Playing Fair - Employee Conflicts

For a manager, maintaining objectivity can be the hardest part of conflict resolution.

Here are some simple ways to overcome your own personal bias to assess the issue at hand and deal with it most effectively:

1. Use as many sources of data as you can gather and make sure you get all the facts. Focus on root causes rather than peripheral behaviours.

2. Don't take one person's version of the situation as fact, usually two or more perspectives will need to be taken into consideration.

3. Since the majority of workplace conflict stems from miscommunication, engage active listening skills to ensure each fact is completely understood before moving to the next.

4. Some issues have a long gestation period, so remember that the most obvious cause may not be the root cause.

5. Recognize differences between those involved, and isolate any existing prejudices or stereotypes at play.

6. Avoid getting caught up in the blame game. Your objective should be to achieve a mutually beneficial result for all involved.

7. Separate any performance issues from the conflict issue. Acknowledge any bias towards high-performing employees.

8. If you are unable to separate yourself from the issue, seek advice or assistance from a neutral third party.

Stressed Out? How it affects your Decisions

How Stress Genders Decision Making

Many people in the hospitality industry arestressed out these days - those looking for work and those holding down the fort with extra hats to wear - are beyond their normal stress levels over the past 6-8 months. I mentioned in a previous article that men in Canada are more affected than women with job loss recently and here's a tip about dealing with stress from male/female perspective.

While it's been documented for some time that men take more risks than women (and, thus, are more likely to die violently or have addictive behaviors), a recent study indicates that this gap widens even further when stress is introduced.

When stress indicators as measured by cortisol levels were higher in women, their decision making was less risky than than their control group. Men, on the other hand, made more risky decisions when stressed than their control group did.

To test decision making under stress, participants' hands were placed in ice water while they performed a gambling game involving blowing up a simulated balloon on a computer screen. Points were accumulated with each pump of the balloon, but each pump also increased the risk of the balloon popping, resulting in a loss of all points.

The lesson here? Try to be aware of your gendered inclinations when you feel stressed out, so that you make the most responsible (men!) or effective (ladies!) decision. Consider what you'd normally do, and come up with a plan of action rather than react unthinkingly.

The bottom line? Don't worry, be happy!