One of the most difficult situations HR leaders face is refereeing conflict among team members and repairing relationships in the workplace.
Bestselling author and leadership consultant Sarah Noll Wilson, president and founder of Sarah Noll Wilson Inc., in West Des Moines, Iowa, will present strategies for conflict resolution during a session on June 26 at the SHRM Annual Conference & Expo 2024 (SHRM24) in Chicago and virtually.
Wilson’s session is available to registered in-person and remote attendees and will include best practices based on case studies for mending relationships.
“Time won’t heal all wounds, but a conversation can help,” she said.
Wilson briefly discussed her upcoming session with SHRM Online.
SHRM Online: How does unresolved conflict create problems at work?
Wilson: Unresolved conflict costs time, energy, creativity, safety, and well-being—often, way more than companies realize. My good friend T. Maxine Woods-McMillian taught me that “you don’t avoid conflict, you displace or reposition it.” It always goes somewhere. One thing I see organizations miss is how distrust can be contagious, especially when it’s visible between two people in power. That unresolved conflict can make others question their sense of trust and safety. Also, if you tolerate some behaviors that are harmful, you send a message that it is OK to behave in that way.
SHRM Online: What is one top strategy for navigating conflict at work?
Wilson: Learning to regulate your emotions when you are in a reactive state. The Gottman Institute has found that how both people show up in the first three minutes of a conversation not only sets the tone for the conversation but the relationship. To be regulated doesn’t mean I am dispassionate or don’t care, but I am able to stay grounded. We are never without emotions.
SHRM Online: What can attendees expect to take away from your session?
Wilson: We will introduce our newest research around the patterns of conversations that miss the mark to help people see the needs of the moment much more clearly. We will explore a powerful strategy for ways to start a conversation. Finally, we will talk about steps that can increase the likelihood of repair. As always, there will be tools but also humor and heart to serve your personal and professional life.
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