Workplace conflict and communication issues can be complicated to resolve.
Sometimes, an organization will approach me with the desire to address conflict or communication challenges and they’re looking for a quick solution. They want to know which program is going to deliver immediate results so that everyone can live (ahem, work) together happily ever after.
Can a short program deliver results? Absolutely! I wouldn’t do them if I thought they had no value. Short programs can bring new awareness to situations that allow people to make different decisions, take different actions and get different outcomes.
However short programs are a fit for certain clients and more in-depth work is a better solution for other situations.
I can confidently say that if you’re looking to truly resolve complex communication challenges, this is not an overnight fix.
Let’s look at it from the perspective of an analogy with losing weight. If someone were to tell you that they want to lose 70 pounds and do so in 2 weeks, you might just inadvertently laugh in their face.
Well… the thing is… resolving complex communication challenges are not any different.
Many of the patterns and dynamics that are causing significant tension, stress and loss of productivity in teams and organizations have been brewing for some time. So naturally, it can take some time to truly unwind these and create an environment where everyone feels safe communicating their experiences with transparency.
Now, this doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily going to take decades to see progress. In fact, the people I work with are generally very committed to their own professional growth and start to apply new skills learned immediately.
But if you’re looking to resolve complex communication issues or create an environment where everyone can truly be seen and heard, approaching it with the mindset that leadership development is a process, not an event, will bring you best results.
When you’re considering what type of support would best fit the needs of your organization, you’ll get the best results if you take time to identify how you can get the best results based on your budget – both financial and time.
Consider working with someone who will take the time to:
- analyze the challenges currently experienced
- consider the underlying dynamics
- identify your organizational goals in terms of leadership communication
- customize a plan that can best meet your needs
The goal isn’t simply to offer support, but rather, to offer the right type of support so that the solution proposed doesn’t simply end up being a band-aid fix. Because the last thing you want is to find yourself faced with the exact same challenges at this time next year.
If you’re interested in exploring the above steps to see how we may be able to work together to support your managers to communicate authentically so they can effectively lead their teams without losing themselves, book a complimentary discovery call. I’d be more than happy to discuss how to ensure that the solution proposed fits your organization’s current needs.
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