Conflict Resolution

Conflict within an office or group-type setting is inevitable and usually occurs when an individual is not obtaining what they want and are seeking to fulfill their own self-interest. Although inevitable, conflict can be minimized, diverted and/or resolved. Keeping these thoughts in mind is the first step towards conflict management and resolution.

It’s important to recognize the signs that are the beginnings of conflict: A few of which are, reduced communication, disagreements (regardless of issue), stealthily seeking power, subtle public statements, airing disagreements through media or public venues, increasing lack of respect, lack of discretion with sensitive organizational issues.

Searching for the causes of conflict is essential to be successful in resolving the conflict. Possible causes of conflict include conflict with self needs or wants that are not being met, personal values are being tested, perceptions are being questioned, assumptions are being made, knowledge is minimal, expectations are too high/too low, personality, race, or gender differences are present.

Obviously conflict is destructive when it takes attention away from other important activities. Conflict is harmful when it begins to undermine morale or self-concept, polarizes people and groups, leads to reduced cooperation or increases and sharpens differences. Conflict can occasionally lead to irresponsible or harmful behaviors such as attempts of defamation towards other’s character or qualifications.

Not all conflict is negative, however. Conflict is constructive when it results in clarification of important problems and issues, involves people in resolving issues that are important to them, brings about authentic communication, or helps release emotion, anxiety, and stress. Conflict can build cooperation among people through learning more about each other. When a group or team joins together in resolving the conflict it helps individuals develop understanding of their environment as a whole.

It is best to meet conflict head on. Be honest about concerns and agree to disagree. Understand that a healthy disagreement will build better decisions. Get rid of individual ego and let your team create - people will support what they help create. Discuss differences in values openly by communicating honestly - avoid playing "gotcha" type games. Groups often collaborate closely in order to reach consensus or agreement. The ability to use collaboration requires the recognition of and respect for everyone's ideas, opinions, and suggestions. Attempt to follow a few guidelines for reaching consensus such as avoid arguing over individual ranking or position. Present a position as logically as possible. Avoid "win-lose" statements. Discard the notion that someone must lose in order for all to win.

©2009-2010 Cultivating Careers

Taking Charge Of Your Career

Unless you’ve been living on a deserted island, you know that we are in an economic crises and the job market has been affected.

News Flash! The steps to taking charge of your career haven’t changed.

The first thing that you need to realize is that YOU are responsible for your career. It is all up to you to consider your objective, develop a plan and then follow through. In order to successfully reach your career goals, you have to take charge over them. Start to think of your career as your own private company and see yourself as the boss. As the boss, you make all of the decisions. On the route to building your “company” hopefully you will seek out the advice of people who have knowledge and experience. But, bottom-line, the decision and responsibility towards achieving your career goals is yours alone.

Right about now, you might be asking, “Where do I start?” (Unless my writing has bored you to sleep.) The answer is actually really simple. You start to begin creating a plan.

Take some time to think about your ultimate goal. At this stage, the most important thing that you need to realize is where you want to land. It may seem backwards but you can’t get to where you want to be until you know where that is. What do you want to achieve with your career? The answer to that question becomes your objective.

With your objective, you have now started your long-term plan. Take a pen to paper and write down your objective. Think about strategies towards achieving this goal. Do you need to overhaul your resume? Who do you know that is already established? Will you need to further your education? Incorporate those answers into your strategy. At this point you have your goal and direction towards it. Begin to set the priorities within your plan. As you move towards your goal, set time aside to review your plan. Review it regularly and prioritize your strategies.

Taking charge of your career is a job in itself. You have your plan to keep you on track but that alone isn’t going to get you to your objective. Remain informed of changes in your chosen career; maintain your professional self-presentation and network!

©2009 – 2010 Cultivating Careers

The US Economic Outlook

The US Economic Outlook

Video from the World Economic Forum Annual Conference 2010

Inquiry Letters

An inquiry letter is similar to a cover letter. The big difference is you send it uninvited (or as a cold contact) to an employer. Send inquiry letters to potential employers who have not advertised a job opening. Use the letter to match your qualifications to the needs of the employer.

Sources of information about the needs of an employer are employment advertisements, position descriptions, phone conversations, and informational interviews. Match the employer's needs to your qualifications in your inquiry letter:

Employer Needs	Your Qualifications
Detail-oriented, experienced Administrative Assistant	Four years Administrative Assistant experience with responsibility for numerous detailed reports
Assist Customer Relations Manager	Assisted Customer Relations Manager for two years
Corporate experience with major clients a must	Regularly served purchasing agents at Fortune 500 companies
PC knowledge a plus	Hands-on experience with Lotus 1-2-3 and WordPerfect on IBM-PC

In addition, an inquiry letter should include:

• A specific contact name and title at the company
• An introduction with why you are writing
• A polite request for a follow-up meeting or phone call
• A thank you to the reader for his or her time
• Your signature — blue ink is best to show the letter is an original
• Your resume as an attachment

View a sample inquiry letter for layout and format suggestions.

Source: Creative Job Search and CareerOneStop

©2009 YP Mazzulo