No leader enjoys conflict. We all just wish everyone would do their job, get along and hit goals. But the reality is that issues always surface. A good leader knows how to handle these issues and has a system for managing them.

Here are steps for handling difficult situations:

Step one: Be clear with your expectations.

As a manager, you have to ask yourself whether everyone on your team knows exactly what your expectations are. Are all systems, procedures and expectations clearly spelled out and documented for all to review and fully understand?

Be sure to have the following in place for your business:

Corporate systems manual. Your systems manual should include everything needed to fully operate your business so everyone knows what to do or where to find the answers. The manual makes it easy to train new people because everything is documented and you are not relying on the training supervisor’s memory. Our business manual clearly lists general guidelines and procedures relating to dress code, punctuality, attendance at meetings, appropriate usage of work hours, cell phone usage, procedures for absenteeism, client conduct, team conduct and more. It includes our customer service initiatives, our approach to marketing and advertising, our system for sales, client programming guidelines, operational systems and more. To ensure that new staff read the manual, have them take a quiz on all the important components. For existing staff, your monthly evaluations should enforce that critical company expectations are being met regularly.

Employee agreement. When staff members are hired, give them a written document with their job description and your expectations. Review each item with them to ensure they fully understand all aspects of their job and their compensation package.

Evaluations. Evaluations should be done several times each year. Typically, you only remember what has happened in the last few months, so you may miss out on highlighting your staff member’s strengths and sharing with them when they are not meeting your expectations. The more you share with staff what they are doing well and tell them that you appreciate them, the more your team will perform at a level to gain your praise and recognition. Then, you will have fewer issues to deal with. Instead of dealing with a year’s worth of issues in an annual review, regular evaluations throughout the year can make the process more manageable and digestible for your team. In our business, each staff member undergoes a number of formal and informal evaluations throughout the year:

• On-floor evaluation. The primary purpose of these reviews is to evaluate technical knowledge and practical skills, reinforce client programming guidelines and assess communication and client interaction skills. These reviews include an analysis of a videotaped training session, an on-floor evaluation conducted by a manager and an on-floor evaluation conducted by a peer.
• Indicators of performance. These reviews evaluate administrative skills and adherence to behind the scenes protocols and procedures. We audit client files and various other administrative responsibilities.
• Yearly performance appraisal. We conduct this review each December with any wage changes in effect Jan. 1 of the next year. In this review, we evaluate employee performance, review company expectations/policies, establish new revenue/hourly goals, sign a contract and review wages.

In the reviews, we go over the feedback forms and surveys that our clients complete, as well as the client shopper evaluations. Trainers also receive monthly reports of their revenue performance stats.

At any given time, a team member should know exactly whether they are hitting goals and meeting expectations. At each evaluation, we highlight strengths and establish goals and areas to focus on for improvement.

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