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I was the oldest of seven siblings, with two military veterans for parents. That’s right, seven kids, just like the Von Trapp family in The Sound of Music. We didn’t march to a whistle or live in a mansion, but efficiency, order, and education were certainly high priorities. Charts mapped out our chores, buzzers called us to meals, and our possessions were organized by labels and color codes. Frequently our friends would spend the night just to watch the spectacle of our 6 AM family breakfasts.
One risk management tactic I learned from my highly organized family was to be on alert for sprouting drama. As you can imagine, in a family of nine where adults are outnumbered 7 to 2, a small bit of unmanaged conflict can become a category 5 storm in the blink of an eye. My mother was the master of diffusing drama in any situation, and she taught us to avoid raised voices and bad attitudes at all costs. Both parents trained us in conflict resolution from a young age, and how to deal with feelings when you don’t want to do what’s required.
At NRMC we’ve seen conflicts cause all sorts of problems for nonprofit organizations. It’s no surprise that the perfect setting for high emotions is a mission-driven organization, where people donate their time and feel strongly about the cause. Some of the unpleasant conflicts we’ve seen in the recent past include:
These types of internal turmoil are easy to overlook when naming top risks, but unpleasant conflicts potentially exacerbate operational risks and threaten your mission. Poorly managed and neglected workplace drama can lead to:
On the flipside, conflict has the potential to build trust and motivate creativity when handled well. A healthy workplace culture increases the sharing of diverse opinions but minimizes dramatic tensions. In an introduction to their toolkit “Managing Workplace Conflicts,” authors at the Society for Human Resource Management explain that good management practices help employees feel heard and welcome to contribute more ideas to the team. The SHRM assessment concluded that with effective conflict resolution employees will “see their employer as fair in their dealings with them and will likely be more satisfied with their jobs.”
My parents would be the first to tell you that when it comes to drama the key is to handle conflict in a constructive way that strengthens both your team and your mission. Here is a collection of risk recommendations for a calm, positive, and orderly approach to dampening drama—whether your group is an office of hard-working employees or a kitchen full of sticky-handed kids:
If you’re thinking that dampening drama is easier said than done, we could not agree more. It can be extremely difficult to handle conflict gracefully, and for many nonprofit teams it may feel impossible to bridge gaping gaps in perspective or preferred approach, much less create a healthy culture of conflict resolution. Don’t give up! To quote Thomas Paine, “the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” Try new strategies and remember to keep humble and ask for help. We recommend the following additional resources for tips on improving communication and management practices at your home base:
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