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We also share equal responsibilities to market our business. I give high credit to my manager for trusting us and empowering us to do many things that normally Is thought to be the sole power of the manager. That Is also made possible by our higher boss who most of the time “leaves us alone” so we three people can do our Job the way we think appropriate. Business slowly and steadily grew larger since several years ago I pushed system data automation. The higher executives in the company listened and helped.
It was a big investment for a small business at that time but time has proven that it was Roth it. We all enjoy some flexibility of work schedules because we cover for each other during others’ absence. We have created a nice communication rule where everybody is copied on all business emails so it Is easy to trace back In case it is necessary. No more need to ask customers to wait on one Issue Just because one person Is not In the office at that moment. As much as our little group is successful in big ways, we do struggle with ongoing group conflicts that bother each of us in little ways.
Whether the “dosage” of conflict s healthy for a small group of three or not, it certainly creates some stress and takes tolls on our health. Before I Joined this threesome group, there was Amy, Belle, Cherry and Doris and etc.. None of the ABACA survived the tension between my manager and my co-worker. Since my co-worker Join the company earlier than my manager did, there is always a struggle of seniority and power. My co-worker has developed an attitude toward my manager over the course of years that Is not very professional. To date, a lot of discussions that would have taken place live are done Veal email.
Social loafing Is another issue. My co-worker would come in late, surf the web for non-business The good news is that my manager is a very cooperative and assertive person. She truly seeks the satisfaction of everyone’s concerns by working through differences. For example, she insists that each of us has a role in representing the business. When a customer needs an answer, we are all empowered to give a professional and satisfactory answer. Everyone can schedule their work time around personal and family needs (Collaboration & Compromising).
Meanwhile she tries to ignore trivial matters like disrespectful behaviors such as rolling eyes (Avoidance). There are times when my co-worker goes around her and calls the high executives directly. My manager would initiate conversations afterwards with positive attitudes so things can be done in the right way (Accommodation). Of all the conflict management models, I never saw my manager using competition and authoritative command, which would be unprofessional and counterproductive. My co-worker has been with the company longer than most people. She is a good rocker and delivers quality products.
Unfortunately she does not get along with my manager and likes to go around her to get things done. Even though she is given the expectation, she does not work as hard on marketing our business. The ways I dealt with the interpersonal tension include: Problem Solving, Avoidance and Accommodation. When I was new and green a few years ago, I was constantly picked on and blamed for not doing a better Job. I decided to focus on work and leave the personal issues aside. I studied the work process and found out that there was too much data that deed to be manually typed in multiple times.
I called for automation at work which will greatly reduce human errors and improve productivity. Now six years later our work load has been 10 times the work load then and it would be impossible without the automation tool. I believe the fact I asked for a better tool to do a better Job earned me some respect from the team and the rest of the company. I adjust my schedule to the business’s needs (even over time and weekend, if needed) and to cover both of them whenever possible. Of course they are doing the same wing to me.
I also try to listen to both my manager and my co-worker and do not make Judgment calls right away when I sense sharp differences in opinions. I try to act as a conduit and voice their opinions so everyone can get to know each other better. It only works toward group’s advantage when we all try to act professionally and do not take things too personally. In summary, my self-managing team has been successful in general. Certain amount of integrator conflict has been in existence but with careful management, we have together built a profitable business.