Work Place Conflict

As a manager or supervisor, you are responsible for creating a work environment that enables people to thrive. If conflicts, disagreements and differences of opinion escalate into interpersonal conflict, you must intervene immediately. Conflict resolution, with you as mediator, is essential. Conflict resolution is an immediate priority for your organization. Communication both breeds and resolves conflict and controversy.

I remember again how it was like running the entire store as a manager at Galaxy Braids in Houston, Texas 2006-2008. As the manager, you should expect dealing with issues and conflicts on a regular basis. My biggest conflict that stands out throughout my managing career was infighting problems within staffs. Being new to the place gave a false impression of me from the staff expecting too much from me in terms of responsibilities and would often compare me to the previous managers. My main goal was to make difference by showing my capacities and talents rather than trying to compete with previous managers whom to my view were more experienced than me. I set up my rules and standards that they had to follow whether they did like or dislike me. Sometimes I would expects all staff to work standard hours, beginning at 8:00 am so that the public will receive service starting first thing in the morning but the staff member wants to begin work at 9:00 am, because he has child care responsibilities. As time went by things started getting in place and there were mutual respect among us as we continued on building a positive interaction environment.

When dealing with a problem it is crucial to have a clear message, communicate that to the staff; and being able to follow back with them to enforce the message (Foulger 2004).It is also important that both parties involved feel respected and realize that they are a valuable member of the team, this way we can reach the desirable outcome in a faster and more effective way.

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