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Tips To Nip Awkward Workplace Situations In The Bud

Tips To Nip Awkward Workplace Situations In The Bud
by Catherine Iste

Jen's perfume is bothering Carol. No one cares about Steve's six cats. Sue gets upset when John clears his throat so vigorously in meetings.

As leaders, we often become the mediator of unusual interpersonal issues. Though we may want to ignore them, doing so can allow the situation to blossom into a real problem. Here are some tips to nip awkward situations in the bud.

Partner in crime

HR professionals must deal with bizarre employee situations all the time. However, not all of us have HR departments at our disposal, and sometimes it is just easier to handle the situation ourselves. In such cases, it can help to take a tip from the HR pros: share it.

As leaders, the pool of people we can share things with is small. However, finding a peer or someone outside the office to tell the story to can help put it in perspective. Instead of being annoyed by feeling like we are spending valuable time on petty things, it becomes an opportunity to connect with a colleague and share a laugh.

Again, for the first time

Sometimes the issues seem so small and unimportant, we are tempted to just let them work themselves out. This is a bad idea.

In some cases, it may just be a chronic complainer. But in most cases, the frustration has been building long before the employee mentions it. As leaders, we must treat both equally and quickly. Otherwise, the former will keep complaining, and the latter will become even more frustrated for not being heard.
 
To help get a little perspective, think about how upset you would have to become before you brought something like this to the attention of your boss. Or, try imagining how much worse it will get if you do not do anything.

Read full article on MultiBriefs.