Bad Business Behaviour!

We've all been guilty of dreadful behaviour at work – at least, I know I have. Maybe I shouldn't include you in such a sweeping statement, but it's my experience that offices can be as cruel as the playground.

I often see the trail of destruction left by the office bully, or the huge amount of collective energy used to prop up the office victim. Then there is the total alienation one feels when sharing an office with the one member of staff who does not hold themselves accountable for anything or to anyone.

You know them – the staff member who is excellent at sitting on the sidelines and effortlessly lobbing in verbal grenades which leave everyone else reeling whilst they chuckle silently to themselves behind their computers: “I don’t know why you’re upset with me, I simply say it like it is!”

So what to do? How does one negotiate the minefield of office politics?

Firstly – never, never, never get personally involved unless you have both the mandate and the skills to be completely impartial. I’m going to say it again – unless you have both the authority and the objectivity to resolve conflictual situations, stay out!

That doesn’t equate to sitting on your hands and doing nothing. You must identify the person whose job it is to unravel these balls of twine. Once you’ve done this, check your own heart to ensure your motivation is really solutions-based and not revenge orientated (that last one can hide in plain sight if we aren’t honest with ourselves!). Once you’ve ascertained that you are approaching the situation with the right intentions, take the problem to its actual owner - HR in most cases - in a clear, transparent manner.

Now I’m pretty certain I can hear many of you uttering a sigh of defeat!

Yeah, yeah, yeah – bla, bla, bla! Great words, but everyone in my office is part of the problem, so who on Earth can I approach to be part of the solution?

If you are in this position, and a ridiculous number of companies are, reach out. Call in someone who is a specialist in negotiating conflict. Not someone who is simply going to resolve the acute issue, but someone who can train you and your difficult colleagues on how to effectively implement tried and tested conflict resolution tools. It’ll be the best money your company can spend!

Staff Training is a soft skills training provider with more than 60 short courses on offer, including a suite of Conflict Management workshops. Contact us at (021) 839 3021 or drop us an email.