- What problems does Angela appear to have right now, and what problem-solving strategies might Angela use to approach her problems?
One of the Angela’s Angela’s problems is that she is losing the confidence to finish school. I recommend the strategies from the book “Understand the root of the problem” (The Pocket Guide to College Success, pg.94) to her.
I recommend this strategy to her because I had a similar situation before when I had just started back to college. I was busy at work, and I have a family I need to take care of, and then adding the school on top of everything? I lose my confidence very quickly. Then one day, I sat down and went through everything. I start to trace down the root of everything, such as why I am doing this, do I have enough time to do this, how it will affect my work, and what I can get out of it by accomplishing it. After having all those answered, I can see the problem much better. In Angela’s case, maybe she needs to make a better daily schedule, or maybe going back to college may not be the best choice. In my experience, if I start to second doubt myself, that typically means I don’t know why I am doing it or didn’t fully prepare for it. That’s why I think understanding the root of the problem will help Angela better approach her problems.
Shushan, J. (2019). The Pocket Guide to College Success (3rd Edition). Macmillan Higher Education. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781319262921
- What are some conflict-resolution strategies Angela could implement to resolve her issues?
The method that I recommend for Angela is Expectation Management. This method might not seem relevant in conflict resolution in general, but I will explain why I recommend Angela in this case.
First, as a manager, Angela should expect things like customer complaints, personnel errors, and shipping delays as a daily routine. These are the things that frontline employees can’t resolve and pass over through the chain of command. I think she needs to understand that it is her job, even though it might be difficult. Again She should expect those problems in her daily work. Second is the conflict between the new regional manager and Angela. I think she needs to understand the chain of command. As a manager, you will expect the people who work for you to respect your authority; like Angela, I’m sure she will want her subordinate to follow her command. The same thing applies to the new regional manager; he will expect Angela to follow his lead. So, After managing her expectations, she can try to communicate with the new regional manager and understand each other.
There is also a good article about Expectation Management: The Importance of Managing Expectations.
[https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-managing-expectations-justin-byrne/]
- What assumptions is Angela making about her new supervisor?
In this case, Angela assumes that the new regional manager has not respect her. I think there are two steps that Angela can take. First, talk with the new regional manager, reach a consensus, and understand both sides’ needs and expectations. Second, suppose the new regional manager is genuinely not giving respect to subordinates. In that case, I’m sure that every company has a policy against improper behavior, and I will suggest Angela don’t be afraid to stand up and fight for it.
- What role (if any) might communication (or miscommunication) play in this scenario?
In my opinion, In this case, miscommunication plays a significant part in creating the conflict. Between the new regional manager and Angela, I believe if there is better communication going on and they are understood each other, then Angela wouldn’t lose her temper. I think communication should always be the first step toward resolving conflict.
- What suggestions can you give Angela for managing her stress?
I suggest this video about the stress management: Tips for Managing Stress
[https://youtu.be/Wh5HyJ1rxzk]
This video mentioned that “trying to identify what trigger you even can’t avoid these situations, being prepared can help.” That is the perfect time to use the expectation management skills I mentioned earlier. Me, I always like to be prepared. Be prepared for the worth scenario, and don’t set the expectations too high. Sometimes we experience the stress in our daily life because what we want is not always what we get, and the confusion and uncertainty of how to achieve our goal make us unpeaceful. That’s why I think good expectation management will help reduce stress.
