"There was a time when our manager left our office to pursue an opportunity with another company. We were under some tight deadlines, and the hired replacement manager came in with a chip on their shoulder and a big ego. Their approach to the team was authoritarian and was slowing down productivity. Several team members were whispering about stepping outside of the chain of command and reporting this supervisor to upper management. But I felt like this would just make things worse. So I asked if I could talk to this new supervisor and gave them a heads up on the dissent they were facing. They confessed the role intimidated them, and that another supervisor gave them the advice to take this approach, but it wasn't according to their nature. So giving them insights on what motivates the team, and the soft skills needed to communicate with each one of them, in a one-on-one approach, I was able to steer them on course. The extra efforts they made from there helped, and in the end, they turned out to be an even more popular manager than their predecessor."
