Chapter 8
Reasoning/Managing Difficult Situations (Management Competency 4)
The final competency we are going to explore is called ‘Reasoning/managing difficult situations’. This competency is perhaps the only one of the four explored within this book that refers to behaviours that may not be ‘everyday’ behaviours, but those that managers would be required to display during difficult situations such as conflict in the team, or through incidents of bullying and harassment.
It is important to be clear that although when the mention of conflict or managing difficult situations is raised, we automatically tend to think about incidents of bullying and harassment; more often managers will be faced with minor arguments or bickering between colleagues, or ‘bad atmospheres’. These minor arguments are common within teams, but must not be neglected. These situations demand manager behaviour, focus and attention to ensure that the situation does not escalate from a minor ‘bicker’ to a more serious incident.
There are many resources and packages available within the learning and development domain that are designed to equip managers with conflict management skills. The behaviours covered in this chapter highlight the importance of a consistent behavioural process whereby managers seek to spot and resolve the conflict quickly and fairly, consult with others on appropriate solutions, and follow up on the team relationships after resolution of the conflict. They are designed to help managers ...
