Drama in the form of negativity happens for many reasons and not just because of personalities, or because of women bickering and gossiping in the break room. Often negativity exists because the structures currently in place do not support the massive changes taking place in the call center. In other words the agency is growing and changing and there is a need for increased structure to support and manage the changes.
Yet another reason for negativity is due to our natural and biological response to change. The brain craves certainty, and when you feel uncertain, the almond shaped structure in the brain called the amygdala releases chemicals into the blood stream that you experience as fear, anxiety and doubt.
What leaders often forget is that employees feel the most uncertainty because they are the last to hear about any change, and they may have very little, if any, input regarding how to implement and navigate through any upcoming changes.
Leaders constantly tell employees to “embrace change” when the very changes they ask them to embrace are changes that threaten their sense of security or well being, at least from their perspective.
Providing consistency while navigating change can improve workplace relationships, increase trust and reduce negativity. Here are four ways to reduce drama by increasing consistency.
1. Provide Regular Updates
Drama increases in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty. The problem is that while the management team has had three months to prepare for a big change, the employees never know about the change until it’s ready to happen.
From the employee’s point of view, they feel out of the loop, never knowing what to expect until the last minute. In these instances, the brain registers uncertainty as a threat, and when employees feel threatened they gossip, assume and make up stories.
To reduce the uncertainty, provide regular updates. Update them on how the budget may impact their schedule. Update them on why you hired or created a new position. Update them on when you are exploring ideas for change and what they can expect.
Leaders in public safety often fear that if they share information it will create drama, assumptions and gossip, however the opposite is usually the case. When employees are informed of potential changes, they learn to trust the leadership and often they will give you new ideas you hadn’t thought of.
The risk of letting them know what is really going on is worth the price you will have to pay for the gossip, backstabbing and drama due to uncertainty.
2. Manage Change
One of the biggest mistakes is to share the vision, but fail to report back the little successes that contributed to the forward movement of the vision. The result is employees get overwhelmed and experience burnout.
You will hear something to the effect, “No matter what I do, it’s never enough, and there’s no stopping place, so why try?”
The solution: Go ahead and share the big picture, then manage the change by breaking it down. In the book, “Stop Workplace Drama” author, Marlene Chism calls this step “shortening the gap.” In other words, break down your big picture into realistic and measurable goals with dates for completion, then celebrate the success by reporting back to the group the impact of their contribution. In this way, you keep everyone motivated because they know their work matters. While you are managing the changes, make sure they know any changes in the rules and policies.
3. Update Policies and Procedures
Management often fails to update or revise policies and standard operating procedures for many reasons. For example, they embrace flexibility, or they may feel overwhelmed and fail to take the time to review and update as the agency grows, therefore, word of mouth becomes the norm for the new way of doing things.
As you grow, the lack of clear boundaries contributes to a lack of consistency, not to mention finger pointing and major misunderstandings.
When employees are not sure about the rules, you set your agency up for a lot of unnecessary drama, all the way from complaining that something’s not fair, to a potential lawsuit due to bullying, sexual harassment or some other behavioral issue that could have been handled had the policy been in place, or enforced.
Policies do not have to be complicated, dry, or hard to read. Just like the old saying “Good fences make for good neighbors,” good policies contribute to good workplace relationships. The key is enforcement, but you do have to have the policy in place to begin with.
4. Be Fair
Letting your star performer break the rules or ignore policy contributes to negativity and a lack of trust. The only way to be fair is to make sure everyone operates from the same rule book and that everyone understands the expectations and consequences of not abiding by the rules.
Allowing even small exceptions will make you appear to be inconsistent which leads to a lack of clarity, which leads to confusion eventually resulting in being blamed for not being fair. Don’t set yourself up for this avoidable problem. Enforcing policies helps you create consistent expectations while eliminating the excuses, manipulation and exceptions.
In conclusion, change can be extremely difficult and contribute to drama and negativity, or it can be experienced as an opportunity to grow your leadership skills and motivate your employees.
By understanding how to create a sense of consistency while navigating through the change, you reduce the stress level for everyone, and keep everyone rowing in the same direction.
You can learn more about leadership and personal development via www.stopworkplacedrama.com or www.marlenechism.com