What is the role of a manager to resolve any conflict?
Christopher Davis
Updated on March 23, 2026
The manager’s second role is that of mediator, collaboratively identifying solutions with the employees to bring the conflict to peaceful resolution. Front-line managers benefit from practise, such as role-plays and case study analysis, to build confidence in their approach to the most challenging conflict situations.
How do you resolve problems with your manager?
Address conflict and explore underlying issues and needs Share your view of the problem, being careful not to accuse or blame. Focus on the issue, not the way you are feeling toward your boss. Take time to listen to your boss’s response, and try to see the situation from her view. Don’t interrupt.
What’s the best way for a manager to approach intervening in a conflict between subordinates and why?
Here are four suggestions:
- Focus on the problem. Rather than blaming particular individuals, identify the issues at stake, and invite others to join you in thinking about solutions.
- Engage in joint problem-solving.
- Promote effective feedback.
- Choose a role.
What might a manager or supervisor do to resolve differences or conflicts?
Encourage Respect. Reduce the need for conflict resolution by promoting a respectful workplace environment where colleagues support one another, work in teams and set collective goals. Don’t allow bullying or manipulative behavior, and address this kind of trouble the first time you see it.
How to handle a disagreement on your team?
Keep in mind that you don’t have to pick one mode of meeting and stick with it throughout the process. You can switch between modes. However, our research suggests that starting separately and building empathy and then moving to joint is more effective in resolving conflict than starting jointly and then meeting separately.
How to resolve a conflict between a manager and an employee?
Here are five strategies to help managers effectively resolve conflicts with employees. One essential quality that all managers need to develop is a strong sense of self-awareness. Managers need to acknowledge their own biases, trigger points, and preconceptions, otherwise it’s difficult to rise above them to identify what the actual problem is.
What’s the best way to resolve a dispute with a colleague?
Your first move is to recognize your authority, but explain the mediation process you have in mind. You might tell your colleagues that although you have the authority to impose an outcome on them, you hope that, together you can find a resolution that works for everyone.
Why are line managers important in the workplace?
Managers play a vital role in determining the health, wellbeing and engagement of their team. Research (funded by the CIPD and led by Affinity Health at Work) identified five key behavioural areas for line managers to support the health, wellbeing and engagement of those who work for them:
