A manager needs to have many qualities in order to motivate their team to success. One quality which is vital, and certainly very important in the event of a conflict, is impartiality.
Being impartial means that you are not taking sides, you’re open, you treat everyone fairly and you’re not biased towards any particular person or argument. You place importance on equality and you never discriminate.
Impartiality is something which a manager requires during conflict management but in the daily running of the office itself. Far too many managers sit in their executive office chair and either micromanage or over-delegate, and it does nothing for team morale. When an issue arises in that case, they find it difficult to be impartial, because they’re moving towards bad manager territory.
It’s important for staff members to feel that if they approach their manager with a problem, that they will be treated equally, fairly, and openly, and that they will be listened to accordingly. It’s not about sitting around an oval boardroom table and judging or throwing ideas out of the window because you don’t have the time to explore them, it’s about actively listening and encouraging staff. By doing this, you’re motivating them, inspiring them, and that all adds up to a very productive situation.
An impartial manager is a good manager, he or she is fair and non-judgemental, and as a result, conflicts are ironed out faster and more effectively. Impartiality can also be used in decision making in general, e.g. which is the best office furniture to opt for? An impartial view would take all sides into consideration and then ask opinions. By doing that, the best solution for everyone is found.
What other traits do you feel a good manager needs to have?