There are several reasons and causes why the so-called professional workplace becomes a breeding ground for disagreements and sometimes a battlefield of conflict and personality among its employees. We could not deny the fact that there is not a perfect organization in the world where complete harmony and collaboration within its people exist.
Some managers and bosses do hope and dream that every single person in the team would just have the same sense of interest, ambition, personality, and capability. It is surely not the case, but if somehow this was able to happen, the underlying conflicts in an organization will be kept at a miniature level at all times while maintaining office productivity at its peak.
Their logic behind their idea is that the people who are alike will theoretically get along better with one another, the known and typical saying “birds of the same feather flocks together” or “great minds think alike “greatly applies to their theory. Very ideal indeed if you would think about it, there would be no need to worry for bad terms and relations to emerge in the office when everyone already practically has the same characteristics, all goals are aligned and all of their interests lie on the same plane.
It should be expected in any type of organization though for some type of conflict to occur because diversity in the workplace has become more and more generalized and not of an issue anymore. The results and aftermath of the blooming diversity make the clash of personalities very imminent to happen more frequently. The acceptance and occurrence of diversity can either be a fortunate or unfortunate event in an organization if you lack the skills and potential to control and use it to the best of your advantage.
It might be a good thing to have workplace diversity but we need to keep in mind that we need to control and manage our employees well and let harmony come forth. It might be a challenge to create unity with all the diverse and distinctive personalities, but if we are able to properly grasp and control it, the employee relations in your team or organization can create a solid impact or foundation for better performance and productivity in the workplace.
Harmony, in a nutshell, is basically how good a team works together as a whole. Imagine a puzzle where there are disassembled pieces of diverse shapes and sizes but at the end of the day, they all had their designated places that were used to complete the whole picture. Each and every piece had its role to play, they are connected with one another.
Teamwork is one thing to consider in building the success of an organization, but what will the workplace do if there is no harmony or unity within the team. Just imagine the puzzle will have complete parts and there will be some missing pieces or some voids present. It would not be able to complete the picture as there are parts that were forced in where it should not belong,
Since, having harmony in an organization seems like an essential asset to consider and a very important factor that truly embodies teamwork, here are some things to think about when wanting harmony to escalate in the workplace.
Say Thank You
The first thing to think about when wanting harmony to foster in the workplace is the simple two but very important words “thank you”. It is a word that is underestimated by many as we come to grow old. How does this word even go as far as creating harmony? Well, in the workplace where there is a constant exchange of work, praises, and stress, every individual wants to feel that they have been a help in whatever way they can. The simple act of saying or putting into practice a genuine thank you really does help. Being appreciated even in the smallest things or achievements a person has done can boost relationships and mood in the office. Basically, it is a magic word that shows that you truly do appreciate someone or something that they have done.
“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life and you’ll find that you have more of it.” –Ralph Marston
Avoid Idle Gossip
One of the most negative attributes that cause a harmony to break out and get tarnished in the long run is the act of gossip. You could not deny the fact that gossips can be entertaining for some but it just attracts lingering negativity inside the workplace. It tends to start more conflicts, create misunderstandings and break a happy workplace relationship within your employees. The best way to let harmony prosper is by just avoiding gossip. People will start to get insecure about themselves and start to plant the seeds of mistrust and hate when you let gossip continue on in the working environment. The downside of the matter is that it will just divide the team further, create chaos and really breaks the team productivity.
“It is just as cowardly to judge an absent person as it is wicked to strike a defenseless one. Only the ignorant and narrow-minded gossip, for they speak of persons instead of things. “~ Lawrence G. Lovasik
Maintain an Open-Door Policy
Always keep an open door to everyone, what’s so great about having an open-door policy in the workplace is that people will be able to approach you in confidence and discuss things, issues and constructive criticisms with ease. Don’t just keep your door open, remember to keep your mind and heart open to any possible suggestions that might occur and internalize them. Let your mistakes be a platform for you to learn new things and even further better yourself, don’t let it be a reason for you to ever feel bad or ashamed. Most of the time when you are open to listening and change, you will be able to build better relationships around the workplace and see different perspectives around the matter at hand that you might not have even noticed. Having the courage and opportunity to listen to the opinions of others and voice out your own thoughts as well helps the team a lot, it establishes bonds and strengthens the harmony in your designated workplace.
“Vulnerability is the only authentic state. Being vulnerable means being open, for wounding, but also for pleasure. Being open to the wounds of life means also being open to the bounty and beauty. Don’t mask or deny your vulnerability: it is your greatest asset. Be vulnerable: quake and shake in your boots with it. the new goodness that is coming to you, in the form of people, situations, and things can only come to you when you are vulnerable, i.e. open.” ― Stephen Russell, Barefoot Doctor’s Guide to the Tao: A Spiritual Handbook for the Urban Warrior
Socialize Outside Work
Get outside the stressful workplace once in a while. Enjoy, learn about each other, and build a friendship with your co-workers. Most companies engage in team-building activities or company outings at least once a year for the team to build harmony and really have the opportunity to connect with one another. Socializing with the team helps everyone gain a better insight or helps each individual understand more about each other. You will be surprised to learn so many new things about other people from your company. A break from the four corners of the office and the stressful environment sometimes is all that is needed for the team to feel refreshed and ready to take on new challenges.
“It’s all about being a part of something in the community, socializing with people who share interests and coming together to help improve the world we live in. “-Zach Braff
