Conflict is part and parcel of all relationships – it is what makes us humans. There will always be that terrible moment in every person’s life, no matter how peace-loving they may be, when all their pent up anger erupts in the workplace.
It is to be expected, something which the office managers and HR staff should be well equipped to deal with. The onus falls on them to not make a mountain out of a molehill and deal away the tumultuous situation.
Spot red flags as soon as they occur
Hold on to the valuable data which you extract from exit interviews of ex-employees and learn what issues bothered them (if they left on their own that is). The very nature of your job is to deal with your office staff, so you should be able to pinpoint all the telltale signs of conflict on the horizon.
When you do spot these red flags, it falls on your shoulders to properly dispose of the situation without incurring collateral damage along the way.
Try to learn the root cause of the negativity
Your first step is to understand the reasons behind the negativity. Your best bet to understand this situation is to communicate with the staff. Make small talk with them, earn their confidence and subtly learn what’s bothering them. Sometimes employees are not too keen on sharing the details of their anger because they feel it might jeopardize their job or position with the company.
If the negativity stems from two quarrelling employees – then the best approach would be to arrange a meeting with them in the presence of an arbitrator and try to sort out these differences.
Perhaps the source of the problem is the company itself
Sometimes, the origins of the negativity lie within the structure of your organization itself. You should not ignore this problem because chances are, if one employee, or a group of them is unhappy with a decision made by the company, the negativity could spill over to the rest of your staff as well.
This would only encourage mutiny and insubordination, the likes of which will result in a decreased employee retention rate.
Build a relationship with them
One way of dealing with disgruntled employees is to provide them with more intangible benefits such as a strong relationship with the boss, manager or the CEO. It is more than just a hefty salary package and work benefits that retain employees. Sometimes a tightly knit ‘family’ has the ability to instill a sense of loyalty within the staff members and makes them more resistant to negativity.
How about a higher pay? Squeeze that budget a little more!
If it doesn’t affect your bottom line too much, consider raising their salary – after all the biggest motivation to continue helping your make more money, is to help them make more money. At the end of the day, it really is a story of give and take. Don’t expect your staff to slave in 60 hours a week for chump change.
What else to look out for?
Consider reducing their work hours and if possible, give them more paid time off (PTO) from work. You should know that there is a fine line between being overworked and being underused. The former will foster the conditions of negativity while the latter will bore them enough to quit and find employment elsewhere.
