The Relationship Specialist – Helping you navigate the C’s: Conflict. Connection. CollaborationI am an experienced, results-focused relationship specialist, having worked in this area for the past 16 years. If its not obvious what one of those is, it's someone who works to enhance connection and collaboration in any relationship dynamic, and that might be:•The relationship with yourself to improve confidence – especially helpful for senior leaders who carry an assumption that they should be the font of all wisdom for the entire organisation;•The relationship with your team/other stakeholders to broaden influence or increase impact – helpful if you want others' buy in to your idea or are experiencing resistance to change; if you want to generate discretionary effort and are a complete control freak struggling to delegate; you are wanting to transition from being too ‘nice’ to something more robust; If you are too quiet or never shut up; As a leader, you are the one defining the culture of the team or organisation you lead. You need the right impact to lead and influence.•The relationship between two key players in the organisation whose tense relationship is impacting on performance or experience of being in the team. Staff turnover represents the single biggest expense, as research also reveals nearly half a million workers resign every year over disputes. Workplace conflict is costing UK employers £28.5bn a year, a study by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service- ACAS (May 2021) has found, with experts warning an increase in remote working could make disputes between staff harder to manage. Can you believe it?? Nearly £30 BILLION!! The work I do is more than mediation. Mediation is about appointing an arbitrator to settle a dispute…but the decision may not be satisfactory to one or both parties, and so bitterness often remains. My work is about helping people reCONNECT again, and when really successful, move towards COLLABORATION.The kind of work I absolutely love:•Coaching leaders and managers 1:1; •Designing & facilitating leadership development programmes, helping leaders & managers become more aware of their patterns and tendencies to define a healthier culture in the organisation/team;•and working with leaders/managers who have conflict.If you or your team have any “Relationship” pain, maybe a Relationship Specialist is the very ‘Captain’ you need to help "navigate the waters" before confidence and calm, or (to keep with the metaphor) – "smoother sailing" - is restored, and a new C is generated.