Managers must deal with any number of situations in the workplace on any given day. Some of these are unique to their business or industry, while others are common in nearly any workplace. For newer members of management, solutions to common problems are sometimes difficult to find. Simply because new managers haven’t had the chance to experiment with their own solutions, they become frustrated when they attempt to deal with a problem and it turns out to be an unsuccessful endeavor.
Attendance issues are often a problem that new managers face. Some employees are simply irresponsible and not dedicated to their jobs, others will test the waters with a new manager and see how much they can get away with. The easiest solution to this problem is to have an attendance policy in place and to enforce it with no exceptions. This may seem unfair to some at first, but in the long run, it will pay off. Though there are exceptions to every rule, keep these few and far between. For instance you may forgive an absence when someone’s child is extremely ill, but calling out because of a hangover isn’t an acceptable excuse.
Employee conflict is something that every manager must deal with from time to time. Whenever you have a number of people together, you are bound to find the occasional personalities that just do not mesh well together. Managers must learn to not take sides in employee conflicts and to do what they can to find a common ground between them. Allowing these issues to work themselves out will only create an unpleasant environment for your other workers and potentially your customers.
The best management solutions are those that have become tried and true answers to common problems. Whenever you are faced with a challenge that you simply cannot defeat on your own, do not be afraid to seek the advice of a mentor or a more experienced member of management. Believe it or not, they have been in your position and understand what you are dealing with as you try to develop your own approach to these problems.
By: Jason Wilton
