employee/manager conflict

LegacyUser

I work as an assistant manager of a store. there is a store manager and 3 other assistant managers who work here. Today one of the employees confided in me that one of the other managers (equal level to me) hasn't been getting on with her, pulling her up on everything, using wrong tone etc, she seemed upset and doesnt think she can go and talk to her. what should I do? I told her I would come back to her on monday to talk more about it as i want time to think the best way to approach it.
I have a few options:
1. Advise her to try talk to this manager and sort things out by telling her she feels.
(she may not want to do this).
2. Advise her to speak to our store manager about it.
3. Go to the store manager with this myself and tell her what the girl said.
(would this be disloyal to the manager who i work on same team as?)
4.Go to the assistant manager myself if the girl is happy with this and let her know what I was told and ask her whats happening and ask her to try sort it out?
5.do nothing.tell the girl its between them.

Would like to hear other peoples opinions on what I should do here, thanks.

looksee

Is there a policy on how you should deal with issues? If there is not it might be wisest to go to the manager with a 'hypothetical' situation 'If one of the sales staff came to me with a problem about another assistant manager, how would I handle it?'

You should not have to arbitrate between a more junior member of staff and someone on an equal level to yourself.

Mrs OBumble

What does your job description and policy manual say?

LegacyUser

there would not be anything specific in the policies as it probably wouldnt be the most serious of issues, I just want to find out if it would be the right thing for me to get involved in it and say something to the boss like bring it to his attention, the fact i am on an equal level as this other manager and we work in the same management team full time should I be loyal to them? I am not sure if it would be perceived as going behind their back , if they were to find out it was me who brought the matter to the boss would there be bad feeling? Its important to have a strong working relationship with them too as we rely on each other in our management team for support, help etc.
On the other hand if i believe the assistant manager was wrong shouldn't I do something about it rather than do nothing, if a staff member came to me surely she would expect me to solve it, anyone ever in this position on either side or anyone have advise on my next steps, not too concerned with policy etc just getting a good outcome from this.

looksee

The question about policy is not related to the actual situation, but whether an assistant manager should deal with a matter relating to another assistant manager. You should be concerned about policy, that is the formal method of making sure these sort of situations are dealt with properly.

Anyway, in my opinion, the answer to your question is that, no, you should not get directly involved. You are not in a position to do more than listen to one side of the discussion and you have no authority to do more than talk informally to the other assistant manager. You should suggest to the employee that she should approach the Manager directly. While she might have come to you as a friend or sympathetic person, it was really not appropriate for her to involve you.

Irish_Elect_Eng

I think that you have only one viable option here:

3. Go to the store manager with this myself and tell her what the girl said.

Why:

• The employee has taken a reasonable approach in speaking with another manager, as she is in conflict with her own direct manager.
• Like it or not you are now involved.
• As you have no direct responsibility for the behavior of the other assistant manager you must communicate the issue to the person that has that responsibility, your mutual manager.
• Once you have communicated the issue to your manager, confirm with your manager (a) that he/she will now deal with the issue. and (b) that he/she will make contact with the employee that made the complaint.
• Once that is completed then provide feedback to the employee that the manager is now dealing with the issue.
• Dealing with an issue like this professionally will reflect well on you as a manager,dealing with such issues is the "bread and butter" of a good manager.

Good Luck.

Gmol

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

I think that you have only one viable option here:

3. Go to the store manager with this myself and tell her what the girl said.

Why:

• The employee has taken a reasonable approach in speaking with another manager, as she is in conflict with her own direct manager.
• Like it or not you are now involved.
• As you have no direct responsibility for the behavior of the other assistant manager you must communicate the issue to the person that has that responsibility, your mutual manager.
• Once you have communicated the issue to your manager, confirm with your manager (a) that he/she will now deal with the issue. and (b) that he/she will make contact with the employee that made the complaint.
• Once that is completed then provide feedback to the employee that the manager is now dealing with the issue.
• Dealing with an issue like this professionally will reflect well on you as a manager,dealing with such issues is the "bread and butter" of a good manager.

Good Luck.

I would do exactly the same but I would speak to the original complainant and let them know that you intend to this. They may decide that they do not want this to progress.
Best of luck