It’s frustrating to see your employees fight all the time. You know that it could hamper their ability to be productive. Instead of helping each other to do a great job, they end up being at each other’s throats. As a leader, you need to create an environment where you can limit office drama.
Don’t force people to work with each other
Some office leaders think that if they can force people who don’t like each other to work on a project, they could find a way to make peace with each other. You’re lucky if they’re mature enough to handle the situation that way. Others are too professional and won’t let their personal differences get in the way of work. You would rather have people with good working relationships keep working together.
Don’t pit employees against each other
The fact that you recognise employees of the month and select potential candidates for promotion is already enough to create an atmosphere of competition. You don’t want to make things even worse by trying to pit employees against one another. It might look fun for you but could be exhausting for the people involved. You need to show the value of cooperation in achieving goals.
Hire a counsellor
You need a counsellor that employees can talk to if they want to express their emotions. Sometimes, work can be too stressful. As a result, employees say things they don’t mean. Give them an opportunity to say how they feel to a mental health expert before they regret their actions. If there are office conflicts, you can also ask for help from the counsellor.
Go out with the team for a dinner
It also helps to have an opportunity to bond with your team. You can head out for a regular dinner. It’s a chance to gather without talking about work. You want your employees to get to know each other, including you as their leader. You don’t have to do it every week, but there needs to be a time when you go out and share a few laughs with your colleagues.
Don’t try to meddle in fights
You’re dealing with adults. They need to act professionally. There’s no need for you to meddle in fights and get in the way of people acting like children. Allow them to sort things out on their own, but don’t hesitate to reprimand them when you think that their productivity has been affected.
Host a fun day
It helps to have a fun day where everyone can gather and forget work for a while. You can host a fun fair and have rides, food booths, and many other things. Employees can finally relax from work and see the other side of their colleagues. They can also see family members. You can opt for a funfair hire if you don’t want to stress out organising the details of the event.
Hopefully, these strategies will help put an end to any unnecessary office drama.
