Regardless of the finer details of the issue, whenever something happens within the office, usually something negative, morale takes a dip and things can be a little strange for a while afterwards.
We all know that morale is an intrinsic part of productivity within an office, and that in the end, productivity leads to profits. For that reason, dealing with conflict in the right way is vital, and dealing with the aftermath is equally as important.
Never Avoid The Issue, Face it Head on
Regardless of what the issue is, you must face it head on and not bury your head in the sand. It’s likely that your employees, sat at their office desks, are going to want to know what is going on, what happened, and how it affects life at work now. Whilst you might not be able to give them all the details, perhaps some of which are confidential, you can give them the information they’re allowed to know, e.g. anything which concerns them.
Avoiding talking about the issue will simply shroud it in mystery and will cause a huge amount of anxiety and overthinking amongst your staff. By facing the issue head on and explaining what you can, as well as reassuring them that nothing is going to change for them, or what is going to change, you can overcome that problem. A good way to do this is to gather everyone around the boardroom chairs and have an informal chat.
This chat doesn’t need to be super serious, and it can simply be a catch up, team meeting which allowed everyone to hear what they need, and overcome their anxieties as a result. Of course, there might be resentment or some other bad feeling, depending upon what the issue was, and in that case it may be wise to have a HR representative with you, to answer any questions and to give you back up.
Explaining Changes in Detail
It may also be that you need to give feedback about changes to working practices, or maybe the office seating plan, as a result of the issue that has occurred. This may not be the issue for you, but after an issue, in most cases, a review is done and this sometimes brings new suggestions to the fore. In this case, you need to explain the changes and discuss with your staff members.
It is vital that you don’t simply tell them what is going to happen, and don’t give them a chance to have their own say or input. Whilst the review has stated that these changes need to happen, deciding how they’re going to happen and how is something you can discuss with your employees and allow them to give important feedback on. By doing this, you’re allowing them to put forth their ideas and be listened to. This shows that they are valued and it improves morale as a result.
So, if changes are needed, gather everyone around the oval boardroom table and discuss it. Explain what has happened and explain that a review of the situation has suggested the changes you want to discuss. Then, explain that these aren’t set in stone, and that you want to talk about how they can be implemented and the best way to make them work for everyone.
By allowing your employees to put forth their input, you’re showing them that they are a vital cog in the wheel of your business, and that you value their suggestions. Ironically, this can also help to avoid further conflicts occurring in the future, and can certainly improve morale to the point where productivity is on the rise, after the initial incident which may have caused a slight dip.
The single best way to deal with any type of backlash or aftermath to an office issue is to face it head on and talk about it. Avoiding it and pretending it hasn’t happened is going to create a “doors closed” culture within your office space, and in terms of morale and productivity, this is not going to lead anywhere positive.