The process of dealing with conflict in management is a complex one.
             This is especially true when the conflict arises out of the need to make an
             important decision. Indeed, some assert that the core responsibility of
             any good manager is his or her ability to make good decisions in the midst
             of pressure and difficulty. One of the best methods with which any good
             manager can accomplish this, rather daunting task, is to utilize a decision
             making scheme in which a logical "stair step" approach is used.
             There is little doubt that, although good managers are imbibed with a
             certain amount of authority in the workplace, that authority involves
             significant responsibility for competent decision making. In fact, the
             decisions managers make can "make or break" the effectiveness of the
             manager, him or herself, as well as the business as a whole. For this
             reason, it is extremely useful to remove the emotional component from the
             decision making process as much as possible, by invoking four key steps.
             The initial step involved in good decision making entails a thorough
             examination of the question at hand. Just what is the issue' What is
             involved' One must examine and determine the core of the issue or problem.
             To do this, a good manager must have the ability to get to "the heart of
             the issue." Is it a technical problem' If so, what are its components' A
             personnel problem' Is it based on individual performance or behavior, or
             is it embedded in group dynamics' In short, this step involves an ability
             to "see" what the core issue is that needs a decision-based resolution.
             The second step involves examining, considering, and forecasting the
             effects of the decision or action under consideration. Will it effect the
             situation identified in the first step in the desired fashion' Will it
             have other, more problematic effects' What are the issues that are
             expected to ari...