We usually think of conflict as something that happens between people, so when there's conflict at work, we tend to blame the people involved ​and expect them to straighten things out. But people are just the part of the story that's easiest to see, according to Liz Kislik, a management consultant and business coach. In “Why there’s so much conflict at work and what you can do to fix it,” Liz draws on examples from more than 25 years of working with clients from the Fortune 500 to national nonprofits and family-run businesses such as American Express, The Girl Scouts, and Highlights for Children. She describes the underlying conditions that can lock people into unproductive conflict and shares five steps that will enable people in any kind of organization to identify the underpinnings of a conflict and work through it effectively. Liz's focus is on helping organizations solve their thorniest problems while strengthening their top and bottom lines.

She writes for Harvard Business Review and has taught at Hofstra University and NYU. Her speaking engagements and weekly Workplace Wisdom blog focus on collaboration, managing teams, developing leaders, and improving customer loyalty.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx