Making Things Right at Work: Increase Teamwork, Resolve Conflict, and Build Trust

by Gary Chapman, Jennifer M Thomas, Paul White

Overview

Workplace conflict is inevitable. When it happens, how can you get back on track?

Like all relationships, the ones we have at work are subject to stresses—maybe even fractures that can really take a toll on the workplace. Productivity is lost. Time is wasted. Tension mounts. Cooperation is reduced. And the workplace becomes toxic. What’s the solution?

In Making Things Right at Work, Dr. Gary Chapman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages®, is joined by business consultants Dr. Jennifer Thomas and Dr. Paul White to offer the strategies you need to restore harmony at work. You’ll learn:

• How to discern the causes of workplace conflict
• How to avoid unnecessary disputes
• How to repair relationships when you’ve messed up
• How to let go of past hurts and rebuild trust

Don’t let broken relationships taint your work environment. Take the needed steps to make things right . . . not tomorrow, but today. The success of your career depends on it!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802499448
Publisher:	Moody Publishers
Publication date:	01/25/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	543,472
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

GARY CHAPMAN--author, speaker, counselor--has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships. He is the #1 bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages series and director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary travels the world presenting seminars, and his radio programs air on more than 400 stations. For more information, visit his website at www.5lovelanguages.com.

JENNIFER M. THOMAS, Ph.D., is a motivational speaker specializing in the five love languages and communication. She is a business consultant and psychologist. She recently gave a TEDx talk on the two essentials for healthy relationships. Hint: They involve a love tank and forgiveness. She is co-author (with Gary Chapman) of When Sorry Isn't Enough and The Five Languages of Apology. Her books have been translated into fifteen foreign languages and sold hundres of thousands of copies around the world. Jennifer has a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland, as well as a BA in Psychology and Religion from the University of Virginia. Visit her website at www.drjenthomas.com to take a free apology profile and register for her enewsletter.

DR. PAUL WHITE, PhD, is a licensed psychologist who has worked with individuals, businesses and families in a variety of settings for over 20 years. He is coauthor of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, with Dr. Gary Chapman. Their Motivating by Appreciation Inventory and Appreciation at Work resources have been used by numerous corporations, schools, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.Dr. White has taught around the world, including Europe, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean. His expertise has been requested by Focus on the Family, Compassion International, Crown Ministries, Moody Bible Institute, Association of Christian Schools International, the Salvation Army, National Christian Foundation, and over 200 colleges. Dr. White graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wheaton College, earning his Masters of Counseling from Arizona State University, and received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University.
DR. PAUL WHITE, PhD, is a licensed psychologist who has worked with individuals, businesses and families in a variety of settings for over 20 years. He received his B.A. from Wheaton, his Masters from Arizona State, and his PhD in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University. He consults with successful businesses and high net worth families, dealing with the relational issues intertwined with business and financial wealth. In addition to serving businesses, families and organizations across the U.S., Dr. White has also spoken and consulted in Europe, Central Asia, the Caribbean, and South America. For more information, please visit his website at www.drpaulwhite.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Section I Common Causes of Conflict at Work

1 Why Conflict Happens 19

2 The Five Languages of Being Offended 29

Section II Strategies for Avoiding Unnecessary Conflict

3 Where It Starts: Effective Communication 41

4 The Danger of Making Assumptions 49

5 The (High) Cost of Indirect Communication 59

Section III Character and Conflict

6 Truth and Deception 69

7 Seeing Through Others' Eyes 77

Section IV Making Things Right When You've Messed Up

8 Apologizing in the Workplace? Really? 87

9 Best Practices (And Not-So-Good Ones) 101

10 Why Apologizing Doesn't Resolve Everything 113

Section V Letting Go of Past Hurts

11 Understanding "Letting Go" 121

Section VI Building and Rebuilding Trust in Relationships

12 Understanding the Nature of Trust 131

13 How to Rebuild Trust 145

Going Forward… 153

Appendix: Apology Cheat Sheet 157

Acknowledgments 159

Notes 161

About the Authors 165

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for Making Things Right At Work

Culture drives results. And every team’s culture rises and falls on its relationships. These three authors bring you actionable strategies for keeping your work relationships on track. If your team’s productivity is hampered by relational struggles, this is the book for you.
—MICHAEL HYATT
Wall Street Journal bestselling coauthor of Win at Work & Succeed at Life

As a nonprofit consultant and executive coach, I help leaders navigate conflict every day. And as we build more diverse workplaces, the need for tools to ensure that tension is healthy is exponentially greater. This is a smart, no-nonsense book with no jargon and terrific tools. Consider a copy for everyone on your team and use it for group discussion. That’s my plan.
—JOAN M. GARRY
Founder, Nonprofit Leadership Lab

Every business is people working with and leading people to do stuff for people. If every team read this field guide for healthier relationships, it would change people, thus changing business. This is practical, and workplaces around the world need this!
—MIKE SHARROW
CEO of C12

Conflict is personal, so handling it well requires a personal approach. And that’s exactly what incorporating the foundation of the five love languages does for conflict resolution in this brilliant work. Every workplace and organization should have a copy of this book!
—MICHELLE MYERS
Founder of she works HIS way and coauthor of She Works His Way: A Practical Guide for Doing What Matters Most in a Get-Things-Done World

In order to have a healthy, thriving organization, the people within the organization must be aligned and thriving. Nothing breeds inefficiency and counterproductive behavior more than unhealthy, unresolved conflict. When conflict occurs—wherever it occurs—what does it look like to live out our core belief that people matter? I believe this is one of the most important conversations we should be having right now, not just at work, but in every area of our lives. This invaluable book provides the practical insight and strategies to not only understand conflict, but to navigate it well. It belongs in the hands of every leader I know!
—MEREDITH KING
Executive director, Integrus leadership; author, Immovable: Reflections to Build Your Life and Leadership on Solid Ground