Hello readers!
Welcome
to the top of the stretch run for our class on Decision Making for Leaders.
This week we’re looking at collaboration in reaching a resolution. Rarely in
life can one say they have the full picture of the situation they face. Rarely
in life can one say that their decision will affect only themselves. Given
those two points, the opportunities for collaborating are manifold in life.
I am a practitioner of
collaborative decision making. Whether I am at home or at work, I habitually
solicit inputs for the parties who are either going to be affected by a
decision, and/or folks or sources that have applicable knowledge about a
decision. Experience has taught me that the benefits to getting those other
parties involved are manifold. Experience has also taught me that I must be
ready, ultimately, to make the decision.
I was recently faced with a conflict
around how a product my team produces was being priced. In order to get a
solution that would meet the requirements of the multiple parties that are
involved in the process, collaboration was mandatory. My department, Sales,
Finance, Supplier Management, the Senior Leadership Team, and our customers were
all directly impacted by the conflict. Indirectly, other training departments
and our schedulers would feel the impact of bad pricing via the decrease in
utilization of their services.
I attended numerous
meetings, explaining the situation to the affected parties. In the beginning,
the attendees would realize that some other person or group needed to be
involved and that would drive a re-telling of the story. The impact of the
situation was solicited from each of the players. We heard each other. Some
heard faster than others, though. As part of this process, the sharing of how
each other’s roles, accountabilities, and authorities were limiting and
empowering each of us provided valuable insights.
As discussed in Levine’s
text (2009), the telling and listening of stories is vital
to reaching a resolution. So is realizing when certain parties are unable or
incapable of moving forward. There were moments when one particular group kept
falling back to reasons why they could not work toward a resolution instead of
looking for one. It took effort and repetitive approaches by me and other
members of the group, but the wayward group finally came around. I believe that
there was a level of trust that had to be reached and this group, for whatever
reason, needed serious convincing that we were all working for a win-win
resolution.
Getting stakeholders
involved in the resolution process is fundamental to success. As someone who
espouses the practice of celebrating diversity, I view stakeholder involvement
as a variation on getting diverse perspectives looking at a conflict or
question. The varied perspectives that each stakeholder brings to the situation
can act as another bright light shining a path to success and illuminating
hazards.
As Levine stated, “When
people participate in shaping and customizing their their working
relationships, productivity leaps take place because the participants are
inspired and motivated by the objectives and standards that they shaped.
Mutuality is fostered, resentment is eliminated, and acceptance is assured.”
(2009, p. 189) The benefits are manifold. Getting to this place is a journey
that takes commitment and concentration.
In the end, we got the
pricing changed for the product and the reaction from all parties, including
customers, has been positive. The collective success has been a point of
celebration all the way up to the Senior Leadership Team. The parties have been
seen to joke around with each other, which is a new behavior. I believe it
indicates a level of camaraderie and understanding that increased through the
process. If I learned anything, it was the importance of listening to understand
other peoples’ pain points.
In the spirit of
continuous improvement, I will definitely be reviewing Mr. Levine’s book and
will reference it when facing another opportunity for conflict resolution. I
know that being a “resolutionary”, as Mr. Levine calls those who practice his
techniques, requires doing the hard work of changing my predisposition to
looking for a win in conflict situations. As discussed earlier, there are many
years of learning to undo. I will be utilizing Levine’s techniques as much as I
can and taking the opportunity to teach co-workers as I do. I will endeavor to
listen better to those with whom I interact. While I think I do a pretty good
job, I am sure I have room for improvement.
As a side note here, understand
that there are going to be times where it becomes apparent the decision at hand
may not be yours to make. As you go through the collaborative process, others
may come forward that are in a better position to make the decision or even
facilitate the resolution. At my company, there are defined dollar limits that
each level of manager and executive can be responsible for spending. That makes
for an easy call. In other situations, the domain of responsibility will not be
as neatly defined. Usurping authority, or the perception thereof, will impart
conflict that will require serious effort to quell. Learning when to let
someone else make the call is a mark of leader maturity.
Furthermore, at the
other end of the spectrum, do not fall into the trap of deferring a majority of
the decisions you face. In a short period of time, people will simply go around
you to the places you’ve been sending them to get actual decisions.
Being a leader
requires commitment and a desire to do a good job for those your lead and those
you serve. Developing a skill set that allows for conflict resolution that can
enhance the relationships it impacts would be a differentiator for a leader. Consider
that fact when you are thinking about ways to be the best leader you can be.
Until next week….
Levine, S. (2009). Getting to resolution - Turning conflict
into collaboration (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers,
Inc.
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