Featured | Stop Workplace Drama

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Dec

Disruptive Behavior, Negativity: It’s All Drama

By Stop Workplace Drama · Comments (0)

No matter what you call it, disruptive behavior, low morale, insubordination, workplace bullying, or negativity: It’s ALL DRAMA.

“I am just about at the end of a two year long process of managing a disruptive employee. This situation ended up with lawyers involved and should reach a settlement soon. It has been a long and painful process as this employee had been tolerated for over 15 years.”

This was a real message from an HR manager experiencing the ripple effect of behavioral issues, bad morale, insubordination, disruptive behavior and workplace bullying that went unaddressed.

This manager is not alone. Negativity Read More→

Categories : Featured, General, Workplace Conflict

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Nov

Leaders who Rescue Create Drama

By Stop Workplace Drama · Comments (6)

You do it for the right reasons. You keep information from your boss because you’re afraid he’ll blow up. You let a non-performing employee get by with it because she’s had a rough year. Instead of confronting disruptive behavior from the bully in the workplace, you let it slide because she’s a star performer.

The people in your workplace might be different, and the reasons might vary, but the situation is the same: You are the rescuer, and when you rescue, you contribute to the drama and workplace conflict.

In my book, Stop Workplace Drama, I introduce a tool, called The Karpman Drama Triangle. The idea is that when there is dysfunction you will see three roles being played out as illustrated by the diagram below.

Do you notice a theme in rescuing? It’s justification. You have good reason for WHY you rescue. It’s going to hurt someone’s feelings. Someone has had a bad year. She’s a star performer. To leave the rescue role, you must first identify the patterns. Here are seven ways identify rescuing patterns: Read More→

Categories : Disruptive behavior, Featured, General, Stop Relationship Drama, Workplace Conflict

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Nov

5 Habits that Contribute to Poor Workplace Communication

By Stop Workplace Drama · Comments (4)

At a retreat full of leaders, one of the executives admitted he says things like, “What’s wrong with you? Are you incompetent?” Deep down, he knew this to be ineffective communication that in no way contributes to better workplace relationships. The reason he was coming clean is because he realized that his behavior impacted everyone in the workplace. Everyone was afraid. Afraid to admit a mistake; afraid to speak up; afraid to make a suggestion. His ineffective communication was contributing to the morale and the negativity and he knew it.

Here are five ineffective communication patterns that contribute to workplace drama, and notice that in every instance part of the answer to ineffective communication is to simply ask for what you want. Read More→

Categories : Communication Skills, Disruptive behavior, Featured, General

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Oct

Avoid Being Blindsided: Don’t Take the Bait

By Stop Workplace Drama · Comments (0)

In my workshops participants often ask me how to avoid being blindsided by offhanded comments, sarcasm and other forms of disruptive behavior. For example, the comment said at a time you are most vulnerable and it sort of slaps you upside the head. Of course, the comment is intended to pull your strings and if the string puller is really good, it usually works.

However, you know that if you speak up, it will only make things worse.

If you question the intention, you will hear something along the lines of “I’m just teasing” or “You are WAY too sensitive.”

So here is the deal. You have to learn not to take the bait so you can stop the relationship drama once and for all. Read More→

Categories : Featured, General, Stop Relationship Drama, Workplace Relationships

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Oct

Leadership: It’s Not About the Spoon

By Stop Workplace Drama · Comments (12)

I was recently contracted to provide a half day retreat for a small rural town where there the nearest motel was 60 miles away from my engagement, and the only restaurant outside of a couple of fast food options was a franchise diner that offered a food bar. Deciding to eat healthy, I stopped in for dinner and decided to take the salad bar back to the motel.

Being an expert on workplace drama and the impact of teamwork on customer service, I noticed several things: First, I noticed what might be a lack of following process or anticipating customer need. Second, I noticed there was very little initiative on the part of the employees. Third, I noticed that there was a lot of finger pointing going on to justify sloppy work habits.

I approached the cashier to pay for my food and I said, “Could I please have some plastic utensils?”(Lack of following process, or anticipating a customer need.) Read More→

Categories : Featured, General, Managing and Leading, Training and Development

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Oct

Six Ways to Improve Workplace Communication and Decrease Workplace Conflict

By Stop Workplace Drama · Comments (0)

When I offer leadership retreats some of the same challenges erupt that indicate workplace conflict or communication conflict. For example employees feeling like a loaded gun is about to go off at any time, due to all the stress, or managers walking on eggshells to avoid confrontation.

There’s often an elephant in the room but everyone is too afraid to mention it. Departments work against each other, and directors or managers feel like there is no support from the top with too many telling them what to do without understanding the demands. The result is people try to cover their butt instead of get the job done, but mostly because they aren’t sure what the priorities are.

People talk behind each other’s back, pass the buck and operate in fear and drama.

As difficult as it might seem, a retreat can bring everyone together to clear the air, speak their truth and get in sync with problem solving to bring about better workplace relationships. Offering leadership retreats has been one of my most requested programs in 2011 and I want to share some of the best ideas that have come out of the retreats to help you improve workplace communication and decrease workplace conflict. Read More→

Categories : Communication Skills, Featured, General

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