Conflict Resolution
PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT COUNSEL invites you to evaluate your costs of conflict in dollars and opportunity
How Much is Conflict Costing You?
Workplace conflicts come in all shapes and sizes. If left to fester, they can become serious enough to lead to litigation. But most conflict is characterized by more subtle tension or hostility. Nonetheless, it carries substantial cost if not resolved. Too often it is ignored because managers don't want to acknowledge that the issues exist or take the time to address something unpleasant.There are four types of costs generated by conflict: costs in terms of productivity, loss of relationships, emotional stress, and the direct dollar costs of settling untenable situations with lawyers fees. Calculate the cost to your organization of each below.
Loss of Productivity
- What is the cost for each hour that professionals, managers and staff are distracted from getting their assignments done because of conflict?
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$___________ |
- What is the cost of having client work delayed?
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$___________ |
- What is the cost of missing a specific deadline?
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$___________ |
- How much new business would have been likely to be brought in if the individuals in conflict were going after it with their full energy and brainpower?
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$___________ |
- What is the cost of loss of quality of work?
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$___________ |
- What is the cost of distracting others from productivity who are not direct parties to the conflict?
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$___________ |
- What improvements would have been identified and implemented if the individuals had been able to focus on innovations and creative ideas?_____________________________________________
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Loss of Relationships
- How much better would clients be served if members of a client service team worked together smoothly to provide superior service?
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$___________ |
- What would be the cost of losing a client because the team members were competing rather than collaborating?
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$___________ |
- How much more productively would practice teams work together if personal conflicts or issues of principle were resolved?
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$___________ |
- How much does the working environment suffer?
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$___________ |
- What is the cost of turnover due primarily to tension and conflict among the professionals?
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$___________ |
Emotional Strain and Pain
- What is the cost of energy consumed by individuals' anger?
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$___________ |
- What is the cost to productivity of individuals' focus on past perceived wrongs rather than on accomplishments for the future?
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$___________ |
- What cost is attributed to emotional/psychological pain?
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$___________ |
- What is the cost in health care/medical treatment made necessary by stress-related illness?
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$___________ |
- What is the cost in personal work dissatisfaction and potential personnel turnover caused by an inhospitable work environment?
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$___________ |
Direct Costs
- What is the cost in legal fees and other professionals when conflicts are not resolved through communication and workplace mediation?
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$___________ |
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TOTAL DOLLAR COST
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$___________ |
