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  • 1.  How can we diminish internal turf battles and the harm they cause?

    Posted 05-03-2024 03:21 PM

    Annete Simmons once described turf battles as, "What's mine is mine, what's yours is questionable." Sometimes defined as internal competition over an area of business or resources, turf battles damage work relationships and reduce an organization's effectiveness.

    What strategies have you seen used to overcome these situations? How successful were they?



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    William McAnally Ph.D., P.E., BC.CE, BC.NE, F.ASCE
    ENGINEER
    Columbus MS
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  • 2.  RE: How can we diminish internal turf battles and the harm they cause?

    Posted 05-07-2024 02:27 PM

    Turf battles are extremely frustrating situations. My most successful strategy is finding a value proposition for cooperation that appeals to the counterparty. The counterparty, often operating under a scarcity mentality, needs to see that they will come out ahead, financially, reputationally, etc, by cooperating. Another strategy is to help the counterparty see that they risk being marginalized or sidelined if the counterparty refuses to cooperate. However, finding a win-win is always the better approach and outcome.



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    Mitch Winkler P.E.(inactive), M.ASCE
    Houston, TX
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  • 3.  RE: How can we diminish internal turf battles and the harm they cause?

    Posted 05-14-2024 10:11 AM

    Thanks, Mitch. Those are useful ideas.



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    William McAnally Ph.D., P.E., BC.CE, BC.NE, F.ASCE
    ENGINEER
    Columbus MS
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  • 4.  RE: How can we diminish internal turf battles and the harm they cause?

    Posted 6 days ago

    Thanks William, Mitch, for the comments.

    • If I may:

    Just like in a family,

    the "kids" watch and listen to their "parents."

    What they tend to imitate is what they see done, not what is advised or said.

    No difference in our orgs.

    Until those in the C-suite change why, what, and how they behave,

    others will simply continue doing what they see their leadership/exec mgrs. do.

    Cheers,

    Bill



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    William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
    Buffalo, N.Y.

    "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
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  • 5.  RE: How can we diminish internal turf battles and the harm they cause?

    Posted 10 hours ago

    Excellent point, Bill. The organization where I saw the worst internal turf battles was one in which the leadership practiced turf encroachment the most. It infected everyone.



    ------------------------------
    William McAnally Ph.D., P.E., BC.CE, BC.NE, F.ASCE
    ENGINEER
    Columbus MS
    ------------------------------