Author Description

Vicious turf wars. Increased polarization between departments. In today's tension-filled business environment - one in which employees are feeling the pressures of mergers, downsizing, increased competition, and shorter deadlines - is it any wonder that destabilizing organizational conflicts have become the rule, rather than the exception, at most companies?Allowed to fester, these conflicts will only get worse! But now there's a book that provides you with a proven 10-step method enabling you to diagnose and resolve the conflicts within your own company before they end up paralyzing productivity, destroying morale, and driving away customers. Drawing on many fascinating examples of real-life conflict resolution that author John Arnold has used successfully with leading business firms in the United States and abroad, When the Sparks Fly shows you how to:Spot clues to friction in the office - even when people are trying their best to keep it from you.Differentiate among the six most common types of conflicts: external, value system, strategic direction, culture/management process, operational, and interdepartmental.Understand the dynamics of how each type of conflict typically begins, who's most often involved, and what's really at stake for them in even the most seemingly trivial battles.Use this understanding to pinpoint the root causes of the conflicts that currently exist in your company.Resolve conflicts in ways that foster teamwork and increase morale over the long term.Build systematic conflict prevention measures into your organization's culture, so that new conflicts are less likely to arise in the future.No matter what kind of business you run, no matter what kinds of conflicts you are now seeing, and no matter how long they have been festering, this book will teach you how to turn it all around quickly, smoothly, and effectively.