Run to Conflict

If you are a manager and you see a problem within your department (i.e. maybe you have a problem person) run to conflict. Things only get worse, not better - and problems NEVER solve themselves. Last week we had a snow storm and since we had just had a snow storm I decided not to shovel my driveway. Well, after a couple days of driving over that snow, combined with freezing temperatures, my driveway turned into an iceskating rink. Having a wife and two young kids, and being concerned for their safety, I had to start throwing snow salt down, and tried to shovel what I could of the icy driveway. All the snow in front of my trailer had crusted over and it was really hard to shovel. It would've been way easier to just deal with the snow the same day it fell. But I put it off, creating a bigger and more difficult problem to deal with in the long run. The same thing is true of problem people/situations within the department or organization you are leading. So run to conflict. It's unpleasant for sure, but if you don't deal with it, it will only get worse.