Work/Life balance and a healthy work environment are more important today than ever. More and more offices are following the example of tech start-ups such as Google and giving their employees options, lots of options. While you may not be able to provide catered lunches or a full cafeteria or private yoga instructors, you can start to make little changes that affect your employees’ overall satisfaction and wellness while at work. And, these factors are a huge part of your office or work environment’s overall workflow and success.
Stress In Your Office
In the “Stress and Wellbeing in Australia Survey 2014,” that one in five Australians reported that current stress was having a strong to very strong impact on mental health. So what does this mean to you? Office stress can lead to short tempers and disagreements that turn into arguments. Your ability to diffuse these flare-ups before they turn nasty is key in maintaining a positive office environment where your employees thrive and feel safe working.
Acquiring The Skills For Conflict Resolution
If you haven’t already, attending a conflict resolution-training course is a great place to start. If possible, it is best if you can schedule all employees to attend one of these courses. Courses generally last half a day to a full day and will provide you and your employees the tools and confidence to diffuse verbal altercations as well as detect early signs of these altercations, giving time to stop them before they start. Being able to detect aggressive body language and tone can also be beneficial in your employees being more aware of their own tones and body language. When they recognise themselves displaying signs and patterns in their own behaviour, they’ll know that it’s time for them to step away from the conversation and use the tools learned in a conflict resolution-training course to calm down.
Understanding Conflict
Conflict resolution starts with understanding and a great deal of empathy. Understanding your employees and engaging with them on a daily basis will help you to understand what is going on with them personally. Making sure your employees are not being overworked and feel appreciated is key to reducing their stress levels. Organising a lunch for the office to eat together once a week or month is one great way to engage with employees and take the office’s temperature, so to speak. It’s also a great way to relax. Other ways to reduce stress are bring your pet to work day, or allowing employees to work from local restaurants, bars or from home. The ultimate way to resolve conflict is to get out in front of its causes such as stress and anxiety and do everything you can to prevent them.
For more information about conflict resolution training & resolution, visit CRTC at website.
