Effectively handling office conflicts can be a challenge for any office supervisor or administrator, especially if several employees work in the same office. Conflicts in departments tend to rise from time to time in nearly every office. How the conflicts are handled will determine the overall productivity of the department and the stability of its future.
Begin with a Positive Work Environment
When managers can provide a positive working environment and reinforce healthy behaviors and good communication skills between employees, the office will have a chance to thrive. This will not only benefit the company on a whole, it will also make the work day more pleasant for everyone who works in the office.
Tips to Create a Clean and Comfortable Office Work Space
A positive work environment is necessary in order to help keep employees happy and focused. A lot of money does not need to be spent in order to create a luxury office to please the employees. However, pleasant background music, clean office interiors, supportive and comfortable work chairs, adequate room to work in and good lighting all can go a long ways to keeping office workers happy.
When workers must work side by side in cramped conditions with poor lighting and unclean interiors, their moods can quickly lean to the negative side and tempers begin to flare over trivial things. Taking care to provide a comfortable and exceptional work environment will benefit everyone in the office and will also help to keep the office running smoothly and efficiently.
Meet Employee Conflict Head On
Many managers make the mistake of noticing a minor conflict between employees and letting it go thinking it is nothing but a small bicker or disagreement. However, these small disagreements can quickly escalate if they are not addressed right away. When a manager steps in and inquires about the disagreement, he or she can quickly provide a solution by making helpful suggestions and redirecting the employees’ attention back to their work.
If the disagreement is big enough, it may be necessary to give a warning about disciplinary action and strongly encourage the employees to follow office protocol by showing respect to one another and working together as a team. Additionally, promoting or rewarding employees who show excellent team behavior and work ethic is a great way to encourage other employees to follow a good example.
Listen to Both Sides before Offering a Solution
Offering a conflict settlement solution too soon can backfire if the office manager does not have all of the information needed in order to make an informed decision. This can happen if one employee is off for a day or working at another office temporarily and an employee in the office is unsettled over the other person’s work system or actions. Listening to both sides by utilizing an operated assisted conference call is a simple way to hear both sides of the story before coming to a resolution suggestion.
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Derek often likes to blog about the work environment and management skills. He also enjoys being a project manager for a New Jersey marketing company. The following article is for operator assisted conference call.
