3 Things All Managers Should Be Equipped to Handle in the Workplace

A manager’s job might be one that can easily be described on paper with regard to roles and responsibilities. As a manager, you might know that you are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a team or business and that you need to be able to perform certain duties in a professional and timely manner. However, there is much more to a manager’s job than meets the eye.

The fact of the matter is that a manager, by nature, is an individual who manages others in the workplace. In dealing with people, anything can arise that will fall under the jurisdiction of your responsibility. It is always a good idea to be as prepared as possible for such things prior to assuming the role of manager so that you know precisely what it is you are taking on.

Aside from the obvious aspects of your new job as a manager, such as being able to perform specific jobs that pertain to the company’s core activity that you are working for, you should look to educate yourself on best management practices. Furthermore, there may come a time when a crisis arises in the workplace that you need to address. Such things cannot simply be overlooked or passed along. As the manager in charge, it is your duty to handle such things according to company guidelines as well as the common standard for human decency.

With that in mind, here are three things that every manager should be prepared to handle in the workplace that might not have occurred to you before.

1. Substance Abuse

When you signed on to become a manager at a company, it was very likely that the farthest thing from your mind was the possibility that you would have to handle a potential substance abuse issue among your employees. Unfortunately, the number of those in the workforce who admit to using drugs or alcohol while on the job is shockingly high in the United States.

Furthermore, depending on the type of industry that you work in, the risks involved with allowing such substance abuse in the workplace to continue can be astronomical. It is important that any manager is aware of the key signs of a substance abuse issue in their employees so that they can handle the problem as quickly as possible.

For instance, if a certain employee is demonstrating an abnormal change in behavior, less energy than usual (or unnaturally high energy levels in some cases), or is becoming increasingly more careless about their personal safety while on the job, you might need to consider the possibility of a substance abuse issue.

You might have guidelines set out by the company for such cases that allow you to order a drug test whenever you suspect that such an issue could be at play. However, it is important to remember that you are a manager of people, and the struggles that some people have with substance abuse are complicated and emotional. It is always a good idea to have resources on hand, such as where they can find an inpatient substance abuse treatment facility when you go to address the issue.

2. Inter-Office Disputes

Another thing that any manager should be able to handle on the job involves inter-office disputes. While some disputes can be handled simply and efficiently, others can quickly get out of hand and result in larger issues throughout the workplace.

Firstly, as a manager, you are going to want to learn how to spot the signs that an inter-office dispute is taking place. While you don’t want to be in a situation where you are micromanaging or looking over your employee’s shoulders at all times, you might be able to diffuse a situation more easily by identifying it and bringing it to light before things escalate.

If you notice that some of your employees are ostracizing another employee, for instance, you might be able to step in and handle the situation ahead of time discretely. You might have one particular employee who is causing issues with others resulting in a tension that shouldn’t be ignored.

As uncomfortable as it might be to address such things directly, it is your job as the manager to ensure that the workplace environment that you are in charge of is positive and healthy. Addressing inter-office disputes head-on is the only way to maintain such an environment for yourself and your employees.

3. Security Breaches

Every company is set up with certain protective measures in place that are designed to provide defense against security breaches. Suppose the company that you work for has gone a substantial amount of time without experiencing any issues with security. In that case, you might place all thoughts on the matter on the backburner in regard to your own role as manager.

Taking such an approach to your position would be a mistake, however. The security of the company you work for, the employees who work for you, and the customers you serve should always be among your top priorities.

If a security breach occurs, it will be your job as the manager to rectify the situation. For this reason, it is vital that you do all that you can upfront in order to prevent such a breach from occurring.

Take the time to educate yourself about the cybersecurity measure that your company has in place. The rate of cyberattacks on businesses of all sizes and kinds is nothing to take lightly, and you should never rule out the possibility of a breach. Make sure that the employees on your team know how to keep digital information safe and secure from attacks.

Moreover, it is important that you as the manager are always on the lookout for suspicious activity among your employees. You never want to assume that someone working for your company could be the source of a security breach, but it is also a scenario that you would be naïve to rule out entirely.