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If you predict that a certain situation or idea is likely to cause tension with a particular individual, try to broach the topic first in a casual conversation.
Communication is, of course, two-ways, so why not ask the person with whom you are experiencing tension to discuss the issue in private, away from people likely to listen in.
Both managers and employees should feel free to approach and challenge one another. Remember that you can be direct and professional at the same time and strive for it.
Tension is always awkward, but it’s important not to avoid it as this will only allow it to grow. Instead, you should try to face it head on to reduce its power.
Remember that you are trying to improve the relationship (or to prevent it from deteriorating), so try to go into the conversation with an open mind and no judgment.
If you need to challenge a particular individual who is causing tension, be sure to use concrete, work-related examples of their behavior and the tension it causes.
Skirting around or doing your best to ignore bad behavior makes for a toxic workplace environment, and it should be avoided.
Someone who finds it difficult to relinquish control will often feel better and more able to accommodate change if they are given regular and informative status updates.
Preface the conversation with an explanation of the reasons you value your working relationship and of your desire to find a mutually-beneficial solution.
Tension sometimes arises when there is one individual who cannot let go of control. A handy tip to handle someone like this is always to keep them “in the know.”
As with any human relationship, it is easier to understand a colleague’s tension-causing behavior if you understand their motivation.
Only once you have understood why a person is behaving in a certain way at a certain time can you hope to get through and diffuse that tension.
If there is someone on your team whose behavior is toxic and brings everyone else on the team down, you may wish to take a note of their behavior.
Try to record instances of bad behavior and the way it impacted the team. You may find that this encourages the person to reflect on their behavior and the tension it causes.
When trying to diffuse tension it is important to communicate clearly and effectively. Don’t be afraid to try different channels (email, text, IM, etc.) until something works.
An important part of this is to persevere and remember that a person’s behavior in the workplace is most often not personal and has nothing to do with you.
It is important to remember that toxic behavior is different from difficult behavior and the two should be addressed in different ways when causing tension.
For example, if someone tries to intimidate you, call them out on it. Very often it will stop the behavior, since the person probably won’t want to own up to it.
When dealing with a person behaving in a toxic way, it can be very helpful to define personal boundaries and enforce them when the person crosses them.
Difficult behavior can almost always be addressed by clear communication, whereas toxic behavior may need further attention or even HR intervention.
There is no shame in trusting the HR process and in fact it’s the best way to go in many cases. Do not be afraid to take up a person’s behavior with HR if it is causing too much tension.
Assuming that the situation is salvageable, your HR team should assess the behavior in question, have a conversation with the people involved, and monitor progress.
Once you have heard from both parties, it is a good idea to get those people together in the same room to hash things out.
Ask each person to take it in turns to relay their version of events. Often both parties will both bring up facts or events that the other party was unaware of.
Be sure to ask each person about the timeline of events and facts that led to the tension, as well as the emotions that the person is experiencing.
Finding common ground between the two parties is extremely important, as it is this that will enable you to build bridges and find a solution.
In reality, finding common ground sounds much more difficult than it actually is. More often than not, both parties will have at least one concern in common.
Always encourage the parties to reach a compromise. This can be difficult and you will often start from a position in which people seem like they won’t budge.
If you find yourself having to deal with two other people experiencing tension between themselves, be sure to speak to both people separately to get their perspective.
However, it is important that people experiencing tension open themselves up to the possibility of compromise, as only this will move the situation forward.
Sources: (Forbes) (Entrepreneur)
See also: The best ways to show your work team you appreciate them
When you think about it, life at work is quite strange. Many of us spend a large portion of our lives in the presence of people who, if it weren't for the fact that we were hired by the same company, we might never hang out with. Sometimes things go swimmingly, but many times not. Given that we all have different personalities, motivations, and aspirations, it's not surprising that we don't all see eye to eye all the time.
Luckily for us, when tension does arise in the workplace, there are things we can do to make life easier. Check out this gallery for some tips on how to diffuse workplace tension.
Top tips for diffusing workplace tension
Sometimes things go really well, but often they don't
LIFESTYLE Employment
When you think about it, life at work is quite strange. Many of us spend a large portion of our lives in the presence of people who, if it weren't for the fact that we were hired by the same company, we might never hang out with. Sometimes things go swimmingly, but many times not. Given that we all have different personalities, motivations, and aspirations, it's not surprising that we don't all see eye to eye all the time.
Luckily for us, when tension does arise in the workplace, there are things we can do to make life easier. Check out this gallery for some tips on how to diffuse workplace tension.