Before Blaming, Check the Maps

It has been said that we shape our buildings and then they shape us. The same can be said for the workplace structures, policies, and practices that quietly dictate how we conduct business.

A common mistake is to ascribe problems to personalities instead of examining the organization's inadvertent encourage of poor performance. If you keep encountering conflicts, see where the lines of authority overlap. If you spot employees working at cross-purposes, check for opposing signals from elsewhere in the organization.

In short, consider the possibility that the other person is using a different map.