Conflict Zen

Conflict Zen ® is about the simple yet powerful habits of mind and word that radically shift problems and turn conflict into opportunity. Dr. Tammy Lenski, a conflict management consultant for 15 years, shares what really works for organizational, management, business and executive conflict resolution.

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  You can’t train your way out of organizational conflict

  The answer to organizational conflict isn't conflict resolution training. The answer isn't team-building either. Both can be a form of organizational conflict avoidance. Why you can't train or team-build your way out of organizational conflict Training is about taking your team and helping it move to the next higher level of performance. If there's enough conflict that you've sought out a trainer to help you, there's other work you need to do first. Team and organizational conflict interferes …
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  Business seminar for Georgia conflict resolution professionals

  I'll be teaching a one-day seminar for new and experienced Georgia conflict resolution professionals in September, thanks to the Association for Conflict Resolution–Georgia Chapter and the Georgia Mediators Association, who are co-sponsoring my visit. We'll be gathering at The Georgian Club in Atlanta on Friday, September 24, and I'll be speaking about dialogue-based business and marketing strategies for mediators, conflict coaches, dispute resolution trainers, arbitrators and other conflict …
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  Change your negotiation and conflict habits

  Imagine you're standing at the edge of a woods. The woods are filled with briars, tree roots sticking up from the soil, low-hanging branches. On the other side of the woods is a sunny meadow filled with fragrant flowers. I ask you to get yourself to that sunny meadow as fast as you can. You have two choices of path: One is through the woods I just described, the other is a well-work footpath that heads straight to the meadow. Both are about the same distance. Which do you choose? The well worn …
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  8 common reasons agreements fall apart after workplace negotiations

  "The object of good mediation, good negotiation and good conflict management isn't to get people to agreement. It's to help people reach agreement they'll want to act on once we all leave the table." I say this when I train advanced mediators and when I teach mediation and conflict management in organizations and groups. And I said it last night while meeting with a community group interested in getting "inside mediator" training for some of their members. Why do solutions and agreements fall …
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  Organizational conflict increased by entitled workers, new study suggests

  Organizational conflict may be increased and employee relations damaged by the way "psychologically entitled workers" act at work, a new study suggests. Such workers believe they are typically more deserving of particular rewards or benefits than their co-workers. In Entitled Workers Are More Frustrated On the Job and More Likely to Abuse Co-Workers, New Research Finds, the University of New Hampshire reports, The researchers found that individuals with strong entitlement-driven self-perceptions …
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  Be the bedouin: spend more time understanding before problem-solving

  A man walking in the desert approached a Bedouin. "How far to the nearest oasis?" he inquired. The Bedouin did not respond. "I said, how far is it to the nearest oasis?" the man asked, a bit more loudly this time and enunciating his words very carefully. The Bedouin still did not respond. The man shook his head in frustration, turned, and began to walk away. The Bedouin called out, "It will take you three hours!" The man spun around to face the Bedouin. "Couldn't you have told me that …
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