Conflicts sap the life blood of an organization. Parties in conflict not only fail to work together, but can waste inordinate amounts of work time plotting to correct perceived wrongs, exacting revenge, or sabotaging their “enemy’s” work. Instead of buying output, the company buys damage to its interests. Like it or not, managers must step in.

Issuing cease-and-desist orders may temporarily improve the situation, but tend only to drive the conflict underground. Truces or enforcement of unpalatable solutions on all parties is not an answer either. The alternatives for the company are to either try resolving the conflict, or terminate the parties, incurring recruitment and training costs for new personnel who may or may not have equal expertise.

Usually conflicts start with misunderstandings from which the parties conclude the other is operating from sinister motives. Trust breaks down and is hard to rebuild.

A skilled mental health professional who has frequently worked with conflict, Macek knows how to connect with all parties, analyze the core causes, and help those in conflict embrace the common good over individual differences. Using a skilled external consultant has the advantage of keeping the conflict resolution process separate from the supervisor/supervisee relationship. The external consultant conveys and supports the supervisory mandate that hostilities cease while at the same time helping parties to the conflict find resolution.

Macek has the training and experience to analyze conflict situations and determine vehicles for resolution. Conflict is a cancer no company can afford to ignore.