Managing Conflict with Direct Reports

Popejoy, McManigle

• Editore: Center for Creative Leadership Press
• Anno: 2002
• ISBN:
  9781604917208
• Argomento: Negocios y empresa
• Categoria: Liderazgo

Conflict with direct reports is one of the most difficult challenges facing managers today. But it's a challenge that successful leaders must learn to address. Managers who develop an understanding of difference without judging and are willing to see more than one perspective or solution are in a good position to manage such conflict. They are better prepared to understand emotions that can trigger conflict, to clarify performance expectations, and to provide ongoing feedback for the support and development of their direct reports.

A Process for Managing Conflict

Despite your best efforts in managing your relationship with your direct reports and in delegating work responsibilities in a way that promotes development and trust, conflicts are bound to arise. Without a clear strategy for dealing with these conflicts your working relationship with your direct reports will suffer damage, which will make it more difficult for your unit to perform as well as it might.

Taken to Task

You can follow a few simple steps to make your leadership more effective and to minimize the chances of conflict arising when delegating responsibility to direct reports.

First, define what needs to be done, how it is to be done, when it needs to be done, and with whom they should work to achieve the result. As your direct reports learn the task, frequently provide feedback about their performance. It’s helpful if you add some context—why the task is important and how it fits into the work of the organization.

When your direct reports know the job well, it’s time to completely hand off the task. Check in with them first; they may still be cautious about doing the task alone. Be careful not to confuse cautiousness for lack of knowledge or drive. Let your direct reports have control of how the task should be carried out. Make sure you understand their point of view about the work and how they plan to carry it out.

When your direct reports are fully confident in carrying out the work, step back. They may not want much feedback at this point other than recognition and appreciation. In carrying out assigned tasks in a manner that makes sense and is effective for them, your direct reports build internal motivation and reward.

CCL recommends a process for managing conflict between managers and direct reports that has a good record for achieving results even as it helps maintain working relationships and performance. This four-point process includes recognizing both sides of the conflict, preparing for the resolution of the conflict, managing a conflict resolution session, and then reflecting on the situation and its solution to learn lessons you can apply to future conflict situations.

Recognizing Both Sides of the Conflict

Conflict is a natural and unavoidable consequence of work because people have different views, values, and ways of getting results. In managing the relationship you have with your direct reports and in managing the work the organization has asked of your group, uncovering those differences can go a long way toward resolving conflict with your direct reports or avoiding it altogether. You can start with an honest assessment of yourself as a manager. When conflict happens, take ownership of your part in it. Don’t assume that the direct report, current business conditions, or the organizational culture is the source of the conflict.

To get a clear picture of what you might be contributing to the conflict you’ll need to do some hard thinking about yourself in your role as manager and about how your direct reports respond to you. There are many tools available to help you gain a clearer picture of yourself. For example, formal 360-degree assessment gathers feedback from your boss, peers, and direct reports related to your behavior and performance. Comparing their responses to your own can show you how closely your view of yourself aligns with how others view your behavior and perspectives. Another option is to videotape yourself during meetings. Afterward, watch your reactions and those of others. If you’re uncomfortable using videotape or if circumstances make it difficult to use, ask a colleague to observe you and to provide feedback on a regular basis.

Although you can realistically take personal responsibility only for your own contribution to a conflict situation, it’s helpful if you can assess the role your direct report plays in the situation. By observing (and providing feedback on) your direct report’s behavior as it relates to the conflict, you can better identify and clarify the boundaries between you.

On page 14 is a simple assessment you can use to uncover conflicts related to differences that might arise between you and your direct reports. For the most revealing results, you and they should fill out a copy of the form. Keep in mind that this isn’t an evaluative tool but merely a way to open discussion on differences that can spawn conflict. Set aside some time when you can share your responses with individual direct r...