Reflective Essay: Managing Conflict In The Workplace

706 Words3 Pages

This was a challenging topic for me, because I am faced with conflict every day at work and with internal relationships. However a recent conflict I was in that was very memorable would have to be a few months ago when we had a new hire join our team and she was extremely difficult to understand. She was much older than the rest of the crew and was very particular with her needs. On her second day here she had a sub trainer; this person was a friend of mine. The new hire Mary for some reason did not like the Sub trainer, Rob, and told me that she thinks he is drunk at work. This was at about noon, and I knew there was no way someone could still be drunk at work unless they were out drinking until 8am. My manager was away from the office for …show more content…

The best way at that time was to stall Rob and Mary from having any sort of interaction. And because I know my manager trusts my decisions. I knew it was okay for me to send them both to lunch. It created a chaotic environment and the only way to dissolve it was to think about the outcomes and come up with solution that would best not get anyone in trouble. Rob was not intoxicated and there was no need to call HR to see how to handle this situation. I did not agree with my manager’s initial decision and fought for him to think about the situation and not take it at face value. That he needed to talk to each individual separately and see if there needs to be HR involved. I am glad that Chris listened to my suggestion and sent Rob home. I think that was the best decision. I think had I not had the ability to make decisions and stick to it, it would have been a very chaotic environment for everyone. This is also because my manager always lets me make decisions and if I make mistakes he will pull me aside and discuss later. Knowing that he trusts me allowed me to take on leadership role in this