What type of conflict requires intervention?
Anything that disrupts the office or poses a threat to other employees needs addressing. The degree to which you tolerate a situation before intervention may vary. A manager may not feel it necessary to intervene when a minor exchange of words occurs between employees–unless such an incident becomes a daily occurrence and expands beyond the employees initially involved. However, a situation where one employee threatens another requires immediate action. When handling conflict, some basic guidelines apply. Acknowledge the situation. I remember an exchange between a manager and an upset employee. The manager said, “Well, dont worry about it. It really doesnt matter.” To which the employee replied, “Just because it doesnt matter to you doesnt mean it doesnt matter to me.” Refusing to acknowledge an employees anger or concerns only adds fuel to the fire. Get all the information. Few situations are exactly as presented by one person or even two. Before you try to settle a dispute, you need
