There it is; someone put a kink in the garden hose again. Despite the best intentions and even in the most idyllic of circumstances, difficulties and personality clashes occur. Once productive employees may fall into patterns of apathy, hostility, or sub-standard performance and skillful conflict resolution is crucial to successful management. While workplace conflict is inevitable, constructive communication methods allow management to effectively approach an employee, anticipate the response, and analyze which resolution techniques will be the most productive.
As an example of interpersonal conflict in the workplace, a case study was offered for review and analysis. The circumstances of this are as follows: A mid-sized company that provides technical support has a department consisting of ten employees. This team that requires superlative knowledge and distinguished customer service has been experiencing complications due to actions of a particular individual who has been with the company for two years. The numerous complaints from coworkers and customers include issues of poor work performance and a confrontational demeanor, which has led to a contentious work atmosphere. A meeting must be scheduled in which the employee is given an ultimatum of immediate improvement or dismissal.
