Transcript
Transcript: Cup of Joe with Joseph Silva: Dealing with Conflict
[0:00 A man standing in front of the camera]
Joseph Silva: Hello, my name is Joseph Silva.
[0:02 Title "Cup of Joe with Joseph Silva: Dealing with Conflict" appears next to an animated coffee mug.]
When taking over a new team that has had a number of legacy conflict issues that are unresolved, I have first tried to resolve such complex issues by not focusing on the whole team, as this would be overwhelming, but by focussing on who has the most informal authority in that team.
[0:10 Text appears on screen "Joseph Silva, Former Director General, Human Resources, Privy Council Office".]
[0:22-1:21 a white banner appears and stays at the bottom of the screen, with the text "Canada School of Public Service".]
Within every group there are leaders and there are followers, so you need to seek out the leaders or those that carry a very high degree of informal authority and influence. Regardless of their level, they are listened to by many others who look up to them for a variety of reasons.
These folks use the power of influence for good and sometimes they just use it to stir the pot.
So, when I have been faced with such a conflict situation, I have first tried to focus on finding a compromise position with the informal leaders - and then let them bring the others along.
You will be in a better position to deal with the others once you have the leader or leaders on side with you. Otherwise, they'll just keep on stirring the pot behind your back.
Focusing on who has the most informal authority in the group or team may be a strategy you can use when faced with legacy conflict issues. Good luck.
[1:15 Title "Cup of Joe with Joseph Silva: Dealing with Conflict" appears next to an animated coffee mug.]
[1:23-1:33 The CSPS logo appears onscreen. A text appears on the screen: canada.ca/school. The Government of Canada logo appears onscreen.]
