Workplace Tension Can't Be Ignored - Part Four

I think we can agree that workplace tension exists and can wreck havoc in all aspects of our lives; not just while on the job. Research has shown that people who are unhappy at work or are subjected to a dysfunctional work environment are more likely to take out their pent up frustrations outside the job. They have unhappier personal relationships, they often experience depression, turn to drugs or alcohol or simply come home and take it out on Fido the dog. Well in the spirit saving Fidos around the world, let's see how the Ripple-Centric philosophy might help someone overcome and maybe even positively impact workplace tension.

The fundamental premise of my work is simple; treat people like you would want to be treated. Yes I know it's a turn the cheek kind of thing and may seem overly simplistic especially when you are dealing with a jerk like Archie in the workplace, but often the best solutions are the simplest ones of all.

If Archie is the key source of the workplace tension, short-circuit him or her. Engage Archie in conversation before he or she has an opportunity to crap on your day. Ask about their weekend, learn what you can about their home life, their hobbies, their favorite sports team. Ask specific targeted questions like "So Archie what do you do with your weekends?" or "You know Archietta (my made up female name) you always look so put together, where do you get your shoes." Ask these questions with a genuine look of interest and most importantly look them in the eye with just a glint of smile to show them you are a person...not an object.

You will be surprised, taking the first step by engaging someone who is otherwise used to having the first, and often painful, first word is a complete brain scramble to them. It will definitely force a state change and alter their normal way of communication and when you do that...well amazing things can start to happen. At minimum its am important first step.

Most company grouches are that way because subconsciously they don't feel like a part of what you and I belong to. They often feel like the outsider and many people use negative behavior as a means of showing they here and important too...YOU WILL NOTICE ME! To you and me it sounds so counter-productive but think of it from the other side of the fence. If I am a jerk to you, your department or I am the creator or chaos, I can't be ignored. Well show them you acknowledge them by short-circuiting their way of communicating by introducing a completely different track.

Though it seems painful and if Archie happens to be the boss, it can seem like a daunting task to engage them in conversation that at first will seem foreign to you but trust me...it works. Bottom line people like to be included and one way of doing that is engaging them in conversation early and often. Start the dialogue with Archie and then try a few of these things:

Ripple is all about taking action. The fundamental concept is taking action on someone else's behalf to effect some positive outcome without any expectation of repayment or reward.

• So let's say you learn that Archie is a Cubs fan. Bring in the Baseball weekly for him with the hottest new Cub's pitcher on the front page. Attach a note that says "Archie, thought you might want this. Enjoy! Steve." Leave it on his chair so he discovers it he comes back from lunch.
  

• Offer to take Archie and his department out for coffee or happy hour. Get people outside the walls of the office and get people talking. In my former company, the one way I got the service and sales staff to stop fighting and start talking was getting them to the same bar and letting the alcohol naturally breakdown some of the barriers to communication. I may have had a big bar bill at the end of those nights but the seeds of relationships were planted during those nights too and crop of better respect and communication amongst the staff was well worth it.
  

• Don't continue to ignore it! Call tension on the carpet. Stand up in a meeting and take it on the chin for the team. My department appears to have a problem with your department. Where did this come from and what can we do to fix it. The Ripple philosophy is all about open and honest communication but in a team environment and in all honesty between individuals, it takes someone to jump into the deep end of the pool first. Do it....the water may look dark and scary but it won't be for long and by your valiant effort will go a long way to helping people open up and start really talking.
  

• Find your connection points with Archie and his team and don't ever stop exploring for more of them. Sure you found out that Archie loves the Cubs but become a detective and try to uncover Archie's story. What brought him to the company. What does he like or dislike about the job. What goals and aspirations might he have. The sky is really the limit if you are inclined to try.

I literally could go on forever on this subject and I realize that each work environment doesn't just get literally changed by being nicer. Or do I? If you work for a company or with an individual that makes you miserable and causes you stress and tension, you are to blame. That's right....I said it....YOU ARE TO BLAME.

You have a choice. You can choose to be the change you want to see in your work environment and commit to taking steps to change a little piece of you, your attitude, your environment and your relationships every day or you can continue to sit there and be miserable. No one, nor anything thing, can make you miserable without you first allowing it. You have to give the power of permission over to someone or something first in order to do that. SO DON'T!

You have a choice. You can be the change you want to see in others by setting the example or you can choose to leave. Don't give me that b.s. about jobs are hard to find and blah blah blah. Nothing is hard if you put your mind to it. That includes playing an active role in reversing the affects of workplace tension.

I feel like Clint Eastwood needs to pop up and say something like "Well punk, you gonna try? Well are you?" If you won't do it for yourself, do it for Fido!!!

If you are really facing some challenges in your work environment and need more direct and focused help or advice, feel free to contact me directly and let's chat. My email is steve AT Ripplecentral dot com. (Sorry to do the type out version but these SPAM BOTS are attacking BLOGGER now and it's better to be safe than sorry."

Ripple On and Don't Continue To Ignore The Workplace Tension! Fido thanks you!

Steve

Workplace Tension Can't Be Ignored - Part Three

In the last post we touched on Archie, the difficult man or woman who can add to or single-handily creates a tense work environment through their attitude, demeanor or work ethic. What are you to do when faced with the male or female equivalent of a one person wrecking machine?

In the case of my client we had to have a very serious heart to heart talk about the Ripple Effect of this person's actions. True the guy was a producer and was someone who had literally helped elevate the company to the level of success it was currently enjoying but not without real cost. In talking with the CEO it became apparent that the organization had lost some great talent because of this individual; people who could no longer work around him. They had also lost some customers due to the abrasive nature of this individual; though up until that point the CEO had looked at losses as palatable provided Archie brought in new business to make up the difference. But in the grander scheme, the CEO didn't really realize how letting this guy through his actions create a difficult environment for everyone else was actually how he was viewed by his other employees as a leader. Simply put, he was losing the respect of his people by continuing to ignore the situation and leaving it for everyone else to have to deal with.

It wasn't until we got to that point that I got his attention and he admitted something needed to change.

If you own a company, manage an organization, or lead a team, your people take their cues from the top. Many business leaders don't understand or appreciate just how critical a role they play in creating an environment that is either, productive and full of potential, or one that is tense and stressful and fraught with turmoil. Sure some leaders understand it and take some of the steps we talked about in part one but more often than not most ignore it and hope the problem goes away. You and I both know that rarely happens and the only thing that ends up going away are the good people you want there working for you in the first place.

So what can you do to overcome some of the issues that create workplace tension? Here's a few suggestions that may be worth exploring in greater detail (you, me, your CEO, etc.) than what we could possibly cover in a BLOG post. But let's hit some of the highlights.

Committed leadership - You have to people who consciously look at the work environment and are prepared to take whatever necessary action to make the work environment the best it can be. People take their cues from the top and often overcoming workplace tension begins and ends at the top. If you are a leader or work for a leader who doesn't understand this, we should talk!

Committed Communication - We all think we know how to communicate but we are all quirky and our quirkiness can often create problems. An organization that is committed to helping their people work together to be the very best that they can be will spend conscious time helping people identify how they communicate; their style in day to day communications, in stressful situations, when creativity is needed, when there is conflict with a co-worker, etc.. Helping people understand themselves and how they interact and react to others can have a huge payoff for an organization and eliminate a lot of workplace tension and stress.

Have a Communication Sherpa - Every organization I have ever worked with has a "connector/relater" in their midst. Someone who can seamlessly bridge interdepartmental squabbles, fire up the troops on a given issue or understands the rumblings of the company. Formalizing a process to allow these people to become the go-betweens can do a lot to resolve issues that otherwise get swept under the carpet but tend to never go away.

Help People Engage - We spend countless hours at our jobs yet research has shown that most employees feel completely unattached to the people they work with. Disengagement leads to people to view people as objects rather than people. Companies need to take specific actions to make it comfortable and safe for people to get to know one another on an individual basis. Informal coffee chats, connection activities (Hmmmm Team Ripple anyone? -see new video), discovery games, open work environments (get people out of the cubicles), coloring contests (yes...I said coloring contests), and a whole host of other activities to get PEOPLE TALKING and talking about something other "the job." Employee engagement is absolute essential for short circuiting workplace tension (for more on this subject check an earlier BLOG series on this by clicking here).

These are just a few concepts that can help ease workplace tension. In my final post of this series, we will explore a little bit more about how the actual Ripple philosophy can be applied within the workplace to effect change and overcome tension that might exist.

Ripple On!!!


Steve

Workplace Tension Can't Be Ignored - Part Two

One of my consulting clients has a guy on staff that is like the Archie Bunker of the company. Even if you don't know who Archie is, you likely have worked with this guy (or gal equivalent)...or someone like it. He's a negative angry individual who wouldn't be happy if God himself came down and hand fed him warm porridge from a golden plate while angels rubbed his feet and sang beautiful hymns until he fell asleep.

To shortcut further description...the guy is an ass through and through.

In my short time working with this client, I have seen people literally avoid talking to the guy for fear of the outlandish response that they might get to a question, inquiry or a simple offer of good morning. The CEO of the company puts up with this guy because he is basically a producer delivering consistent sales numbers month after month. "How can I get rid of someone who makes the company money?" was his response to me when I asked why he kept this guy around.

My response was simple, straightforward and 100% true. How can you afford not to?

Workplace tension can be created by a number of sources; sales budgets, company performance, customer satisfaction issues, leadership, workplace culture, vision or expectations and yes, and this is likely one of the biggest, people. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Any company doing anything out there requires people and unfortunately we don't always get to handpick the people we work with or (in the case of this CEO) depend on.

Though there are many sources for workplace tension, I am a people person and thus that is the number one area that I focus on with my clients. Those other listed symptoms for workplace tension are so much easier handled when they arise if you have a team of people who work well with one another and are able to collectively come together to tackle issues TOGETHER.

In the next post we will explore specific strategies on dealing with the Archie's of the workplace and talk about some strategies for helping people communicate more effectively in the workplace.

Ripple On!!!

Steve

Workplace Tension Can't Be Ignored

Workplace Tension Can't Be Ignored - Part One

Do you have people on your team that don't get along? Perhaps it's you that has a hard time with someone else? Workplace tension is one the leading causes of employee dissatisfaction, absenteeism, diminished productivity and employee and customer turnover.

We have all likely experienced workplace tension at some point in our lives; probably more than once. It can be painful, disturbing and lead to many sleepless nights and plenty of ongoing anxiety.

Some companies ignore the situation all together in hopes that it "will just work itself out." Some do, the news has been littered with stories of workplace shootings these past several years. Some companies get very parochial and call offending parties on the carpet and expect a momentary tongue lashing to solve the problems. This is the adult version of being called into the Principal's office to be told that the "big fight" that is supposed to happen at 3PM on the playground isn't going to happen between you and the school bully. Sure, sure the fight won't happen today when the Principal is watching for it, it will just move to tomorrow much like how employee strife continues to live on after the "trip to the office" but now may be worse. Still other companies choose to try to assuage the situation by scheduling team-building days in hopes that by doing a ropes course or round of Kum Ba Ya songs around the old campfire will magically transform mortal workplace enemies into beer drinking buds.

Many of these things though practical in certain circumstances, and as a former boss, easier and less stressful to implement are often high in cost, short on results and lack congruent solution to a burgeoning problem that can and will continue to grow.

One of my favorite quotes that I am sorry to say I can't find a reference to the source to give proper credit is....
"Resentment is the super secret promise of revenge."

Workplace tension is often very much the embodiment of resentment and, and this is big, the true lack of communication. AND yes....you knew I was going to say it....CONNECTION.

In the next post I will give some ideas that companies can consider to ease workplace tension and how the Ripple philosophy can be implemented within the corporate culture to help diminish (notice I didn't say eliminate) tension amongst employees. Stay Tuned!

Postscript.....

We weekend will be jam packed as I begin working on finalizing the outline for my new book, finish some material for an upcoming training I am giving and take another pass at the new virtual course I plan to launch in the next several weeks. Plus there is so much football on this weekend that I likely will be glued to my television morning, noon and night kicking back in my comfy overstuffed rocker while I watch the games and pound on my laptop to do the work I just publicly committed to do (how's that for accountability). Have some new beer steins that need to be properly broken in as well so AFTER the work I will see about breaking them in proper!
Hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend!

Ripple On!!!

Steve