AGL 128: Conflict at Work with Liz Kislik

About Liz

For 30 years as a management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator, Liz Kislik has helped clients such as American Express, Orvis, The Girl Scouts, Comcast, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Highlights for Children solve their thorniest problems while strengthening their top and bottom lines. Her specialty is developing high performing leaders and workforces.

She is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Entrepreneur, and a TEDx speaker on “Why There’s So Much Conflict at Work and What You Can Do to Fix It”. She has also written for the European Financial Review and the Forward.

Liz’s articles have been included in Harvard Business Press books Guide to Motivating People and Dealing with Difficult People, the Wall Street Journal’s Morning Download, and the Washington Post’s Work Advice column, and she has been interviewed for The Muse, European CEO magazine, Thrive Global, and The Financial Times Ignites.


Today We Talked About

  • Employee OnBoarding
  • Noticing Negative Patterns
  • Giving Negative Feedback
    • Ask the employees how they think its going
    • It has come to my attention______ and here is what I want to see_____
    • Explain cultural norms and give guidance
    • Explain the “Why”
    • Ditch the “feedback sandwich” because its fake
    • Its not attitude / its behavioral
    • If no agreement, then discuss consequences
  • Empathy
  • Perspective Taking
    • Why would a smart person do a stupid thing?
    • You could be wrong…Be sure to validate it
  • Employment and Family aren’t the same thing even if they overlap.
  • Conflict Resolution
  • 5 Steps for fixing Conflict:
    • Rule out that a single individual is the source of conflict
      • Incompetent employee
      • Bully
    • Ask the right people the right questions
      • Can you tell me what goes right?
      • What makes you nuts?
      • What makes your job better?
      • Why do you stay if there are so many problems here?
    • Make sure everyone is aligned
      • Goals
      • Needs
      • Responsibilities
      • You have to agree to it, but you don’t have to love it
    • Find Allies at all levels in the organization
    • Teach new Habits
      • Lizard Listening
      • Why would a smart person do a stupid thing?
      • Ask what’s not being said… Elephant Cards
      • What were they like at 9 years old?

Connect with Liz



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