Have You Ever Had A Disagreement With Someone?
George is the Managing Director of a small but thriving electrical goods shop. He employs 2 members of staff and an apprentice. One day he was in his office when he overheard some shouting. He rushed out to see what was happening, only to witness two members of staff hurling insults at each other across the shop counter. The apprentice and a regular customer was also present in the shop.
When they saw George, one of the employees stormed off out of the shop and the other pushed past George to the back of the store.
What should George do next?
This may seem an extreme example of conflict in the workplace, but as an employer, you will likely come across some types of conflict (hopefully less public) at some point, even in very small teams. It can’t always be sunshine and roses every day!
If there is conflict between individuals, it needs to be addressed swiftly. If matters escalate or go on for too long, it could create a toxic work environment. A toxic work environment could lead to higher turnover of staff, increased absenteeism, poor work performance and relationship breakdowns. Not only will this impact on individuals, teams and you as the employer, the biggest impact is likely to be the service you offer to your customers. Disengaged and/or disgruntled staff are less inclined to go that extra mile for their colleagues or for your customers.
Moral of this story? Conflict must be addressed quickly (and in George’s case, a swift apology to his customer too).
Get in touch with me if you ever need any tailored HR advice and guidance in future when tackling any staff issues or want to upskill your knowledge as an employer on all things HR.
