Have a Nice Conflict - Hardcover

by Tim Scudder (Author), Michael Patterson (Author), Kent Mitchell (Author)

How to successfully navigate and prevent conflict

From the publishers of the popular Strength Deployment Inventory, Have a Nice Conflict follows one man's fight to rescue his sinking career. Sales manager John Doyle would consider his career a success--he's his company's top revenue driver, and his take-charge attitude gets the job done. However, when he is passed over for promotion--again--after losing two direct reports, who cite his abrasive style as their reason for leaving, John is forced to reassess how he approaches his relationships. With the help of Mac, an expert in the art of Relationship Awareness Theory, John learns the three stages of conflict, and how he reacts in each.

Once John recognizes his own values and trigger points, as well those of other people, he becomes able to better navigate terse situations, express his points in a way that resonates for other people, and even avoid conflict altogether. Equipped with this new understanding of how other people interpret and react to conflict, John soon finds all the relationships in his life--both at work and at home--improving.

• Reveals a practical understanding of how conflict really works
• Shows how to recognize its initial stages of conflict, how to navigate it better to diffuse a situation, and how to understand the values of the other person to better frame your point for them
• Provides guidance for moving beyond conflict to enhance relationships
• Includes a five-step framework (anticipate, prevent, identify, manage, and resolve) and tools for locating conflict triggers in ourselves and others

Anyone can profit from the tools in this book to understand and take control over conflict.

Front Jacket

From the publishers of the popular Strength Deployment Inventory, Have a Nice Conflict follows one man's fight to rescue his sinking career. Sales manager John Doyle would consider his career a success; he's a top revenue driver at his company and his take-charge attitude gets the job done. However, when he is passed over for promotion--again--after losing two direct reports--who cite his abrasive style as their reason for leaving--John is forced to reassess how he approaches his relationships. With the help of Mac, an expert in the art of Relationship Awareness Theory, John learns the three stages of conflict and how he reacts in each.

By recognizing his own values and trigger points, as well as those of other people, John becomes able to better navigate terse situations, express his points in a way that resonates for other people, and even prevent conflict altogether. Equipped with this new understanding of how other people interpret and react to conflict, John soon finds all the relationships in his life--both at work and at home--improving.

Have a Nice Conflict reveals a practical understanding of how conflict really works--how to recognize its initial stages, how to navigate it better to diffuse a situation, and how to understand the values of the other person to better frame your point for them. The book provides guidance for moving beyond conflict to enhance relationships, including a five-step framework (anticipate, prevent, identify, manage, and resolve) and tools for locating conflict triggers in ourselves and others. Anyone can profit from the tools in this book to understand and take control over conflict.

Back Jacket

Praise for Have a Nice Conflict

"A must-read for anyone who wants to master the crucial skill of preventing and navigating conflict."
--Joseph Grenny, coauthor, Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

"If you want to recognize conflict sooner, resolve it quicker, and get better results, read this book!"
--Chuck Maisch, president, Süd-Chemie Inc.

"With a powerful message that's certain to improve your relationships at work and at home, Have a Nice Conflict is not only a wonderfully fun read, it's also a solidly credible one. Read, learn, and enjoy."
--Jim Kouzes, coauthor, The Leadership Challenge; Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University

"With Have a Nice Conflict, the authors have captured the music and drama--and sometimes humor--of real-time conflict, as well as a road map for how to manage and avoid the conflicts we find ourselves in everyday."
--Hile Rutledge, CEO and owner, Otto Kroeger Associates; coauthor, Type Talk At Work

"Have a Nice Conflict clearly details how to prevent, manage, and resolve personal and professional conflicts. With sound advice for those desiring to build partnerships with a positive win/win outcome, this is recommended reading for every member of your organization."
--Donna L. Crisp, rear admiral, U.S. Navy (ret.); CEO, Crisp Atwood Group

"A great introduction to knowing yourself and collaborating effectively with others. It's also a good read; you won't be able to put it down."
--Michael Maccoby, author, The Leaders We Need: And What Makes Us Follow

Author Biography

Tim Scudder, CPA, is the chief executive officer of Personal Strengths USA and has consulted with the organizational development, training, and human resources departments of many corporate, government, education, and not-for-profit organizations. He is also the author of several experiential training programs.

Michael Patterson, Ed.D., is the vice president of business development at Personal Strengths USA and an adjunct professor in the doctoral program at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology. He began his career as a U.S. Army officer and then spent twenty years in a variety of sales, marketing, and training roles in the pharmaceutical industry.

Kent Mitchell is the vice president of communications for Personal Strengths USA. He is also an award-winning playwright and copywriter, and for nearly ten years, ran an advertising design agency in the Los Angeles area.