Two sides

No workplace is conflict-free.  Wherever we have human beings, conflicts are bound to take place and it’s not avoidable. One of the things that Managers and leaders have to do is conflict Management. They cannot avoid it since the buck stops with them. Managing the conflict effectively and taking the right decision is highly critical because if it’s not done correctly, it can affect the team relationship / the trust that the team member would have on their Managers.

So how do we manage conflicts effectively at workplace?

For example, Let us say, someone has resigned and the manger’s feedback is he is not a good performer and it will not have any impact.  One approach is to go by the face-value since you know the Manager well and let the employee leave the Organization which is one sided. The other approach is to look at the performance data and have an one-on-one discussion with the employee which is listening to the other side of the story and then take the right decision. 

While it’s a good (must) practice to take decisions based on data, we may not have data or enough data in all situations. 

One more example- Let us see say, feedback is given on someone’s attitude by your trusted supervisor. However convincing your supervisor is, you need to talk to the employee concerned with an open mind before forming any opinion or taking any decision. The reasons are -  it’s likely that the supervisor has a high power index.  As Indians, many of us are control-freaks (Am not generalizing since not all need to be like this) and it’s like that the supervisor does not like someone defying his hierarchical mindset. Or the supervisor is biased against that employee.  Unless you listen to the other side, you will not know whether it’s a real attitude issue or it’s a supervisor related issue.

Everyone is a human which means no one is bias-proof.  Hence it’s important to give a fair opportunity of being heard. It may sound trivial but it’s certainly not in conflict Management. 

Every story has got two sides and taking a decision without listening to the other side is unfair and it can only guarantee a wrong decision, a demotivated team member, friction in the team relationship, poor efficiency, attrition etc.,

The one who gives a wrong information deliberately to you, (the Manager / leaders) violates the trust you’ve on them.  They are toxic to the workplace and they need to be confronted.

Have you come across Managers who’ve taken a decision without listening to you and how did you feel?

Have you taken a decision as a Manager without listening to the person concerned? How did you feel..

Do share your experience… 

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