Resolution Mediation

You hear complaints about a worker you promoted to manager. At first he won your confidence. Now you’re having second thoughts.

To solve the problem, you’ll need a measured response and well-crafted plan.

Your options:

• Be objective. Your first thought might be to dismiss the gripes and validate his promotion.

Yet the complaints prove the issue exists. The problem may lie with employees, the manager or a communication breakdown.

Keep an open mind.

• Check the source. Ask yourself whether complaints are coming from your superstars or chronic whiners, says Robert Barner, an expert in conflict resolution and author of “Bench Strength.”

Complaints from poor performers don’t make them invalid. Your new manager might need to rethink his coaching methods or find new ways to motivate.

• Hear them out. “Conduct informal (one-on-one) interviews with (each member) of the team,” Barner said.

Interviewing team members collectively promotes groupthink and lets members easily corroborate each other’s stories.

Interviewing one-on-one — including team members who haven’t complained — helps you see if a pattern exists, and whether gripes are legitimate, says exec coach Sharon Jordan-Evans.

If interviews reveal random complaints from the usual group of whiners, you and the manager have other issues to discuss.

• Check firsthand. Casually observe the manager in action “as he conducts a staff meeting, directs a project team or confers with a peer or direct report,” Barner said.

Leadership Trouble?

• Be proactive. Take the manager aside, outline the gripes and ask for input. Watch his reaction. The best performers “don’t easily become defensive in these discussions,” Barner said. “A good sign is when the manager asks probing questions to find out more about the issue.”

Share potential solutions, but be flexible. Let the manager offer fixes of his own, and work out a joint plan, Jordan-Evans says. Set a deadline for resolution.

• Monitor your tone. It’s a key part of your message.

People tend to mirror each other’s behavior in a conversation. Through your demeanor, you can influence the other person.

If things get tense, lower your voice, smile and project relaxation, experts advise. Make your case calmly.

• Cycle back. At a time agreed on by you and the manager, check with team members to see how things are going. Stick with one-on-one interviews.

If the problem persists, ask a supervisor whom the manager trusts to provide informal coaching, or bring in an executive coach, says workplace expert Jeff Gee.

If needed, have a human-resources exec draft a performance-improvement plan, Barner says.

• Do what’s needed. If no improvement occurs within your time frame, develop a plan to transition the leader. Your options are to transfer or demote him — or remove him from the firm.

The good news? Drastic steps are seldom needed, surveys show.

Strong hires who are worth promoting are usually flexible enough to learn from mistakes.

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