Hostile working environments can be detrimental for a number of reasons. Among other things, workplace conflict leads to low morale, absenteeism and poor employee retention. Additionally, toxic workplaces are generally less productive and inefficient, hindering company growth. If your workforce suffers from petty arguments, professional incompatibility and not-so-friendly competition, you may want to consider the following tips.
Lead By Example
It may seem obvious, but when members of management engage in workplace gossip and drama, the rest of the workforce will follow suit. As a manager, the best thing you can do is be a good example for your employees. Avoid engaging in needless conflict and handle disputes in a calm, mature and professional manner. Strive to be an exceptional leader by displaying compassion and empathy while inspiring your team to do the same, fostering a positive, conscientious environment.
Have An Equality And Diversity Policy
Every workplace should have a well-written equality and diversity policy to protect employees from discrimination and bullying based on protected characteristics, including race, gender, sexual orientation and religion. An equality and diversity policy outlines the company’s values regarding the fair treatment of all employees regardless of identity, ability or background. It should also detail the repercussions of policy breaches and provide employees with comprehensive guidelines regarding the inclusive and respectful behaviour expected from them. If an employee is found to be engaging in problematic behaviour, including bullying and harassment of a colleague due to protected characteristics, they should be subject to disciplinary actions without exception.
Encourage Communication
A successful workplace thrives on effective communication between staff members. Poor communication leads to reduced productivity and misunderstandings that may develop into grievances if left unaddressed. A working environment in which employees feel comfortable and confident enough to speak openly about their thoughts and feelings encourages empathy and understanding. While there are many methods of increasing workplace communication, regular team meetings and group training sessions may lead to better working relationships. Furthermore, this is another opportunity to lead by example by practising active listening and establishing a solid rapport with each of your team members.
Many managers and supervisors benefit from maintaining an open-door policy, whereby employees are encouraged to openly discuss work-related ideas and issues in a welcoming, non-judgmental environment.
Offer Training
Training can help improve everything from work-based skills to health and safety. Group training sessions have a reputation for being somewhat tedious and irksome. However, there are many alternative, fun and engaging forms of training that not only prove effective but enjoyable too. For instance, you can encourage teamwork and decrease the likelihood of workplace conflict by booking theatre-based team development sessions, where your workforce will learn how to communicate effectively through roleplay and problem-solving exercises.
Identify The Source Of Conflict
Prevention is often the best cure when it comes to workplace conflict. Nipping interpersonal grievances in the bud before they have a chance to fester and become problematic is the most effective method of keeping negativity to a minimum. As such, leaders should be conscientious, discreet and proactive in identifying sources of potential conflict. For example, suppose you have noticed two employees who clash in terms of personality or working style. If so, it may be wise to separate these individuals or assign them to different projects to prevent any minor quibbles from becoming significant problems for the entire department.
Act Quickly
You may not always have the foresight to identify simmering issues until they’ve well and truly bubbled to the surface. In this case, acting quickly to de-escalate disagreements and disputes is vital. Speak to all involved parties to better understand the situation and work promptly to resolve any misunderstandings and address any deeper issues. Actively listen to each individual’s side of the story and develop strategies for working through conflict calmly and maturely.
Remain Impartial
As mentioned, leaders in the workplace should always lead by example; therefore, avoid involving yourself in office gossip. While it is almost impossible to maintain a 100% gossip-free working environment, gossip and rumours can damage interpersonal relationships, damage reputations and fuel ongoing disputes. Demonstrate integrity by remaining fair and respectful - avoid speaking negatively about your colleagues and address gossip in the same way you would handle other forms of unprofessional behaviour. Although we are all guilty of gossiping occasionally, hostile working environments can be profoundly damaging.