Interpersonal and Professional Relationships

Many of us are experiencing a compounding of the stress we have experienced over the last several years.  We forget that we were fighting for toilet paper and wiping down our groceries just a few years ago.  We are attempting to move unceremoniously “back to normal,” yet for many, this is more challenging.

For many, the compounding stressors among other changes in life mean that we are nearing our red lines, we are more easily frustrated, we are more isolated on Zoom, or perhaps, we are less tolerant of poor policy, poor treatment, or poor relationships at work.  These frustrations can often intensify interpersonal conflicts at work resulting in reduced engagement, reduced productivity, or worse, outright fighting.

As we look out across the social landscape, it seems more divided than ever.  Instead of dialogue, we have pitched battles that center personal attacks over facts, and that place personalities ahead of the real work that needs to get done.

With all of that modeled before us, it is easy to see how that us v. them, in-group v. out-group dynamic penetrates into our academic world.  Truth be told, academia has always been a place of different opinions and spirited debates about difference.  Yet, whether the debate is over an academic theory, or the new direction for a center’s culture, what has changed is our ability to tolerate that which we disagree with.

Within the context laid out above, work must carry on.  Business decisions must be made, and collaborations must occur for the academic machine to be successful.  

The challenge is: how to get all of the members of the Dornsife community to work together.  In the academic machine, people are passionate and deeply connected to their work.  Faculty and staff have dedicated their lives to their areas of focus, and now more than ever, seek to protect their work, their interests, and their livelihoods.  

What we need to refocus on, is the difference between process and content.  While content gets all the attention because those are the decisions that must be made, process determines the success of that endeavor because it reflects how those decisions are made.  A healthy process allows for disagreement on the content while maintaining respect for each other.  A healthy process is defined by listening, perspective taking, and consideration of alternatives.

We can achieve greater success when we focus on process.

We have extensive experience supporting departments and teams in getting to the roots of their interpersonal conflicts and working with them to establish new norms of engagement centered in respect.

We work with senior leaders in consultation around these issues to provide guidance, and can also facilitate mediated dialogues for groups that need additional support.

Contact us for a consultation now.