![]() |
Photo Credit: Conflict Dynamics.org |
“I just left a meeting during which a manager told us
to do something that was exactly the opposite of what our supervisor told us to
do earlier. A co-worker pointed out the inconsistency and the manager said she
“sets the rules”. After the meeting, our supervisor said “She’s not in our real
world. We’ll do things the way we’ve always done them.” We feel stuck in the
middle. - Benjamin
Confusion rules
for employees and customers when leaders communicate inconsistent messages. Inconsistency
results from disagreements on what or how things should get done and reflects a
lack of communication. When managers are not on the same page, the result is tension
and loss of employee morale. No doubt the grapevine is full of cynical comments
about managers that are not too flattering!
In this
situation, the two managers should meet privately and attempt work through
their differences. To get the ball rolling, ask to meet privately with your
supervisor and describe the stress being caused by inconsistent messages. Then
tactfully suggest that a meeting between the two managers would be a good idea.
Their
disagreement may be symptomatic of more serious conflict. If so, a mediator may
be required to assist the managers in reaching a resolution. A more senior
manager could also step in to help the two leaders get on the same page.
Employees who
are confused or upset don’t put their best effort forward with customers. If
the situation is left to fester, the best employees will seek employment
elsewhere. As they leave, morale and
customer service further deteriorate.
In the words of
management guru, Peter Drucker, “Much of what we call management consists of
making it difficult for people to work.” Practicing early intervention to
resolve disagreements is essential to avoid long term damage to both employee
and customer satisfaction.
No comments:
Post a Comment