Stay above the conversation.

I was in a meeting recently.  Two of the more senior leaders were on opposite ends of a debate.  There were team members from each executive’s area in the room as well.  The temperature started rising as did the decibels of the arguments on both sides.  By the end of the meeting each position was loudly known, but there was no resolution and the only commitment was to have another meeting.  They missed the elephant in the room, what is the best for the organization as a whole?

Invariably we end up in conflicts at work, inter-departmental, or cross project goals collide.  One of the best nuggets of wisdom I heard and that I readily share is to “stay above the conversation”.   It's more than the exchange you are in, who is there?  Why are they there? What are they looking to create from the decision made here, or what are they defending? 

With this perspective, can a win-win solution be derived?  How can everyone feel good about the outcome?  What facet of your personality and position can you bring to the conversation to create positive momentum for the organization as a whole?

Be the elephant, the organization needs you to lead!