As the manager, what do you do when Sue from finance and Ahmed from accounting are at each other's throats? Do you put them in their metaphorical corners and hash out the problem individually? Do you bring them together for trust exercises and hope for the best? Do you ignore the problem, because they're adults and should be able to fight their own fights? 

Conflict can feel awkward and fraught, and there's a very real risk that getting involved can make a situation worse. Yet ignoring tension between team members can breed resentment, poor performance and can even lead to employee departures. Conflict management is a skill every manager needs; yet it's one that is often underdeveloped.

In this episode of Manage This!, we chatted with Rotman alumna Lesley Beneteau, SVP and chief human resources officer at Veralto, on how middle managers can nurture those conflict management skills in both themselves, and their teams.

Give it a watch above, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a new episode.  

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