The forum was held in Swedish by management and leadership developer Annica Ollerstam from the HR Division. Vice-Chancellor Jimmie Kristensson began the morning by reflecting on his own experiences and lessons learned in conflict management.
‘In workplace conflicts, I believe it is important for managers to keep a cool head but a warm heart,’ Jimmie summarised.
We are each other's working environment
During the forum's panel discussion, more tips, knowledge and tools were shared on how managers can handle conflicts and create healthy and sustainable workplaces.
Participants included senior lecturer and researcher Robert Holmberg and lecturer Pelle Olsson from the Department of Psychology, as well as Anna Sjösten and Anna Leo, who are specialists in work environment and labour law, respectively, from the HR Division.
‘We are each other's working environment, and workplaces are for everyone – that is why it is important to address conflicts,’ said Anna Leo.
Models for conflict management
The forum also featured a lecture on conflict management models, with Martina Johansson, a licensed psychotherapist from the university's contracted provider LifeWise, in dialogue with Kristian Bergén, manager and leadership developer at the HR Dvision.
Exchange of experiences
Several of the managers LU News spoke to during the day appreciated the opportunity to meet other managers and exchange experiences.
‘It confirms that it can be difficult to lead if you don't address problems that arise and that it can sometimes feel lonely in a managerial role,’ said one manager.
A “smorgasbord” of support
Another manager, who has been around for a long time, said that the forum's discussions were a useful reminder of things that one might have forgotten or taken for granted.
‘It's nice that there is a framework and structure around these issues, and that there is a whole smorgasbord of support and many courses to attend.’
Artistic expression makes us more open-minded
The morning ended with beautiful trumpet music when Professor Håkan Hardenberger and two of his students took to the stage. For Håkan, the influence of art on our attitudes and behaviour is a given – artistic expression in the form of musical tones, for example, makes us more open-minded and less prone to conflict. This is also what the so-called Shibboleth effect is about – how strong artistic, emotional and moral influence causes managers to reflect and develop maturity and responsibility in their managerial role.
For all managers with employer and operational responsibility
The LU Managers Forum is held in Swedish and is aimed at all managers with employer and operational responsibilities at Lund University. The aim is for the forums to be a creative and inspiring meeting place for university managers, and to develop and strengthen managers in their leadership roles by providing space for the exchange of experiences, collaboration and learning. The forum is held in Swedish.
Keep an eye out for the next LU Managers Forum! The easiest way to do this is to subscribe to training courses for managers and leaders via RSS feed from the training calendar at the HR-webben website:
Read more about Managers Forum LU: HR-webben (in Swedish).