The plethora of literature available on this topic plays testament to the importance and sweeping relevance of team conflict in the contemporary workplace. Two minds are better than one goes the old adage, and in the workplace teamwork continues to reward those who cultivate it well. However, where you find synergy and collaboration, you are…

By now we’re all used to living by the professional mantra of American careers: I’m so busy! Every new thing that presents itself to be done, every new item for the calendar, seems like one thing too many. If only there were one more hour in the day. How many of us heard our mothers…

Newsletter Edition:  January 2016 I recently watched my son and his cousin argue with each other in a furious exchange of texts – and I thought to myself how unsuited this medium is for conflict resolution. This month’s newsletter is a reflection on how our mediums change our messages – and how texting might threaten…

Phyllis Korkki, business columnist at the NYT, recently wrote a piece inspired by the work of management professor Gretchen Spreitzer and her colleagues on “de-energizing relationships” and their effects on individual performance in the workplace. For many of us (perhaps reading this from our office chairs) it will come as no surprise to discover that,…

Part III: Anger in Conflict Resolution In my last post in this series on anger, I’ll focus on the implications of the anger research from my last two pieces (part I, part II) on conflict resolution. As I touched on in my first piece, it can be tempting to associate nonviolent communication methods with denying…

Part II: When does anger work? In my last post I wrote about anger’s “good side,” and the importance of appreciating its importance, but I left off with a warning: we need to develop a thoughtful and wise relationship with anger in order for it to play a positive role. In his New York Times Sunday…