Human Resources: Thought Leaders, November 9, 2006

Thought Leaders
Industry Gurus Live

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Thought Leader: Dr. Duane Boyce on Resolving Conflicts In the Work Place from the Inside Out

Dr. Duane Boyce is Managing Director of Corporate Services for The Arbinger Institute. He recently spoke with Karen Elmhirst about his recent work with resolving workplace conflict.

Read this interview summary if you are interested in:

Understanding how a person's mindset leads to conflict.

Discovering how justification keeps us stuck.

What it means to be "in the box".

How to make the choice to avoid conflict from happening.

Synopsis:

Have you ever withheld information from a co-worker, or took action that made a conflict worse, rather than better? Why do we do these things sometimes and what's the alternative? Dr. Duane Boyce, Managing Director of The Arbinger Institute, talks about a unique approach to understanding conflict in the workplace, based on a book by The Arbinger Institute called The Anatomy of Peace. He explains how a person's choices can lead to getting in "the box" and set a person on a course of self-justification that feeds conflict. He also provides some recommendations on how to stay out of "the box" and focus your energies on helping things go right. Different from conflict management strategies, this interview looks at a fundamental perspective that you can choose that will help prevent conflict from ever happening.

Expert bio:

Dr. Duane Boyce is Managing Director of Corporate Services for The Arbinger Institute. Trained in psychology and the clinical treatment of families, Dr. Boyce conducted his postdoctoral study in Developmental Psychology at Harvard University. During this time, Dr. Boyce published professionally, including co-authoring an academic book on the psychology of moral reasoning. Prior to joining Arbinger as a managing director, Dr. Boyce served for a decade as a vice president of a highly successful firm in the steel industry. His responsibilities included human resources, quality, sales, and communications. He is a sought-after speaker, teacher, and advisor for corporate leaders in many industries.

KE: Duane, I noticed when I read your book that there was no mention of authorship beyond The Arbinger Institute reference. Why is that?

DB: We have long been committed to the ideas in this book and our sense is that we want the focus to be on the ideas rather than on any particular individuals. Also, there are a number of people who work at Arbinger who don't write books, but whose contribution is equally valuable. The last thing we want to do is treat them as if they are not as valuable as we are by putting our names on the front of a book. We see ourselves as working collaboratively to make a difference in the world.

KE: What promoted you and your co-author, Jim Ferrell, to write this book?

DB: So much of life is filled with conflict. If you think about the typical workplace, the typical workday, it's surprising how much time is spent feeling unhappy, de-motivated, and in conflict with other people. People are not getting along and working together and then they go home unhappy and take their troubles home with them. There really is a way to greater peace in our individual work lives, and it just seemed like we ought to address that issue specifically, so that is what we have done in this book.

KE: What would you say is the central theme of the book?

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Karen Elmhirst is a Senior Analyst with HR.com focused on learning and leadership. She is also co-host of our weekly Thought Leader Live interviews delivered via webcast each week. For a complete listing of our Thought Leader interviews,
click here.

Karen has over a dozen years of experience as a sales and marketing executive in various industries including recruitment and training; work as a communication coach, a writer, and editor. Karen graduated with a business degree from the University of British Columbia.

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Dick Grote on Turning Problem Employees Into Superior Performers

November 20, 2006
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET

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Goals for a discipline system.
Why the traditional "progressive discipline" system doesn't work.
Effective ways to conduct performance improvement discussions.
When to start disciplinary action.
Instituting a disciplinary process that works.

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