Workplace Wars and How to End Them: Turning Personal Conflict into Productive Teamwork

• Is your workplace toxic with grudges, petty sniping, or not-so-pretty vendettas?
• Do infighting and backstabbing eat away at productivity?
• Are turf battles rampant?
• Are underground issues blocking the chance for teamwork?

Every workplace has its disagreements and always will. But disruptive conflicts can and always should be resolved if the organization and the individuals involved are to move forward.

Kaye provides a consistent system—not a random bunch of “feel good” quick fixes—for managing conflict among people who must work together closely. Flowcharts, scenarios, and real-world examples lead you through these progressive steps:

1. Look for shared goals and win/win solutions.
2. Clarify, sort, and value differences.
3. Gain commitment to change.
4. Analyze the recurring cycle of problems and their chronic patterns.
5. Try unilateral change, when needed (if both parties won’t bend, maybe one will).

Whether you’re a manager who recognizes conflict as the source of wasted time and unhappy customers…or a partner in a family enterprise racked by feuds…a business owner fed up with lawsuits, vandalism, or theft by disgruntled workers…a human resources pro who wants to stop the merry-go-round of conflict-related absenteeism, rehiring, and retraining…or anyone who wants a more peaceful and productive workplace…Workplace Wars and How to End Them will put you on the road to positive, self-sustaining, long-term resolutions.

About the Author

Kenneth Kaye, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist specializing in conflict resolution. His clients include corporate work teams, business partners, and family firms of all sizes. He is the author of the book Family Rules and many articles in general interest magazines, business publications, and academic journals. Dr. Kaye, who holds bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard University, teaches at Northwestern University and the Family Institute of Chicago.