We all have those days where, as senior managers, we have important work to do, but are side tracked fighting fires, managing emotions and tiptoeing around people and issues.
This is all part and parcel of managing an organisation, but it does prevent us delivering on our work priorities. Just ask the Government this week!
A unified senior management team is an essential component of a successful organisation.
Keeping focus and unity within a Senior Management Team is a constant and on-going priority.
Distractions impede progress. Leaks, rumors, gossip and time spent managing internal and/or external public relations is all wasteful and means that more important and potentially critical issues take a back seat.
We have all seen this happen.
Whether it is a surprise promotion, rumors of poor performance, a personal scandal or simply the long-held dissatisfaction that fires up on the back of an apparently innocuous incident, these things can take on a life of their own, dominate workplace conversations and take up valuable time to manage.
Fortunately, most situations don’t usually play out in the media. This makes it far easier to control the environment and refocus your team on what is important.
- Maintain Professionalism and Lead by Example
The second you open the door to gossip or office politics by engaging in it or allowing these conversations to happen while you are present, you condone it. Think through your behaviour, let you team know when conversations aren’t appropriate and shut things down quickly when meetings or discussions descend into areas which aren’t productive.
- Encourage open and constructive communication
It may sound counterintuitive when we are also advocating shutting things down but often gossip or office politics can stem from an unpopular decision or action which may then require open and constructive dialogue. This allows for an objective focus on the root cause of the problem, rather than a series of personal discussions.
If everyone is talking about the IT team’s poor performance on a project, address the issue. Bring it back to facts, accept feedback and take meaningful action. Once you have done this and the issue has been addressed, a “move on” attitude tends to take over.
Pretending problems aren’t there just escalates the chatter.
- Develop your leaders to address issues
You may be handling the situation well but what about your managers? What happens when you aren’t present?
Develop your leaders to have the skills to recognise when conversations aren’t constructive.
Having leaders who have the skills and confidence to deal with these types of issues effectively makes a big difference as to how quickly you can refocus your team on important matters.
- Reinforce your values
Most businesses will have a set of values in place that contain some reference to how you should treat others….and this is a good time to reinforce this.
Remind your team why your values are important – not just a pretty picture on the wall.
Giving examples of behaviour which aligns with your values and what doesn’t, can be a powerful way of encouraging your team to self-reflect and change the conversations and interactions they are having with each other.
Left unchecked, office gossip, rumours and unresolved issues can have a significant impact on your team’s productivity, wellbeing and sense of safety.
So, before you engage, or think “it will die down” take a moment to reflect on the organisation you want to lead and take action immediately.
Positive People have over 30 year’s supporting businesses to build productive, engaged teams.
If you need help managing a workplace situation, call us now on 0800 00 00 49.