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Stop Employee Fighting
James A. DeSenaEmployee fighting, hostility or bickering between two people, cannot be tolerated. It affects not just the people involved. It spills over to everyone else on the sales team and unfortunately, sometimes to customers. It is also critical for the sales manager to intervene as early as possible to keep the problem from getting worse.
The first advice I give to a manager who is in this situation is don't get caught in the middle ("ping pong" -he said, she said). Bring both people in at the same time. Have one person tell his or her side of the story. Tell the other person ahead of this that he or she cannot interrupt and must repeat back what the first person says without arguing with it. Then the second person tells his or her side of the story and the first person must listen without interrupting and then repeat it back without changing it. Sometimes, that's all it takes to solve the problem because it was all due to a misunderstanding. After both have told their stories, ask them what they agree on. Ask each what he or she will do differently in the future. Ask (don't tell) them what they think the affect is on the rest of the team when they bicker. Ask what they think the affect is on their work. Ask them if they think it can continue. Ask for their commitment to work together without fighting. Let them know that you will be observing what happens. Let them know what the consequence will be if it happens again.
Most feuds happen because of distrust, often because the other person has done or said something annoying to someone else. People have different styles, but they can work together if they adapt to other people. Emphasize to your sales and customer service people that they need to treat other employees as well as they treat their customers. The customer is the reason they have their jobs and everything they do should support the focus on the customer.
©2003 James A. DeSena
Jim DeSena helps clients develop compelling business strategies, sell high-value, innovative customer solutions in an environment of rapid change, and provide award-winning customer service. Call 1-800-4321-Win for information on his keynote speeches, national sales meeting or conference workshops and leadership strategy retreats. Jim is the author of "The 10 Immutable Laws of Power Selling: The Key to Winning Sales, Wowing Customers and Driving Your Profits Through the Roof." McGraw-Hill 2003