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In my department there are two individuals who just do not seem to get along.  I really do not care if they like each other they just need to be able to work together and act professionally.  One of the individuals has been here for approximately 5 years and never really accepted the other person on to their team when he started last year.  Things seem to have escalated lately and to me it seems like the longer term employee is actively going to others and complaining about the other individual.  I am not sure what they think this will accomplish, but from the outside it looks like she is building a coalition against the other person.  She is complaining about how he works slower, how he is always on his iPhone, how he puts his feet up on his desk, rambles on and on in meetings, etc.  Really it might frustrate her but she owns her response to this and again from the outside, the new guy is getting his work done. 

My big issue here is that the two people directly involve report to me but as a leader in my department I think something needs to be done.  It frustrates me when I see the eye rolling and snickers in our daily scrums by the individual I see as the aggressor in this situation.  Given that they do not report to me to I let it go?  I mentioned what I have seen to their direct supervisor, he is aware of things but when we discussed it he is not really sure how to address it as he wants the two of them to work it out.  I see my options as:

  1. Ignore it; it is not my problem
  2. Talk to the aggressor about her behavior and what I see.  She used to report to me so we have a bit of a relationship.  I do not want to get involved in her complaining though.
  3. Talk to their direct supervisor about it in a week and offer to be a sounding board about it if he wants to tackle it.

To me 1) is what a manager would do.  I want to be seen as a leader and someone that doing more than is expected but I do not want to be caught up in an interpersonal conflict that is not going to end nice.

I would be interested in your thoughts or recommendations.

donm's picture
Training Badge

"1. Ignore it; it is not my problem (snip) To me 1) is what a manager would do."

I'm not even sure where to start with those statements. I guess I'll just say that I completely disagree that ignoring a problem is ever the right way to go.

Let's review: You said there is a definite workplace problem that is taking up enough work time for you to notice that something is amiss. I'm assuming the complainer is using work time to build her coalition.

You didn't say it, but you indicated these are your indirectly-supervised employees. If you're in their chain, then you need to get this sorted out. Even if you are not in their chain, you are obligated to point out your concerns to your peer who is in their chain and to insure your chain is not affected. Note that neither of these options is "ignore it."

If you're in the chain, go to your direct whom they report to with your concerns. After expressing your observations, tell your direct: "I want this to stop. What are your ideas on actions that will make this stop?" Follow up to see that your direct implements whatever the two of you decide needs to be done. Determine if this solves the problem. If not, repeat this step until the problem is gone.

If you're not in the chain, let your peer know that his directs' behavior is impacting workplace harmony and teamwork. Ask him if he can do something to stop it, and failing that, to at least keep the bickering away from your chain. Of course, you'll need to do and say this in such a way that you are not confrontational or placing blame.

I note some possible prejudices against the complainer in your write up. I think you should examine your personal involvement in this matter to make sure you're seeing both sides of the problem. I have only rarely seen one-sided conflicts. Is Mr. Foot-up intentionally antagonizing Ms. Complainer? As they say, it takes two to tango, but contrarily, one aggressor can start a war. Which case is actually happening here?

I will tell you one thing that you need to do first in absolutely any situation, this situation included:

Figure out what the problem is before you try to implement a solution. Whipping a dead mule isn't going to make it work harder.

scm2423's picture

Thank for your comments donm 

These neither of these two individuals report to me or any of my people, they report to my peer.  I have had discussions with my peer that is their manager.  He is aware of the issues and does not like it either but is unsure on how to act.  I think my best option it to be a sounding board for that person until it starts to impact my team.  Other than the odd snarky comment or eye rolling in meetings I have not seen an impact that has affected the throughput of my team.  I would definitely act on this if I saw it coming from one of directs.

I do accept your point that I might be a little prejudiced in this situation.  I do have history with both parties and definitely have a better relationship with the newer employee.  I had worked with him at a previous company and encouraged him to make the move to the new job.  That being said, I do not think he is egging the other person on.  I think it is more of a case that he is not aware of how others react to his actions.  I also do not think his actions are that far out of line.  If I was dealing with my kids I would coach them on this saying that everyone is different, get used to it and how boring would life be if everyone was the same.  Sadly these are adults.

Thanks again for your comments.