Segment 1: Ralph Kilmann. In this edition of the Doug Noll show, we have Ralph H. Kilmann, Ph.D., CEO and Senior Consultant at Kilmann Diagnostics (KD) in Newport Coast, California. In this capacity, he creates as well as publishes all of KD's online courses and assessment tools on conflict management and change management. Formerly, he was the George H. Love Professor of Organization and Management at the Katz School of Business, University of Pittsburgh—which was his professional home for thirty years. He earned both his B.S. in graphic arts management and M.S. in industrial administration from Carnegie Mellon University (1970) and a Ph.D. degree in the behavioral sciences in management from the University of California, Los Angeles (1972).
Ralph is an internationally recognized authority on systems change. He has consulted for numerous corporations throughout the United States and Europe, including AT&T, IBM, Ford, General Electric, Lockheed, Olivetti, Philips, TRW, Wolseley, and Xerox. He has also consulted for numerous health-care, financial, and government organizations, including the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the Office of the President. His professional biography is profiled in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World.
If you can measure it, it must be important. That is a phrase that has stuck with Ralph Kilmann and helped him co-develop the Thomas Kilmann Inventory (1974). The Thomas Kilmann Inventory (also known as TKI) is an instrument of assessment or a self report assessment of 30 items based on choices. Ralph touches on 5 modes during conflict resolution:
Competing
Collaborating (works under certain circumstances)
Compromise
Avoiding
Accommodating
Collaborating is the ultimate goal in conflict resolution. To collaborate, you need trust. If you have trust, time and culture very important for the success of collaborating. Listen to segment 1 for more details
Segment 2: Distributive Dimension vs. Integrative Dimension. In this segment, Doug and Ralph continue to speak about TKI. In conflict, trust is often broken down. What does one do when there is no trust? What style should be used? What Ralph has found is by showing TKI to people, Distributive Dimension (Competitive, Accommodating, Collaborating) can create a successful dialogue. The other dimension is compromise and collaborating called Integrative dimension. With this dimension, more people get their needs met. Listen to this segment to learn the differences and how you may implement in your conflict resolution goals.
Segment 3: The Power of the System. Most of his work has been on organizational change. He has worked on cultural and reward systems to help corporations with conflict resolutions. In this segment, Ralph shares with Doug and the audience about the Power of the System.
Segment 4: TKI and Corporations. In this segment, Ralph continues a success story about a company in Spain that had great success by using the TKI theory. This was a company that would not hear the voices of the employees. The CEO interpreted the dialogue different than what was being expressed thus not listening. The power would have to be shared in time and with the TKI theory, this helped the success of the company. Over a period of time, the employees became more assertive and more cooperative.
Ralph also sheds light on the ego and the soul that needs to be paid attention to be effective and generate trust in conflict resolution/relationships.
To listen to his interview, please click http://wsradio.com/100214-kilmann-diagnostics-integrating-wisdom-conflict-management/.