To smooth the rough edges and make working across departmental lines and prejudices easier.
Two departments struggle as workers fight to keep each other at bay. Here's five quick steps to defuse the conflict and move on to greater productivity.
Five Ways to Defuse Interdepartmental Conflict:
Recognize that the only way to stop is for the leaders to stop the madness.
Don't wait for another manager to come to you. Approach the other manager with a clear purpose, without intention to blame or attack. Offer to create a respectful alliance where everybody can be productive for the company. Set a goal that your departments will work together with the highest productivity and enjoyment and the least aggravation.
Create a very clear plan that includes the following:
What is happening and the roles you both played.
What you each want as an outcome.
Action items that will get you where you need to be. Include deadlines and success factors for each step.
Be clear about the behaviors you expect from each other's employees and how you'll punish or reward those people.
Implement your plan. It is very important to model the kind of behaviors you expect. Communicate daily with the other leader and meet frequently with both groups. You will need to meet often at first, in order to get the new communication standard deeply ingrained. You must be vigilant for slips and stop them quickly with conversation.
When you bring new people on board, you'll need to make sure they're with the program from the beginning. Let them know the expectations before they're hired. A simple, "We work very closely with another department and depend on good communication with them. We need our employees to share this vision."
