If you are a brand-new manager, you are probably just figuring out the dynamics of the office. Everything might look different from your new perspective, and you will be seeing your coworkers in a completely new light. To cultivate good management skills, you need to be prepared for what might come up.
People are going to start coming to you if they have problems, and it is your job to either solve that problem or figure out who can. Smart team conflict management strategies can help you defuse a tense situation before it explodes.
Potential sources of conflict range from the serious, such as workplace harassment, to the trivial. As a manager, you need to be ready for both extremes. Go to your HR department and ask if they have training or protocols for handling harassment or bullying. Ask when it is appropriate for you to bring them in to help.
As for the more trivial matters, your HR department might not have a protocol on how to handle a window shade fight or somebody’s smelly lunches. They have bigger fish to fry. For that reason, you may want to consider your line of attack ahead of time. Even if the source of conflict seems silly, it distracts your employees and could be a sign of a deeper issue, so prepare in advance. And learn how to keep a straight face.
Tags: career, conflict management, management skills, Money
Great article! Too many consider the increase of income or challenge and think little about how they are now considered leaders to others- not bosses but examples. New managers suddenly have to balance more activity and more requests for help.