When something feels off in your Team

Sometimes business owners contact me with a feeling that something just isn’t right in their workplace 

Communication isn’t what it used to be. People are choosing to work from home more. There’s a strange atmosphere in the office. They can’t quite put their finger on it  but something feels off.

Whilst we might hope that everyone will always work well together, some level of workplace conflict is completely normal. In fact, I’m relieved when I get this call early. It usually means the business owner has noticed the warning signs and wants to put a plan in place before the situation gets any worse.

Early warning signs to watch for

Things business owners should always pay attention to include:

-              Side conversations and whispering in the office

-              An over-reliance on Teams or email instead of speaking directly to each other

-              A reluctance to come into the office — or even to turn cameras on when online!

-              An inappropriate or unprofessional tone in workplace communication

-              Unhelpful or dismissive responses when someone asks for support

Individually these behaviours might not seem serious, but together they are often a sign that something isn’t working as it should.

Stepping in and taking action early matters

When I see these signs, it’s usually time for a manager or business owner to step in and understand what’s really going on. How you do this will depend on your workplace, but effective approaches often include:

-              Holding face-to-face team meetings and observing interactions

-              Having one-to-one conversations with team members

-              Spending time working alongside the team and observing behaviours

Getting closer to the situation helps you identify the real issues and decide what action is needed.

The risk of doing nothing

Left unaddressed, these situations can quickly escalate. What starts as poor communication or tension can develop into formal grievances, disciplinary issues, or even claims such as constructive dismissal.

Early, proportionate intervention is almost always simpler and far less risky than dealing with the consequences later.

What rarely works is hoping the problem will resolve itself, sending out “all staff” communications hoping it will impact on the 1 or 2 people in the team who are causing the issue or organising a night out!

How I support business owners

My clients value my support because it is practical, measured and tailored to their business. I take time to understand what’s happening, talk through the options, and help develop a clear plan.

That plan might involve:

-              Careful communication to address conflict and reset expectations

-              Mediation to rebuild working relationships

-              Development of codes of conduct for the workplace

-              Where appropriate, follow a fair disciplinary process if your investigations show that misconduct has occurred.

 A fresh perspective can help

If you’ve been trying to resolve a team issue for some time and feel stuck, a fresh perspective can make a real difference.

If you’d value a confidential, practical conversation about what’s going on in your business and how to move things forward, please feel free to get in touch.