The Overlooked Strategy COOs Need: Conflict Management for Operational Excellence
Yvette Durazo
Workplace Culture Expert | Workplace Conflict Strategist & Corporate Civility | Change Management Specialist | International Speaker & Author | Multicultural Leadership Expert
In today’s volatile and fast-paced business environment, conflict isn’t just inevitable — it's predictable. Yet few COOs have a proactive conflict management strategy embedded into their operational models.
The cost of ignoring it? According to a study by CPP Global, workplace conflict costs U.S. businesses over $359 billion per year in lost productivity alone. Additionally, employees spend an average of 2.8 hours per week — roughly $8,000 in lost wages per employee per year — navigating unresolved conflicts instead of executing tasks.
More alarming:
85% of employees experience conflict at work to some degree.
25% of employees say conflict leads to absenteeism or sickness.
Poorly managed conflict is cited as a top 3 reason for voluntary turnover, which can cost organizations up to 150% of an employee’s salary to replace.
Yet, while COOs prioritize efficiency, technology upgrades, and lean processes, conflict management remains an underleveraged tool for operational success.
Conflict Isn’t the Problem — Poor Conflict Management Is
When conflict is handled well, it drives innovation, strengthens relationships, and accelerates performance. When mishandled or ignored, it erodes trust, fractures teams, stalls decision-making, and inflates operational costs.
Why Smart COOs Are Moving Conflict Management Up the Priority List
Embedding conflict management and resolution skills into your leadership culture can:
Increase operational efficiency by reducing friction and bottlenecks.
Lower turnover costs by creating a safer, more collaborative workplace.
Boost cross-functional collaboration by normalizing healthy disagreements.
Strengthen innovation pipelines by fostering psychological safety.
In today’s world, conflict resolution isn’t a "nice to have" — it’s a core business driver.
Final Takeaway
As a COO, you are the architect of operational excellence. You invest in systems, technology, and people — but how you manage conflict across those systems and people will determine whether your organization stagnates or thrives.
✅ Stop treating conflict like a risk. ✅ Start treating it like the hidden lever for innovation, culture, and performance.
It's time to turn conflict into one of your greatest operational advantages.
#ConflictManagement #COOLeadership #OperationalExcellence #ConflictResolution #LeadershipStrategy #ConflictIQ
CXO of Phoenix Speaks, Inc. | Keynote Speaker | Host, Creating Mental Wealth Show © | Founder and and 2020 Lives Changed-501c3
5moThanks for sharing, Yvette! 🐦🔥
Strategic Business Consultant | Resolving Complex Organizational Problems | High-Stakes Facilitation & Crisis Management | Driving Efficiency & Growth
5moCompletely agree. Conflict isn’t the issue; it’s the silence around it. I recently read that unresolved conflict cost US companies $359 billion a year and 2.8 hours of lost productivity per employee, every single week. That’s not a people problem. That’s an operational failure! Leaders who treat conflict like a strategy, not a surprise, build teams that can actually work through hard things instead of around them.
Disruptor, Catalyst, Accelerator. Helping women reignite their life and their business as a published author. 🌟 📚 International Bestselling Author, 🎤 International Speaker
5moYvette Durazo, so true! Managing conflict well is a game changer in an organization. Ignoring it just allows it to expand and fester.
Mediadora, Árbitro y docente
5moGreat article. Yvette!!
Certified Hypnotherapist (Self-employed), Hypnotherapeutin, Certified Handwriting Analyst, Fiber Artist
5moI couldn't agree more. Unresolved conflict has caused me to quit a job at least twice and finally made me say good bye for good and work for myself, by myself.