What does ‘taking responsibility’ mean?
Taking responsibility for finding a solution to a conflict situation – whether with a customer or a colleague – means being proactive and taking one or more of the following steps:
• Going to the person (where you feel it is safe and appropriate to do so) to talk to them face-to-face about the situation
• Asking them to modify their language and/or behaviour
• Making an offer of help – “Hi, my name’s Alan. There seems to be a problem. How can I help?”
• Showing a physical presence – this is not intended to be intimidatory or aggressive but designed to let people know you are there.
This may:
- In itself, calm the situation down – some people modify their language/behaviour when they realise their activities are coming under scrutiny by staff.
You might combine this presence with wiping tables, clearing tables, or chatting with others rather than simply standing and staring at the offending party/persons
- Invite/encourage people to explain a problem/conflict situation to you – thereby beginning the process of resolving the situation: use open questions such as “What seems to be the problem?”
• Realising it is your job to handle the situation – you cannot ignore the situation: if you believe you cannot effectively and safely address the situation then your role in handling the problem is to refer it to someone else.