"A new supervisor was transferred into another department I was directing. They were on the fast track and were cycling through several departments as part of their training. They were more interested in greasing elbows than building relationships with their team. They spent a lot of time actively listening in my corner, which was fine. Around me, they were quiet most of the time.

However, I witnessed them micromanaging and caught wind of their tirades when they didn't get the results they desired. At one point, I happened by this supervisor having an exchange with a subordinate, and it didn't seem to be going well. So I asked that supervisor if I could step in and observe. Well, this frustrated them, but they obliged. Rather quickly, their exchange escalated, and I ended up playing mediator.

I objectively broke down the situation, spelling out where things were unclear with their communication and how this supervisor's poor messaging was confusing the team. I was able to perform a few quick exercises with them to help them learn some communication techniques. I made sure the message they sent was the message received. This humbled that supervisor. I felt a little bad, but considering the circumstances and how new to the position this person was, I did them a huge favor and likely accelerated their professional growth."