Turning conflict into growth and opportunity

Every organization experiences internal conflict. If it is skillfully managed, this discord can become a catalyst to organizational growth.

Sometimes, however, organizational conflict ends up undermining the achievement of important goals and demoralizing staff.

Dr. Tammy Lenski is a leader at turning conflict into growth and opportunity. She works with organizations and executives worldwide to:

• Build consensus around vision and strategic direction,
• Ensure team alignment for better implementation,
• Help leaders become more influential in their organization, and
• Help teams make faster, better decisions.

Click arrow at right to learn more about how Tammy turns conflict into opportunity.

Building consensus around vision and strategic direction

Do you face disagreement over strategy and direction in your organization?

For almost two decades, Tammy has helped executive teams and business partners evolve differing positions into consensus around vision and strategic direction. Organizations of all sizes have benefited from her deep experience in resolving complex organizational and interpersonal conflict, and as a result have aligned their business objectives and turned organizational turmoil into a strengthened bottom line.

For example: The long-term partners in an international direct media company had suffered a falling out over the future direction of their company, and their strategic decision making had consequently ground to a halt in the months since the initial disagreement. Tammy helped them address the interpersonal conflict they were now experiencing, reach agreement on key strategic initiatives to ensure continued business growth, and implement approaches to future decisions that will prevent serious schisms.

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all you have done for Second Nature and how you’ve inspired me!” – Tony Cortese, Executive Director, Second Nature, Inc.

Ensuring team alignment for better implementation

Do you want to ensure team alignment around key decisions so that implementation is efficient and successful?

Tammy creates team alignment around major, mission-critical decisions in order to implement them rapidly. Without this alignment, there is often poor stakeholder buy-in—which in turn leads to failed implementation. Tammy helps leaders save time and maximize value by laying the foundations for implementation success over the entire lifespan of a new initiative.

For example: The managing partners in a well-established law firm were interested in creating alignment around long-term issues associated with partner compensation, marketing strategy, and firm management practices. They partnered with Tammy to change their habit of half-hearted buy-in followed by implementation failure, and they were able to reach true alignment on issues that had divided them for more than five years.

“Tammy’s methodology was clever, insightful, and innovative.” – Lee Whittier, Executive Field Representative, American Kennel Club”

Helping you become more influential in your organization

Would you like to become more influential in your organization and enable your ideas to have greater impact?

Tammy works with executives at all levels to help them formulate and communicate ideas that will influence their organization and advance their careers. She helps executives fine tune and adjust their negotiation style, employ the most effective persuasive approaches for their unique organizational cultures, and become more skilled at turning conflict into opportunity.

For example: A vice president in a metropolitan public relations firm sought out Tammy for assistance in advocating more powerfully for herself in interactions with colleagues and her CEO. She had been frequently dismissed as “shrill” in tense circumstances, but with Tammy’s coaching she identified and implemented approaches that dramatically increased her influence over decisions made by partners while avoiding the damaging labels that had been associated with her.

“Far and away the best of the year…We certainly hope you can return to Smith.” Tim Maciel, Dean, Smith College

Helping your team make faster, better decisions

Would you like to make important business decisions more efficiently and effectively?

Tammy helps executive teams eliminate wasted time and energy from their decision making. A veteran of hundreds of mediations and facilitations spanning almost 20 years, Tammy has developed a powerful, participatory process that her clients employ to turn even the most complex matters into manageable, efficient decisions.

For example: The president of a major university wished to streamline decision making by the senior cabinet without losing the careful weighing of options associated with the most effective decisions. Their deliberative process was too complex, prone to distraction, and time consuming. Tammy taught the senior cabinet a new approach to making effective, efficient decisions, guided them in implementing it through several critical strategic decisions. She then worked closely with the president to enable him to use the new approach most effectively with his cabinet.

“A top-notch learning and personal growth experience.” – Jerry Greenfield, Co-Founder, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream

Helping mediators master craft and business

Are you a conflict resolution professional who wants to master your craft and business?

Tammy teaches and mentors fellow conflict resolution professionals in mastering both their craft and their business. She helps them learn how to mediate and facilitate the resolution of conflict, keep their own balance in the midst of others’ tension, and build a successful conflict management business.

For example: An experienced mediator who had become an “accidental entrepreneur” turned to Tammy for help in positioning herself successfully in the marketplace and building bridges with her market. After six months with Tammy’s mentoring, her 4-year-old private practice became profitable for the first time and she could now rightfully call mediation her “day job.”

Tammy’s 2008 book for mediators, Making Mediation Your Day Job, is available worldwide in print and digital editions. Her blog of the same name is at MakingMediationYourDayJob.com.

“This short book is a gem. It opens up a new way of problem solving, and after all, isn’t that what mediators are supposed to do?” — Colm Brannigan, Ontario Bar Association News