Let's look at a new way of handling conflict at work

What is the similarity between a NIC and a Conflict between people?

First lets look at NICs – this is an mBraining term for when the different brains are not working optimally with each other.?

NIC – Neural Integrative Constraint

There are 5 categories of NICS:

·???????When one brain dominates to such an extent that it excludes all other brains

·???????When one brain dominates – but other brains have a small say

·???????When a brain does the job of another brain

·???????When the brains are in conflict with each other

·???????When the brains are all working but in the wrong sequence / order

Sometimes a full NIB (Neural Integrative Block) shows up which takes a little more work to resolve.

This got me thinking to taking this as a wider fractal – of people not working well together. What if we used the concept of NICs (from the internal system of one person) and applied it to the wider context of people getting along (or not).

Let’s rewrite the NICs:

·???????When one person dominates to such an extent that it excludes all other people

·???????When one person dominates – but other people have a small say

·???????When a person does the job of another person

·???????When people are in conflict with each other

·???????When people are all working but things are done in the wrong sequence / order

And sometimes people come to an impasse and it can be difficult to resolve. They get blocked.

In mBraining we teach coaches how to resolve NICs ?and NIBs.

Let’s look at conflict:

·???????When one person dominates to such an extent that it excludes all other people

Have you ever worked with someone for whom it had to be “my way or the highway’. Someone who didn’t allow others to speak – have a say. Maybe even someone who bullied their way through to getting their own way.

It can be very difficult to create the space to let the whole team find a way to participate and contribute – especially when there are a range of different styles (some of which might be more introverted – reflective – or that may lack confident to speak out).

One of the ways we work with NIBs is to look at whether there is a values issue preventing a way forward and the same may be true in groups. ??Taking time to explore what is important to both the person dominating and those unable to have a voice may help to find common ground to create dialogue.

In work teams it is imperative that a way is found to ensure everyone feels seen and heard and that they have a place in the team.

·???????When one person dominates – but other people have a small say

A lesser version of this is when people may be given a say, sometimes, but they may not feel they have been truly heard.?The risk is if people feel they have not had a chance to voice their views, they will withdraw and not participate at all.

People need to feel safe to contribute (and to disagree).?Finding ways to ensure psychological safety is key to creating inclusion.?Humans are neurologically wired for connection – if that connection is withdrawn it is likely to trigger a stress response.

·???????When a person does the job of another person

Role clarity and expectations give a degree of certainty in the workplace.?If someone else steps in and does a job you were in the process of doing – or expected to be doing, again it can trigger a stress response, were you might fight and argue to express your concerns – or you might flight and walk away, which can create ongoing issues with your place in the team.

·???????When people are in conflict with each other

It is not unusual for conflict to show up in the workplace.?The key is in how that is handled.?In mBraining when working with NICs it is essential to ensure all brains have had a chance to voice their reality of the situation and then a negotiation can be done to bring each brain into agreement and back into communication. The same is true with people.

If conflicts are left unresolved, the chances of open communication happening is diminished and the chance for optimal performance and productivity drops considerably.

Creating safety to enable each person to have a voice and to respect each view is a great place to start. From here communication, negotiation and re-education, along with upskilling if required goes a long way to create successful resolutions. Re-establishing trust will enable longer term resolution, avoiding superficial ‘putting a plaster’ on a wound.

·???????When people are all working but things are done in the wrong sequence / order

Sometimes people are doing their job, but the processes are not enabling the flow between one role and the next.?Looking at the order and sequence of roles can help to ensure good awareness between departments and communication to ensure one task supports the next in the correct sequence.

I am hoping you can see the similarity between working with multiple brains within one person and working with a group or team of people (or different departments)?and that you can see how the mBIT Coaching processes can be used in wider application to enable optimal performance in the workplace.

mBraining offers a different perspective to relook at conflicts that have maybe become engrained (into neural patterning) and which need a fresh approach. Do reach out if you would like to talk this through in greater depth - beyond this brief introduction.