea or negative comment/action, or how YOU will continue on with a decision YOU do not agree with. I challenge YOU to look at your different environments; where do YOU want to see change, what control do YOU have in making that change come about? DO IT!!!!
YOU’re In Control Part III
In discussing reactions, let’s say that every day your employee comes in and says “good morning”, it is in a rather gruff voice, and you truly don’t believe that he is wishing you a “good morning”. He goes to his office and does his job from that dismal start for the day. What would be the difference if you smiled, made eye contact and said “Good Morning, how is your day? Anything you need from me today?” What do you think the difference might be? You’d catch your employee off guard if this has been a pattern, he might feel connected, he might feel important…. even if in the first morning it did not work, let’s say you did this for a week…. your employee might start to come in and say “Good Morning” in a rather pleasant voice and look forward to any conversation he might get to have with you. You’ve made a change.
Changes like this can happen through out YOUr work environment. The control YOU have for YOURSELF and the decisions YOU can make to make those changes can mean the difference between a happy atmosphere and a negative atmosphere.
… to be concluded in the next segment.
01.21.08
YOU’re In Control part II
When we desire a change in the people around us there is a less direct way to make such a change happen. We can of course express our desire for the change in the individual. There are various productive and non productive ways for that to happen, both direct means though. There is a way to do so by being less direct.
As stated in the beginning of this segment of posts, YOU are in control of YOU. So if YOU take that to heart, YOU can ONLY change YOU. Also which is true is that everyone around YOU is connected to YOU in some sort of manner. We react a certain way due to the interactions of others surrounding us, even if they are subtle reactions. Should YOU start to decide to change YOUr reactions to others, they will have to change their reactions to YOU.
…… continued in next segment.
YOU’re In Control!!
What is in the title “YOU’re In Control”. Do YOU buy it? Well I’m selling it. In every decision of everyday YOU’re in control of YOU! YOU’re in control of YOU and everything about YOU, including the interactions that surround YOU. The power YOU have is immense.
YOU’re also in control of change. When others desire a change in something they typically look at that “something” to make the change. Whether it is a person or an object. If I want a change in my car, I either make that change in maintenance, upgrades, or even the purchase of entirely new car. There, I made the change. There are many things around us that we can “change”. What about when YOU want to change the people around YOU?…..
… See next installment.
