E-News – September 2018

Articles

3 Bad Habits that Impede Successful Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
Joan Sabott, Queen’s IRC Facilitator, 2018

A habit can be defined as a “usual manner of behavior.” But what I know about conflict is that there is often nothing “usual” about it. What happens to those of us who support others in conflict is that we tend to reach for the same set of tools each time, although we often are trying to solve very different problems. Even with the best of intentions, these habits can result in frustration, shallow or even bad resolutions, and won’t meet the needs of the people in conflict. Here are some common habits when dealing with conflict and what can be done to overcome them.

Habit #1: Intervening With the Wrong Process
When problems, disputes, and conflicts arise, we habitually fall back on solutions that have worked in the past, or processes and policies with which we are comfortable. But using the same set of tools to help resolve all conflicts can’t take care of every job in our organizations any more than a hammer can fix a broken dishwasher.

Here are some examples and potential pitfalls.

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Questioning Your Way to Success
An Excerpt from BrainFishing: A Practice Guide to Questioning Skills
Gary T. Furlong and Jim Harrison, Queen’s IRC Facilitators, 2018

Many books have been written about negotiation strategy and the different approaches to negotiation, from interest-based to traditional bargaining to win-win to principled, and many more. Much less, however, has been written about the detailed mechanics of successful negotiation and problem solving, about the face-to-face tools and language skills we must master to be more effective negotiators. In particular, one of the most important skills is the “art of the question” – the ability to ask effective, powerful questions and to combine that ability with strong empathy and listening. These are the skills that deliver better outcomes and win-win solutions.

This is why we wrote BrainFishing: A Practice Guide to Questioning Skills. This new book delivers clear, useful skills in a practical format. It is both a “how to” book for making questioning skills your forte, and an informative guide to understanding the neuroscience behind why the use of questions is far more effective than arguing, telling, or debating. It identifies many different types of questions and when to use them; it highlights the effective use of acknowledging and empathy statements; and it even offers a few “magic words” – words that facilitate effective engagement. It’s also a fun, fast-paced, and at times irreverent look at the skills we can all use to be successful in times of constant change, whether it be at the negotiating table, during a workplace interaction or in a social situation.

>> Read Article
 

Latest News

Queen's IRC Certificate Fast Facts

Did you know that we offer Certificates in Advanced Human Resources, Organization Development, Labour Relations, and Advanced Labour Relations? When you place a Queen’s University IRC Certificate on your wall, it tells your colleagues that you have received leading skills-building education and that you are a committed continuous learner. Check out our Certificate Overview: Download PDF

Certificate Fast Facts:

• You need 12 credits to earn a certificate
• 1 credit generally equals 1 training day
• You can take programs in the order that best addresses your learning needs or fits your schedule
• We offer programs across Canada
• Certificates have prerequisites, but we can sometimes substitute these prerequisites depending on your experience – you still have to earn 12 credits to earn a certificate
• In order to receive an Advanced Labour Relations Certificate, you must first earn the Labour Relations Certificate
• Added bonus: credits never expire and there is no set time to complete your certificate

Visit our website for more information about:

• Advanced HR and Organization Development Fundamentals Certificates
• Labour Relations and Advanced Labour Relations Certificates

Still have questions? Contact us at 1-888-858-7838 or irc@queensu.ca.

Queen's IRC an HR Reporter Readers' Choice Awards Winner

For the third year in a row, we’ve been named as a winner in the Labour Relations Training Provider category in the Canadian HR Reporter’s Readers' Choice Awards. We are honoured to be recognized by HR and LR professionals in both management and union positions, and we look forward to continuing to provide them with the critical skills required to lead change and build a collaborative culture in a global economy.

See the full list of winners: HR Reporter

Upcoming Programs

Register for an Upcoming Program:

• Labour Relations Foundations Sept 23-28, 2018 (Kingston)
• Coaching Skills Sept 26-27, 2018 (Edmonton)
• Performance Management Oct 10-11, 2018 (Toronto)
• Change Management Oct 16-18, 2018 (Kingston)
• Negotiation Skills Oct 21-26, 2018 (Kingston)
• HR Metrics and Analytics Oct 23-25, 2018 (Toronto)
• Strategies for Workplace Conflicts Oct 30-Nov 1, 2018 (Toronto)
• Building Trust in the Workplace Nov 1, 2018 (Toronto)
• Organization Development Foundations Nov 6-9, 2018 (Toronto)
• Mastering Fact-Finding and Investigation Nov 6-9, 2018 (Victoria)
• Coaching Skills Nov 21-22, 2018 (Toronto)
• Advanced HR Nov 14-16, 2018 (Toronto)
• NEW Workplace Restoration Nov 20-22, 2018 (Kingston)
• Organizational Design Nov 27-29, 2018 (Ottawa)
• Managing Unionized Environments Nov 27-29, 2018 (Toronto)
• Negotiation Skills Dec 3-7, 2018 (Victoria)
• Talent Management Dec 4-5, 2018 (Toronto)

For an overview of our professional development training, from the perspective of our participants and speakers, please check out our Queen’s IRC Video.

For more program information, download our NEW Fall 2018-Fall 2019 Program Planner.

Email: irc@queensu.ca Phone: 1-888-858-7838 Web: irc.queensu.ca