Do you remember the days where you’d sit in the office, and you’d catch the snippets of gossip flying around? You may have graduated from office junior to office leader, but the gossip days have not yet changed. They should have, you’d think they would have, given that we have graduated from the playground, but unfortunately, it’s just not the case!
Office politics are one of the hardest things to deal with when you are the one in charge. It would help if you thought here – you’ve put people of all different personalities into an office environment, and you expect them to get along. Would you put two strange dogs together and expect friendship? Nope! Luckily, we are a little more civilized than that, so you should be able to expect polite interactions from grown-ups. It would help if you created an office with a peaceful atmosphere, and it can be done with some careful planning.
For peace in the office, everyone needs to work harmoniously. While you can’t change personalities, you can certainly make it as easy as possible for people to work side by side with as little animosity as possible. For example, Workforce scheduling software could ensure that everyone knows where they should be at any given time. This can help to keep any tension down because you can control that as the leader of the business. Let’s check out some of the other ways that you can keep the peace in your business.
- To put it bluntly, you have to let people figure out how to get along. It’s not always going to be the fairest place to be for some, but they have to work this out. Remind them that they are in control of their behavior and where they choose to work. There will always be a hierarchy, and there will be those who don’t agree with it. That’s okay: it’s not up to them!
- Be as respectful as you can, and make sure that people understand the expectations that you have, too. Manners cost nothing, and while it’s healthy for people not to agree with each other, it’s not okay to be disrespectful. Hold training if necessary, on conflict resolution.
- Always be transparent with your staff. If you have a culture of honesty within your office, you’re going to find people quite receptive. People need to own their roles, and that should be impressed upon them; they take responsibility.
- As a leader, you need to set an example. You should always abide by your own rules of the office that you implement. Don’t expect people to go forth and be polite if you won’t do the same.
- Leave life outside the office where you can. If you have ever had a hormonal boss, you’ll know how hard it is to sit in an office with someone in an obvious bad mood. It makes you feel like you have to walk on eggshells. Don’t make your team feel like that – it disrupts the flow of work and can ruin a good day!
