Preventing violence in the workplace starts with having a plan in place for when altercations happen. Whenever a team of people is working together for long hours, tensions are bound to arise.
When conflicts occur, they can lower the group’s morale, and banter can become dark. As a manager of people, it’s your job to smooth things over between parties. Even if you aren’t around every day, it’s important to pay attention to the conflicts between your employees and help them come to a smooth resolution.
1. Get Involved as Soon as You are Aware of the Problem
The sooner you get involved in a conflict, the more quickly it will be resolved. Make sure you respond early and set a high expectation for your employee’s behavior.
Don’t let yourself become uncomfortable and awkward in the face of a disagreement between two of your team members. Play the role of manager, which in this case means mediating.
2. Call a Meeting Between the Parties Fighting in the Workplace
Once it has become clear that mediation needs to take place to clear up an argument, it’s time to schedule a meeting between the dueling parties.
Rather than scheduling separate meetings to talk to each employee, sit them down together so that you can establish a circle of trust. Trust is the foundation of constructive conflict resolution.
Once you are all in the same room, you can set the scene for a creative debate to take place where differences can be resolved and solutions can be reached.
3. Find Ways to Reduce Tensions and Intimidation at Work
Encouraging your employees to stay active and fit will allow them to reduce their tension and feel more at ease while they are on the job. Programs like the ones offered through WorkFit are designed to increase team morale and positive thinking so that your employees become problem solvers on their own.
4. End the Meeting on a Positive Note
After you take the time as a group to discuss the problems going on between two or more of your employees, it’s time to end your meeting on a positive note. Try to come to a meeting of the minds where a new solution to the problem is created.
If that seems impossible, it may be nice to just ask each party to end the meeting by giving one another an honest compliment about their work. Sometimes it may be difficult to find even one nice thing to say, but that’s the first step towards a solid friendship.
5. Follow Up with More Meetings
There are many problems in the world that can’t be solved with one meeting, but it’s a good start. Make sure you schedule a follow-up meeting to make sure everyone is following through with their end of whatever agreements you reach as a group.
How Work-Fit Can Help with Workplace Violence Prevention
Workfit’s sports medicine programs don’t just help your employees stay healthy, they also help them maintain their mental fortitude so that they can face all different kinds of challenges in the workplace.
Allow our professionals to design a personalized plan for your business and watch as tensions decline across the board. Contact us today.
