Significant Career Lesson From an ERP Project Manager at Cemstone Products Company
Thomas, an ERP Project Manager, learned the significant value of proactive conflict resolution, shifting from a previous tendency to "retreat from it" and instead addressing issues directly. This approach, he found, prevents smaller problems from escalating into "much bigger problems in the future."
Project Management, Conflict Resolution, Communication, Problem-Solving, Teamwork
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Thomas Becken
ERP Project Manager
Cemstone Products Company
St. Olaf College, 2015
UCLA Anderson MBA
Economics
Architecture, Construction & Design
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Effective conflict resolution is crucial for project success and preventing larger issues later.
2. Avoiding conflict can lead to bigger problems down the line; addressing issues early is more efficient.
3. Good conflict resolution involves addressing issues directly and efficiently, whether through email or direct conversation with coworkers.
Transcript
What's one lesson you've learned that has proven significant in your career?
A lesson I've learned recently has proved to be very fruitful: good conflict resolution. My personality was always to avoid conflict at all costs.
If someone had an issue, I would retreat and find a solution. If a coworker wasn't pulling their weight on a project, I saw it as an opportunity for me to put in more time. I didn't want to bother them, so I would just fix it myself.
But pushing these things aside, or under the rug, can lead to much bigger problems in the future. Being able to deal with conflict as it comes up is important.
Even if it's something small, like an email or a conversation with a coworker, being able to work through it effectively and efficiently is so much easier than waiting until it gets out of hand.