CEO Blog

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?

Yes, the Baby Boomer Generation - you know who you are - is still kicking, still working, still spending and still HERE! As a dedicated Gen X, I have to ask, will they ever leave? And, to be fair, should they?

Your staff are the back-bone of your business. Happy, fulfilled people do good work, creating happy, fulfilled clients. Happy clients spread the word about your business and repeatedly purchase from you, increasing your potential for success. Of course, you can only do so much, and obviously can't be responsible for your employee's happiness all the time, but there are a number of areas within your control that can help to create the environment where staff can reach their full potential.

Having just returned from one month travelling in Europe with my husband, I have at my disposal some interesting observations on customer service - the effects of the lack of it and the tremendous value of receiving great customer service. How highly does your business value customer service? What are some of the things your staff can do that will make the difference? How do you create a culture of customer service and how do you determine if your efforts are successful? In the new world of instant communication with large groups of people, what are your customers saying about your business? And how do you save face if you miss the mark?

There is no doubt that to reach a senior position in any company - or indeed to run your own organisation from the ground up - takes a considerable chunk of time out of our lives. Late nights, early mornings, weekend work and not being fully "present" when with family or friends for many of us is the norm. And of course technology being what it is, our opportunities to truly switch off are more and more limited...