"A few years back, we hired a junior advisor on our team, and I was tasked with being his mentor. Having mentored several other thriving junior advisors before he started, I was excited about the opportunity. Within the first week of him being on the job, I overheard a colleague talking openly about his disdain for the hire of this new advisor. I decided to speak to my colleague in a private office about my concern about his words. Having been a part of the interview process and his early mentorship, I knew he had the skills to succeed, and I reiterated that to my colleague. After agreeing to cease his critique of the new advisor, I learned that direct conversations are the best way to handle workplace conflicts. The junior advisor went on to be quite successful at the firm. I learned from this experience the importance of open communication and friendly assertiveness when working with my colleagues."