Managing conflict and stress effectively is an essential skill for a supervisor (Rue & Byars, 2010). Improperly handled and ignored events or situations will have a negative impact on the workspace in the form of reduced productivity, loss of morale, and could potentially lead to workplace violence (Rue & Byars, 2010). The supervisor needs a basic understanding of the signs and symptoms of conflict and stress (Rue & Byars, 2010). Recognizing warning signs allows the supervisor to take proactive steps to reduce conflict (Babatunde, 2013). In the scenario provided, a great deal of tension was noted between colleagues involving work and personal issues. The first instinct is to ignore personal issues and focus on work-related concerns, but this would only address part of the problem. To clarify, personal issues will not be addressed with work conflict, but the supervisor must be aware that unresolved personal issues will impact the team. The supervisor can make limited suggestions in this area. For example, the supervisor may recommend an employee assistance program (EAP), provide resources offered within the company such as child care programs, or employee financial assistance to help alleviate some of personal concerns (Rue & Byars, 2010). According to Rue and Byars (2010), the individual may also experience intrapersonal conflict, “which is a conflict internal to him” (p. 272). The supervisor may be able to help the individual recognize the source of frustration that may be occurring within the team and creating tension (Rue & Byars, 2010). Intrapersonal conflict can occur due to positive events such as a promotion or a perceived negative event such as two promotion offers (Rue & Byars, 20...... middle of paper ......improving personal health, understanding the problem is not personal (unless you are the cause of the conflict and that is another paper) and you truly like your position (Rue & Byars, 2010). In conclusion, a supervisor sets the tone for how it stress and conflict are perceived and resolved in the work area (Rue & Byars, 2010). Supervisors who tend to sweep problems under the rug may see employees do the same thing until the situation explodes. Supervisors who appropriately address conflict and stress create a environment in which to take care of problems and move forward. Works Cited Babatunde, A. (2013 Occupational Stress: A Review of Conceptualizations, Causes and Treatments. Economic Insights - Trends & Challenges, 65(3), 73-80. Rue, L., Byars, L. (2010). Supervision: Key Link to Productivity (10th ed.).