Everyone's motivation can, at times, be lacking. We get run down, feel overworked or under-stimulated, and sometimes, are simply looking for that extra spark to keep us going. What gets you motivated? How can you recapture your inner drive if your gear's shifted into low?

In the last CEO Blog post, we discussed ways to deal with conflicts in our personal business relationships. But what about conflicts found in the wider organisation? Clearly, a workplace culture that tolerates high levels of conflict is headed for trouble, with just some of the effects including high turnover, low morale, increased sick leave and of course the costs associated with dispute resolution. What can we do to handle conflict in our organisations effectively?

There are some people that just push your buttons, that make you want to reach across the desk and throttle them! Why do they have to be so difficult? Maybe it's your star performer... in all but the personality stakes around the office, or maybe your boss. Perhaps it's the leader of the next department or even your own team members. Whoever they are, we have all (or will all) at times come across difficult people that we have to work with, despite our differences. How can we deal with them in a constructive manner?