Barbara Mitchell - The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook: A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager, Team Leader, HR Professional, Or Anyone Who Wants to Resolve Disputes and Increase Productivity

Praise for
The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook:

The pragmatic solutions offered in The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook help minimize the human drama inherent in conflict resolution, which inevitably strengthens the team. This book is a must-read.

Mark A. Raitor, Chief Operating Officer, Independent Community Bankers of America

Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem have done it again! In their latest book, The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook, they explore the many facets of workplace conflict using practical examples. They provide terrific advice on exploiting as well as resolving it. Buy it, read it, rely on it, and you will never regret it!

Sarah Bowman Rajtik, PHR, Chief of Staff/Director of Human Resources, The RSR Company

Following their success with The Big Book of HR, Gamlem and Mitchell have produced another winner with The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook. This practical, hands-on guide to managing workplace conflict should be on the bookshelfand in the handsof managers at all levels of organizations large and small.

Ralph Kidder, Chief Financial Officer, Marymount University (Retired)

Having a productive and engaged workforce is an imperative for organizations to be successful. Leaders must be able to not only motivate their teams but they must also be able to deal effectively with conflict. In this book Cornelia and Barbara discuss the causes of conflict and they also provide clear suggestions for addressing each different situation. This is an excellent resource for anyone with people responsibility.

Janet Parker, SPHR, EVP, Corporate HR, Regions Bank

Cornelia Gamlem and Barbara Mitchell have another hit on their hands. They have identified the single most important issue resulting from workplace stress, and then told us how to effectively deal with it. Conflict management skills can be greatly enhanced using their new book. Every manager and supervisor in America should have their own copy dog-eared within a week.

William H. Truesdell, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President, The Management Advantage, Inc., Co-author, PHR/SPHR Certification Exam Guide

Conflict is inevitable in the workplace, and so often HR finds itself in the middle of conflict situations. The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook contains real-life examples which are useful in resolving conflicts. Recognizing there are rarely one size fits all solutions that satisfy all parties, the book covers a variety of topics. To address conflicts arising from the many changes in todays workplace the book discusses a scenario involving individuals from diverse backgrounds and generations, who grew up with different views, who must now work together.

A key topic also covered is managing expectations. While we expect adults in the workplace to act maturely, this is not always the case, and someone must step in to arbitrate. This handbook a valuable resource for HR professionals, managers, anyone involved in resolving workplace conflicts and I highly recommend its reading.

Gus Siekierka, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, CSC (Retired)

The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook is greatly needed in the American workplace. With cultural diversity, changes in demographics, and rapidly changing technology, Im not sure how weve come this far without this masterpiece. The authors have clearly defined all aspects of conflict and the resolution thereof. A must-have for every office and workplace. It truly is ESSENTIAL!

Kathleen Zurenko, MCS, Adjunct Professor, Daytona State College

Conflict in the workplace, while often stressful, can be the sign of a vibrant, creative, and engaged culture especially when it arises from legitimately different views of how to proceed with something. The trick is how to leverage that tension to bring about the optimal solutions while retaining, and perhaps even developing inter-person and intra-team relationships. This book is a thoughtful and useful guide to not just conflict resolution but what I call conflict optimization. I highly recommend that everyonenot just leadersread and benefit from it.

Al Risdorfer, CHRO, Digital Divide Data

Anyone who has ever encountered disruptive behavior at work must read The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook. Cornelia Gamlem and Barbara Mitchell have done a great job deconstructing behavior types and explaining how to address that behavior before it escalates into something more serious. Workplace conflict need not become more complicated if people have the tools to confront it, and the authors have done just that.

Arnold Sanow, Author, Get Along with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere

Im all about results and The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook is all about positive outcomes. Not only do Mitchell and Gamlem explore the root causes of many workplace conflicts, but their storytelling technique provides practical illustrations of conflicts that can occur in the workplace along with guidance for addressing and solving them. This book should be on the bookshelf for anyone who wants the ability to identify and resolve workplace conflict. The techniques you learn from this book will make you a better leader, co-worker and decision-maker.

Angela Galyean, PHR, Vice President Human Resources, Intelsat

Whenever a group of people come together at work, there are going to be differences. When there are differences, theres going to be conflict. Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem do a great job of exploring these differences throughout the book as they show the readers how conflict can begin and ultimately be resolved. The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook is a must-read for anyone who wants to move beyond conflict and on to respect!

Mary-Jane Sinclair, SPHR, President, Sinclair Consultants, LLC

In this comprehensive book, the authors provide readers with a wealth of information and stories to guide you through the often daunting world of workplace conflict. Mitchell and Gamlem are respected experts in HR and have generously shared their knowledge and experiences in this valuable new book. The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook is useful, concise, and sensible.

Sharon Armstrong, author of The Essential Performance Review Handbook, The Essential HR Handbook, and Stress Free Performance Appraisals

Every workplace experiences conflict, and most organizations dont train employees, managers, or executives on how to resolve these issues successfully. If conflict isnt mitigated it will only prevent employees from reaching their fullest potential. This handbook provides valuable, practical tools for diagnosing the problem and resolving this disruptive behavior. I want all our managers and executives to read this book!

Gail Hyland-Savage, Chief Operating Officer, Michaelson, Connor & Boul

Connecting with your audience means you must understand their language. Drawing upon their own frontline experiences working with people, Gamlem and Mitchell have crafted a comprehensive yet practical reference for dealing with conflict in the workplace. The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to understand conflict at its core.

Gerry Crispin, SPHR, Co-Founder, CareerXroads

Conflict is a daily part of our professional lives. This resource, with its practical approach, will help us deal with it effectively and give us the confidence to handle it well. Thanks Barbara and Cornelia for another insightful handbook!

Deb OGrady, Director, Training and Development, Akima, LLC

Readers will recognize many of the real-world examples from our own experiences and relish the essential tips on how to deal with them when we face them again. I expect many companies will make this a must-read for their managers.