Prevent Administrative Headaches

In business there or often unspoken yet required skills to carry out the responsibilities that fall to administrative assistants. By default often conflict resolution is a skill expected of leaders yet is should comes as no surprise that such an unmerited expectation to solve “people” problems results in unmet skills and can lead to stress.

The biggest problem in communication is that we listen to reply rather than listen to understand and resolve.

How do you constructively resolve conflicts in the office?

Office staff is similar to a family dynamic, only the members are hired and chosen by abilities an skills that will bring value to the team. Behind the skills are personalities and baggage capable or dysfunctional in resolving conflict. With family, you continue to love, at work it is easier to disconnect nevertheless it does no mean there are not emotional triggers and catalyst behaviors that impact productivity.

Disengaged employees are the leading cause of lower moral and inhibited productivity. It would behoove directors of Human Resources and administrative assistants that manage that the role to provide ongoing skills training. Education and intervention is the greatest asset in prevention of conflict and resolve.

Whether it is a co-worker that steals your supplies, a personality

clash or a nasty dispute about how to handle a project, here are

some general tips for people who want to maintain peace in the

office.

3 Keys to Understand How to Navigate Toward Resolve:

1. Everyone wants to be respected; however, respect is earned and should not be an exception for any reason. More on the follows.
2. Everyone desires to be heard. Active listening skills required.
3. Everyone desires to be accepted for who they are

What steps should you take to resolve the problem?

• Assess the problem and refrain from targeting the person creating the problem. The problem is dynamic not personal. While impact may be very personal, there is a big difference in how we interact and perceive communication. When there is clarity of the end goal: resolve there is a greater chance of diplomatic communication that will achieve resolution.

• Humanize the situation. The time investment returns great dividends in morale and productivity. threat friend like family and family like friends; demonstrate love, respect, honor and uphold dignity.

• Provide information that adds value, and demonstrates a favorable outcome. Use first person pronouns. For example, “Mary, I used to annoy the heck out of my sister by taking her hairbrush. At first it was an accident, but at some point after I knew it prompted a reaction, I started doing it on purpose for some odd reason. She would get so annoyed and formed some very harsh opinions of me. We worked it out, I eventually learned that I really did not like her opinion of me. Eventually “my” idea of what was humorous allowed me to realize I would rather have respect and kindness than a personal laugh when I knew the hurt of word spoken directly or behind my back. Mary, do you have siblings?” This incites the brain and body to active something personal in the one asked and about to be asked for help.

• Turn focus to office problem “The reason I ask is that team dynamic in our office impacts productivity. Would you agree that you get more done when you feel great?”

• Present the problem with a proposed solution. “I would like to address a situation that has come up and I think you can help me resolve this.” Focus on the problem and ask the person to contribute to the solution. People generally want to help.

For more on conflict resolution book Veronica Sites for you next event, or schedule a special book signing event wiht author of Conflict Resolution Solutions, 2016.