Turn Enemies Into Allies: The Art of Peace in the Workplace

by Judy Ringer

“An essential addition to the conflict resolution toolkit.” —Marshall Goldsmith, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Triggers In today’s workplace, managers, leaders, and HR professionals often believe they don’t have the time to help employees navigate conflict. More often than not, however, it takes more time not to address conflict than to constructively intervene. But before you can successfully guide others in managing disagreements, you must be able to manage yourself--your mindset, presence, and behaviors. Turn Enemies into Allies offers a way of working with clashing employees that is deliberate and systematic--one that draws on the author's expertise in conflict and communication skill-building and a decades-long practice in mind-body principles from the martial art aikido. Following the author’s step-by-step guide, you

Genres: Nonfiction, Professional Development

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2019

About the author

Judy Ringer is the author of Unlikely Teachers: Finding the Hidden Gifts in Daily Conflict -- a book of stories, practices, and inspiration on turning life's challenges into life teachers - and the author and narrator of Managing Conflict in the Workplace: An Aiki Approach, in which she answers frequently asked questions and offers practical advice about transforming conflict in the workplace.

Judy is also a professional singer and is the author of two CDs in which she narrates her own stories accompanied by song: Simple Gifts: Making the Most of Life's Ki Moments and This Little Light: The Gift of Christmas.

The owner of Power & Presence Training and founder of Portsmouth Aikido, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Judy provides conflict, communication, and presentation skills training based on mind/body principles from the martial art aikido, in which she holds a third-degree black belt.

She's also written numerous articles on the relevance and application of the aikido metaphor to conflict and communication, including articles for The Systems Thinker and Aikido Today Magazine. Judy publishes two newsletters each month, including the award-winning Ki Moments.

Reviews

[Judy Ringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it's a bit self-serving, but my new book "Turn Enemies Into Allies: The Art of Peace in the Workplace" was released last month to good notices on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I hope you'll take a look if you're interested in tips, tools, and techniques for resolving conflict in the workplace, and especially if you manage people. My sister tells me it works at home, too! Thank you, Judy.

[Linda Vituma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vienkārši un gaumīgi. Aikido līdzība trāpīja tieši vietā un laikā.

[Paiman Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything else is secondary. Your greatest asset is the quality of your being. Centered presence. Personal power. Clarity of purpose.

Don’t be reactive. Aikido -
Entering, - first move is to enter and locate the attacker’s energy
Blending, - contribute energy to incoming energy to align and harmonize with it
Redirecting- ensure no one gets hurt. Resistance transforms to connection as opponents become partners.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book about conflict and mediation. I like the 6 item checklist

1) Center
2) Purpose
3) Inquiry
4) Acknowledgement
5) Advocacy
6) Purpose

I also like the concepts of managing conflict that come out of the Difficult Conversations book and from Thomas Crum's the Magic of conflict

Conflict can be addressed through Akido priciples, to face the conflict, know how to manage the flow to integrate the learning into your own actions. There is a oppurtunity to learn and be open. I like the examples of how to say things that don't sound like confrontation. It is your ability to bend and learn from others.

This book was recommended by Daniel Pink. This book is valuable resource to have.

There are homework assisgnments and a way to remember things. I learned a lot about being open and have to contingencies built in.

Overall a great resource in growing as a leader and mediator.

[Mabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea of this book although I’m not a mediator so it was difficult to read it from that outside perspective. There’s a lot of good behaviors and bad behaviors to follow and be aware of respectively.

Useful even if you’re not a mediator for the specific phrases that are the better alternatives to say.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was mildly repetitive, but I think that was intentional. I like that it gives clear paths to take in helping employees (and ourselves) work through conflict. Very valuable both for business and personal.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took away some useful management tips but I thought this book was geared more towards a mediator, not really for people who are directly involved in conflict.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting techniques that will hopefully be beneficial. Looking forward to trying them out.