When a department manager is faced with an ambiguous employee who is repeatedly receiving complaints from customers and coworkers a one-on-one confrontation is suitable. With any confrontation adequate communication skills are useful. To have a productive confrontation there are six basic steps that should be followed. The steps are preparation, let the person know that a conversation needs to be had, interpersonal confrontation, consideration of the other party’s views, resolve the problem, and follow up (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 97). If the six steps to interpersonal conflict resolution are used properly then a prolific and flourishing outcome to any conflict is possible.
To be the manager in this situation means that it is their responsibility to address the issues with the employee. The approach to this conversation includes using the first of the six steps of the conflict resolution. The preparation step allows for the manager to get their thoughts organized regarding the upcoming confrontation. “Preparation is the most extensive and, in many ways, the most important stage of the confrontation process” (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 98). Here, the manager can imagine what the interaction is going to be like and prepare for any responses from the employee. This preparation will allow for success in the steps to follow.
After the manager’s thoughts are organized it is best to let the employee know that a conversation is going to take place. This allows for a time and place to be set, and gives the employee a heads up that there is going to be a confrontation of some kind. It would be ideal to give the employee a brief overview of what the sit down is going to entail as this will eliminate any feelings of a blind side.
After that, it is time for the actual interpersonal confrontation to take place. “This is the stage where assertiveness plays an important role because you call attention to a problem or issue and give voice to your wants, interests, or needs” (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 99). At this point the manager has to exhibit clear communication and relay the dilemmas and concerns that have been brought up about this employee. It is important to communicate differently with each and every one of the employees as each employee learns, responds, and communicates in a different way.
After the interpersonal confrontation step the employee gets a chance to respond to the issues that have been brought up about them. It is time for the manager to listen and consider the views of the employee. Since the employee had forewarning about the confrontation it does not come as a shock. The employee in this scenario explains to the manager that they have been having some personal problems in their private life and it is clearly affecting their work performance. The employee gets a little defensive, but feels better in the long run because they were able to communicate to the manager what has been going on in their personal life. The manager responds will empathy making the employee feel even better.
Now that both parties have been able to speak and listen to one another step five comes into play. The resolution to the problem is a key role in the confrontation steps. It is important for the resolution aspect to be mutual and understood fully by both parties. In this particular situation it was expressed to the employee that they would be dismissed from their position if the problems persisted. The resolution should be put in writing to ensure understanding as well as a future reference (Cahn & Abigail, 2007, p. 104).
The manager’s job is not over just because they were able to successfully sit down and talk with the struggling employee. It is that manager’s duty to follow up with the employee about the agreed upon resolution and set a time for reevaluation. The employee then realizes that their performance must advance by the time the reevaluation comes along.
Using the six steps to successful interpersonal conflict resolution is an effective conflict resolution technique that would work well in this scenario. The key aspect to this technique is good communication skills. If the six steps to interpersonal conflict resolution are used properly then a prolific and flourishing outcome to any conflict is possible. It is not always an easy job to be the department manager, but with the right skills it can be a fulfilling job.
References
Cahn, D.D., and Abigail, R.A. (2007). Managing conflict through communication (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
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