WORK PLACE CONFLICT!!!!!

Work Place Conflict

Scenario:

“You are a department manager in a mid-sized company that provides technology support services.  You have ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service.  One of your employees, who has been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level and you have received numerous complaints from customers and coworkers.  In addition, this employee has displayed confrontational behavior which has created a hostile environment.  You must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.”

Now this would be my honest response to the question:

            When I first realize that I have to have an immediate meeting about improvement of dismissal I would I would take a look at their personal performance.  I would take them to the side first; to place where they would feel free from work and just talk to them about life and catch up with them personally.  During that first encounter I would try and gauge the mental toughness of them from outside of the workplace.  This first meeting would only be for my personal side to think it through so I could have a place to resonate from mentally.  I would then access if I need to tell them what is going on and tell them that they should try and pick up the pace and not let whatever is affecting their performance go and if they needed any help then my door is always open.  I personally would not say that but it just sounds like the proper office procedure to say it.  I would say to them do not worry about it I understand that you are going through things and that it may be affecting you here at work, but you have to think about one thing; and I would ask them this question.  “If your job was affecting you so much that it was messing up your home life should your family have the right to find out why?”  I would then leave them with that and give it a day or two time to allow for the talk to permeate not just their thought process but their workflow and home life process. 

            Being that there is a serious problem that really needs my addressing, I would be able to talk to them and then I would be curious about their response.  I would believe they would say that nothing is going on and that I have been off my game lately because of family problems.  I would anticipate the worst because, I have learned that hoping for the best is something that comes far and few.  I would hope that they would be totally honest with me, but if not then at least half way.  I think that me bringing them into my office 2 days after we had a personal talk would catch them off guard and would at least warrant them an honest response; knowing they had no time to prepare.  I would then tell them that they need to make a change and get back to what I used to admire about them, and that they are like everybody; having a rough patch.

            I would use the collaboration technique because I would be able to ask them about how the action plan we are going to set up would help them best.  I would set up times that would require us to talk two times a week for the first two weeks, and then one time a week for the nest three weeks.  I would use this as my collaborative technique because to me this would be a win win situation.  Collaboration invites the other party’s perspective, ideas, input, and suggestions, so that a resolution, that is to the mutual benefit of both parties, might be reached (Wilmot & Locker, 2007).  I would use this because knowing how to approach someone is key when correcting them.  If they are not susceptible to the change you think should be invoked then your chances are as good as a jack rabbit killing a lion.  I think that when work place conflicts are to be confronted that they should be equally talked about and equally discussed in the sense of problem solving.  Only allowing one side to make the decisions does not make for a great workplace environment, but for the an environment of dictatorship.   

References

Locker, Kitty O. (2002). Business and administrative communications. Boston: Irwin McGraw-Hill.