The Office

The Game of Conflict Resolution

 

Let’s just say our company culture is… well… unique. As most of you know, we are a General Contractor with design-build capabilities. So we have this melting pot of construction and design, business and creativity.

 

And just like 99% of all companies, it’s not always unicorns and skittles. However, unlike most companies, we have a more… untraditional approach to solving conflicts. Yes… there are still meetings and conferences when needed. But we have found these methods to be a bit more beneficial…

 

The Office Punching Bag: No… we do not allow employees to use each other as punching bags. This is more for individual use. Because let’s face it… sometimes we just need to blow off some steam before confronting an issue. They say you should walk away from your desk (or the situation) when things begin to heat up before responding or trying to solve things. We encourage employees to take a few minutes to hang out with the punching bag!

 

 

 

The Dunk Tank: Yes… we have a dunk tank. And yes… we use it. We have a tally board for employees to keep track of who owes whom. Each tally allows an employee 3 throws on whoever is sitting. A tally can be for a mistake, forgetting to do something, a bet, or to solve a conflict between two employees. It is usually quick fix to a problem. We try to set up the dunk tank at least once a month, on a Friday afternoon, to settle dunk debts.

 

 

 

 

The Foosball Table: This is the newest addition to our conflict management strategy. Our theory is that there is nothing like a little competition to cut tension (or at least to get it out of their system). Employees are encouraged to spend 5-10 minutes at the table before sitting down to discuss the issue at hand. It has proved successful.

 

 

 

The Pool Table: The pool table is used more to conduct meetings over, discuss ideas, talk through problems, and create solutions. It is not necessarily something we use for instant diffusion of tension. But it does make meetings more interesting and sometimes provides the most creative solutions to problems/ issues.

 

 

 

Basketball One-on-One: Nothing like a little one-on-one to solve a conflict. Occasionally, we will get some teams together to blow off steam as well. We just move some of our inventory out of the way and before we know it, we have a half-court out back.

 

 

 

 

We should probably add the disclaimer that if these options are utilized towards the end of the day, they are usually accompanied with a beer or two, which could also attribute to the success rate!

 

There is a hodgepodge of personalities in our office, as in most company environments. It creates some of the best productivity but can also sometimes create the most tension. And although our success as a company speaks for itself, our approach to conflict management is unorthodox to say the least! These solutions might not work for your office. But it is something to consider!