Valentine’s Day reminds us of the power of appreciation and kindness. What if we carried that same mindset into the workplace?
Workplace harmony is having a moment right now.
Maybe you’ve seen the headlines about “Workplace Civility.” Unfortunately, the world stage is a bit divisive right now, and some of that tension and disruption is finding its way into organizations. Additionally, with the COVID-19 pandemic and remote/hybrid work, many people are out of practice when it comes to handling difficult interactions.
Not surprisingly, more of my clients have been reaching out about workplace culture and organizational effectiveness, leading me to investigate the topic of thriving workplaces further. This research has reinforced the lived experiences of my clients, and I wanted to share five common root causes of disharmony and discontent, and what you can do to address them.
- Unclear workplace structures - Many workplace problems stem from a lack of clear expectations, overlapping responsibilities, or conflicting KPIs. Clarity around these elements is foundational to a thriving organization. Get people on the same page by having a clearly defined strategy, transparent annual goals, job descriptions that are available to everyone in the organization, and intentional discussions to clarify ambiguity. Lack of clear expectations is a top issue when it comes to employee satisfaction.
- Awareness - In the workplace, a variety of personalities, experiences, communication styles, and leadership styles abound. Thus, consider treating your team to an annual assessment tool, such as Myers-Briggs, DISC, StrengthsFinder, etc. This can help people understand where some inherent conflict might be happening. For instance, if one person in a group is outgoing and quick on their feet, there could be some repeated frustration with someone who is quiet and likes to have time to reflect carefully before expressing an opinion. If these two people work together, they might be at odds because one person needs longer to buy into a decision or path.
- Conflict resolution training - Conflict is present in EVERY organization, and it can be an asset that improves innovation, performance, and agility. However, if it is not managed well (in my opinion, conflict should always be addressed with honesty, directness, and respect), then friction, disengagement, or worse can occur in a team. Remember to “work the issue,” not the person, and to address issues early and respectfully.
- Toxic behavior - The list of behaviors that can derail an organization is long and isn’t limited to harassment and bullying. Complaining, undermining, gossiping, favoritism, blaming, and numerous other behaviors can create a culture that throttles teamwork and productivity, leading to disengagement and turnover. Make your workplace expectations clear and communicate them to everyone.
- Jerks - Okay, these folks have been called much worse, too. Let’s face it - everyone can behave a bit badly under certain circumstances, but some people are just hard-wired to be mean, power-hungry, disrespectful, etc. No amount of HR training or coaching will change these folks into workplace wonders. Thus, you need to put together a jerk prevention and mitigation strategy! Be sure to screen out jerks during the hiring process. Carefully check references and focus on behaviors. And if someone sneaks through, be sure to call them out on their behavior and consider counseling them out of the organization.
These are some of the most common underlying issues that can make (or break) an organization.
I hope some of these suggestions help you create an organization with more appreciation, positivity, and kindness.
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