That C Word

In an average workplace, each employee wastes 2.5 hours per week due to workplace tension. Conflict is so stigmatized that even conflict resolution is left as a last resort when it should be the first resort.

My guest today is Patrick Aylward. Patrick started his career as a lawyer and transitioned to work as a mediator and conflict management practitioner with the federal government and has recently written a book called The Collaborative Path. I'm excited to talk with Patrick about a concept he shares in his book- the idea of shifting towards a collaborative model within the workplace. Join us as we talk about what that means, what typically happens in a workplace these days, transitioning from the adjudicative model vs. the collaborative model and… that ‘c’ word.

About My Guest

Patrick used to be a courtroom lawyer, then spent many years as a mediator, and now is an author on a mission to change the world by creating a global culture of collaboration. His book The Collaborative Path introduces a collaborative model to replace the debate format used for generating decisions and solutions, and even for having conversations. To have both better solutions to situations and stronger relationships among participants, Patrick provides an easy to learn, easy to use 6-step process to change the leadership conversation. Using the collaborative model, we can prevent conflict before it ever begins.

Patrick lives in Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province where he is working on a follow-up book The Collaborator’s Toolbox that will contain tools for everyday use so that people can strengthen their collaborative skills for use at home, at work and in the community.

Tune In As We Chat About

👉 Shifting workplace culture

Conflict Is Conflict

In this episode of That C Word, I welcome mediator, lawyer and innovator, Jacinta Gallant. Although most of the work that Jacinta does in is the area of conflict within families, conflict is conflict. The skills we use to negotiate personal relationships, and conflict within the family are relevant when learning how to navigate workplace conflict. Jacinta shares some info about her innovative work that is creating a worldwide impact. Tune in as we discuss how Jacinta’s work connects with resolving conflict in the workplace, being a conscious lawyer and… that C word.

About this week's guest

Jacinta Gallant is a respected Canadian collaborative lawyer, conflict trainer, mediator and innovator in her field. She is recognized internationally for her insightful and experiential approach to teaching and managing conflict, and has been welcomed as a trainer throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia.

"Never cut what can be untied" is the inspiration for Jacinta's work. Leaving behind many years as a successful litigation lawyer, Jacinta now works exclusively as a settlement advocate - using her skill and wisdom to help people untangle the knots of conflict while attending to relationships.

Learn more about Jacinta and her work by visiting her website: https://www.jacintagallant.ca/AboutJacinta

Tune in as we chat about

👉 Shifting from a place of judgement

👉 There is no 'right'

👉 What are the needs that have to be met?

Get the FREE episode resource:

How To Create A Collaborative Workplace- A Step-by-Step Guide

Is a Conflict Positive Culture Possible?

My guest today is an expert in team building in a digital world. Most of us have now had an experience with romote working. The separation may have temporarily extinguished some tensions in the workplace or it may have exposed the cracks in an organization’s culture. One clue that an organization is healthy is when they make it safe- and in fact encourage- the team to share feedback, concerns and different opinions.

Anna Keenan, is the Digital Organizing Manager for 350.org, an international organization focused on climate change advocacy. The organization has 150 staff members. For the most part, the staff work remotely from forty different countries. The way that Anna described her organization really struck me and I’m excited to have her join me on this episode to discuss her organization’s view of that ‘C’ word.

When Anna first arrived at 350.org, she observed a culture that really welcomed criticism and feedback. They talked explicitly about the need for feedback as a means of gathering information about how things were going in the organization and to voice it in healthy ways. From this ‘conflict positive culture’, she learned that the more that we can address problems that exist, the better our actions, activism and policies will be.

Join us as we discuss how an organization with a conflict positive culture baked in, one that takes criticism with an attitude of listening and learning and correcting course, leads to innovation and growth.

About this week’s guest:

Born in Australia where she earned degrees in physics and economics in 2007, Anna worked for five years as a Climate & Energy campaigner with Greenpeace International in Europe, specifically focusing on the Renewable Energy Revolution. While working in Europe, she met her now-husband, who was born on PEI. Together they moved to Montreal and eventually back to the maritimes.

Here Anna has applied her well-honed leadership skills in the community sector, including 2 years as President of the PEI Green party, which set them up for success as the first Green Official Opposition in Canada. She has run twice for the Green Party of Canada in the last 2 federal elections and both times was one of the top 7 Green candidates in the country. She has served on the boards of the PEI Coalition for Proportional Representation; Fair Vote Canada, the River Clyde Pageant, and the Bike Friendly Communities Co-Operative. Anna has worked as the Digital Organizing Manager for climate advocacy group 350.org since 2017.

A Strange Culture of Toxicity

My guest today is Tanya Nace and she shares with me a conflict she experienced a few years ago, in a previous workplace. Although she has moved on and, in essence, the conflict has resolved itself, Tanya realizes now that she still carries it with her. She worked in a large humanitarian organization as a senior manager and was responsible for 60+ people. This was Tanya's first senior management experience. She was green and thrown in without any mentorship or onboarding and tasked with bringing the company out of the red. Despite the odds being against her, the company was back in the black in just a few short years. She built up a strong team and was eager to continue to grow and expand her skills. But cracks were beginning to show among the old guard. Behaviour from the top leadership was becoming increasingly dysfunctional and she tried to shelter her team from it. When Tanya returned from maternity leave, she discovered her team was fractured. Had she made them vulnerable by sheltering them?

Join me as Tanya and I unpack this workplace conflict and discuss what she could have done differently, how she can take the lesson to her current work and... that 'C' word.

“She sucks the energy out of the room.”

My guest today is Madeline. Madeline is a small business owner who is dealing with a conflict in her team. Nicky was hired to replace Eliza while she was out on mat leave and their approach to the job and the other staff is causing a problem at the office. Madeline appreciates the work Nicky does and doesn’t want to lose her but the eroding trust within the team is causing the conflict to snowball.

Tune in for this conflict coaching episode where we use the innovative Collaboration In A Box tool and discuss… that C word.

ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST:

This is a special anonymous coaching episode. My guest’s name and voice have been altered to protect her identity.

TUNE IN AS WE CHAT ABOUT:

LEARN MORE ABOUT COLLABORATION IN A BOX:

https://collaborationschool.com/collaboration-in-a-box/

I don't create the rules, I just enforce them.

What if you could get a do-over after 25 years in your career?

Derrick Hoare spend the majority of his career as a health care administrator and manager of long-term care and assisted living homes.

He describes his problem-solving style as 'Carrot and stick', an 'us vs. them' conflict management style. After 25 years, he retired but often thought he would have liked to have approached problem solving differently. When he was offered the opportunity to return to work operating nine assisted living homes, he decided to do just that.

Today Derrick is a Chef and proprietor of The Table Culinary Studio. Join us as we discuss his career in health care, the evolution of

About my guest:

As far back as Chef Derrick Hoare can remember, he has always chosen a unique path. His search for the eclectic has led me in a number of wonderful directions and to some very satisfying places. He has spent the majority of his adult life in the service of seniors, has played professional sports, flown planes, mediated labour disputes, acted in TV and movies, and trained as a Chef. Derrick is the proprietor and Chef of the award-winning culinary studio The Table. Learn more about The Table and Derrick at: https://thetablepei.com/about

Tune in as we chat about:

Us vs. Them management style

In this episode, we mentioned the following resources:

There was yelling in the hallway...

This is a conflict coaching episode with my anonymous guest, Paula. Paula shares her experience starting a new job at a nonprofit. When she started her job, she inherited a worker who had been displaying innaoproiate behaviour with her co-workers and clients for decades. However, since no former manager had ever called her out, she didn't believe there was a problem with her behavious and blamed Paula for addressing it. This created a huge conflict, challenges and impacts. 

Join us as we talk about how the situation happened, how Paula was impacted and... that 'C' word.

About this week's guest: 

We have altered our guest's name, voice and identity to protect her identity. "Paula" is the director of a unionized nonprofit organization that works with vulnerable youth.

Tune in as chat about:

👉 When is collaboration the right approach and when might one or more conflict resolution styles be more appropriate?

👉 Conflict coaching 

👉 The impact of conflict on a workplace

Employers have a duty to ensure their employees are safe. But does this extend beyond physical safety?

The rise in non-physical injury claims is a sign that something bigger may be happening in our workplaces.

Join me and my guest, Patsy MacLean, as we discuss the national standard for psychologically safe workplaces, what you can do to create a psychologically safe workplace, and how a rise in stress-related conflicts is an indication of workplace tension mounting into what Patsy calls “a perfect storm”.

Join us as we talk about psychologically safe workplaces and that ‘C’ word.

Today's guest experienced a very significant workplace conflict that began with scathing emails being circulated and her work being criticized- at a time when she was working on a large project. She was able to 'park' the conflict during her large project but the emotional shrapnel came to the surface when the dust settled. 

Join us as we talk about the phenomenon of trust and how sometimes with change, comes conflict. 

About this week's guest: 

Today's guest's voice has been altered and her identity has been changed to protect her privacy. 

Tune in as chat about:

-The phenomenon of trust

-The harm that 'cheerleading' in the workplace can cause

-What happens when we try and ignore the impact of conflict

This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm

On Season 1, Episode 3 of That C Word: The Dream Team?

On this episode of That C Word, my guest shares her personal story of how a year’s long workplace conflict between her and her assistant led to a complete breakdown of her law partnership. Her voice and identity have been altered to protect her privacy. Join us as we learn how years of accommodating in order to avoid conflict snowballed into a conflict that ruptured an entire team permanently .

Tune in as chat about:

Feeling stuck in a conflict

“Is this normal?!” Blaming yourself during conflict

The impact of workplace conflict emotionally and mentally

Download the accompanying resource guide: