Conflict: A Reason to Change Jobs?
Problems at Work Does Not Mean Quitting is the Answer
Modifying your career choice is an option at all times. Remember that you are in control of your career, and your life!
This column is devoted to answering readers' questions. Today's focus is on how to change your career, or how to tell you should change your career.
Q. I work in a well-known, large retail store, and have for over two years. As a manager, I handle many different types of tasks each day, but mostly deal with people problems. Lately, these conflicts have been getting me down, and I want to move on with my life. I'm tired of listening to the petty problems, and I find my patience wearing thin with these people. I just want to shout at them to go away and deal with it. Should I just quit and find another job in management, or am I not suited to being a manager?
A. First of all, it sounds like you have reached burn-out, and you do realize this. We'll assume you are talking about your own staff and the staff's problems with each other, or possibly from home; and that dealing with the staff conflict is interfering with your other managerial duties. While as a manager you must deal with timetable changes and conflicts, and be a mediator for staff conflicts, you are NOT to be a solutions person for all problems. You may be a person who does not like conflict, and so feel you must try to resolve ALL conflict. This is NOT the duty of a manager - your priority is to ensure your staff have the tools to get things done, while you handle any of the business associated with managing your area.
If the complaint is legitimate, ie - that breaks are not evenly divided or rotated - you can easily create a schedule for the others to follow. Then, if a staff member does not follow the schedule, you can talk to them about the team effort and have reason for discipline if necessary. But if the complaints are on a more personal level, all you can do is get the two parties together to discuss their problem. As you are in a large environment, it might be better to ask a counsellor or member of Human Resources to be a mediator - but first, give the employees a choice - between working it out themselves or going the HR route. You are NOT there to hand-hold your employees unless you are training them for the job.
As for whether you should be changing your job - only you can decide. Is it the responsibilities that you do not like, or the people conflict, or is it something else? There are many self-assessment quizzes on the internet to help you decide - but a simple paper and pen will help you get started. Write down what you like doing, what you'd like to do for work, and what you don't like. Then see if these comments match your present job. Even if the comments do NOT match your present job, see what you can do to improve your situation. You have proven your worth, so don't just throw it away by quitting.
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright Sept. 28, 2007. Paym Bergson & Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use of this material will constitute an infringement of copyright.
