Simple Steps to Take That Will Reduce Staff Conflict

Not every business has a team of skilled and professional staff that can get along together. We’re all human, after all, and it’s not uncommon for us to be at each other’s throats for one reason or another. Perhaps someone gave someone else a funny look at the watercooler, or maybe someone accidentally ruined someone else’s work due to an honest mistake. There is always going to be conflict in the office, but here are a couple of ways to help you reduce the amount of conflict you experience in the workplace.   Focus on team building Team building is an incredibly vague term, but in most cases, it refers to events and activities that will help your staff build solid relationships with each other. These don’t always have to be friendships; there are just some people that aren’t able to get along, but as long as the relationship is professional and can help you improve your business, it’s almost always a good idea. A team building day or weekend can drastically improve your team’s performance if the overall goal of the exercise is communicated properly. Don’t take a weekend break and lie to your staff that it’s for fun—they don’t like to be lied to. Let them know that they aren’t communicating properly as a team and they need to learn how to work together. Let them know about their flaws so they understand the position they’re in and how it harms your business, then plan a team building event that will grow their skills and professional relationships.   Let them know there are consequences Ensure that your staff know what the consequences are when they disturb the peace and cause a problem in the office. Business time is valuable and it’s important that they don’t waste it on trivial things. When you want to upscale your business, you won’t have time to deal with silly things such as an argument over who’s holding up the rest of the team or who’s in charge of throwing out the trash. It sounds childish, it’s a waste of time and no one wants to see those types of problems in the workplace. If you’re serious about your business, then your only option is to actively let your staff know about the consequences of disturbing the office’s workflow and enforce punishments. It seems harsh, but it’s often one of the only ways to let your team know that it’s not a game or a kindergarten—they’re grown people that need to settle their differences professionally.   Keep communication open If there are conflicts in the workplace, then you have to keep communications open between the staff, you and the human resources department. HR should be responsible for dealing with most issues, but they also need to let you know when there’s conflict so you get a better understanding of the troubles your business is going through. It goes without saying that building a solid team is the foundation of any successful business, which is why weeding out toxic employees and reducing conflict is incredibly important.  ]]>