Reducing conflict in the office.

• Position: Your Life

In a survey developed by OfficeTeam, a national staffing service specializing in highly skilled administrative professionals, the nation's top business leaders indicated that 19% of an executive's time--almost one day each workweek--is spent dealing with office politics. "Executives who spend nearly one-fifth of their workweek settling conflicts have less time to devote to more-critical aspects of their jobs, such as developing business strategy and implementing new initiatives" suggests Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. She notes that overbooked schedules may be contributing to the problem. "Recognizing and confronting politically charged situations early on is the key to preventing them from escalating. Unfortunately, as managers spend more hours in meetings or traveling on business, they may miss possible red flags." Domeyer offers the following suggestions for reducing conflict in the office:

Create an open environment. Office politics are often fueled by insecurity, so try to keep employees well-informed of internal news. Avoid closed-door meetings when possible, as they can give rise to speculation.

Seek integrity. Just one unethical or dishonest...