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Keep Drama Out of Any Workplace

Some employees may have a flare for the dramatic. But this rarely adds positive energy to the team (unless you’re an improv group or creating major motion pictures). Instead, drama adds tension to the work environment and can put others on edge, detracting from productivity and teamwork.

Five Ways to Decrease Drama Amongst Employees

It’s good to talk your employees through a stressful situation that is leading to dramatic reactions. You can coach them using the following five tips from one of the leading staffing agencies in Lebanon, TN. These will help you discourage the emotions and negative energy associated with drama:

  1. Remind employees that success comes with challenges. If it was easy to do big things, everyone would do them. But usually, accomplishing projects, making changes and moving things forward involves challenges. Encourage your workers to rise to the challenge, rather than playing the part of the victim. Provide the training, guidance and support workers need to do great things.
  2. Show empathy, not sympathy. Sympathy (feeling bad for someone) allows their bad mood to continue, while empathy (aligning your feelings with someone else’s) puts you on the same page. As a comrade, you can work together with the employee to tackle that which is upsetting them.
  3. Reinforce the big picture, despite personal feelings. The good of the company as a whole is what drives the business. This is based on customers, the marketplace, competition and innovation—not on the personal feelings and the ego of an individual. Reinforce that it’s not all about any one employee, but about everyone as a company.
  4. Encourage change. No company stays competitive by staying the same. Change allows new ideas and breakthroughs, and helps a company stay successful. Though change can be disruptive to an employee, encourage your workers to embrace the opportunity to grow and improve.
  5. Stress reality, rather than imagined outcomes. Sometimes an employee’s view of what is happening is based on interpretation, feelings and here-say, not reality. It helps to have regular 1:1 meetings with your employees to touch base and clear the air, especially if they have questions and concerns.

Beware of Drama’s Influence on Your Team

One dramatic individual can disrupt the balance and focus of an entire team. It’s important as a leader to swiftly address any worker that is causing drama before their influence has a detrimental effect. The sooner you can swoop in and provide direction, the better.

Need to Staff Up?

One source of drama can be inadequate staffing. If you’re in need of more workers, contact Wood Personnel. We’ll work with you to understand your staffing needs and place you with qualified light industrial and warehouse candidates.

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