It is a fact that every office, or indeed workplace, has its problems from time to time. We have written about this previously: http://www.dailysandals.com/ This isn’t, in itself, necessarily a bad thing. It’s important to remember that it’s just one of those things. Sometimes conflict arises or something goes wrong which is outside of anybody’s control – that’s life. And life doesn’t get put on hold just because you’re at the office. However, that’s not to say that these things can’t be frustrating. And there is nobody they are more frustrating for than the person who has put it all together – the business owner. Unfortunately, lots of people get into business with rose-tinted glasses, hoping for perfection. But the truth is, things do go wrong – and frequently. Nonetheless, all is not lost. There is always something which can be done. Let’s have a quick look at some common office problems, and how to fix them – or prevent them in the first place.
Conflict Between Staff
Nobody wants it to happen, but it is an inevitable part of people working together in a close fashion. Occasionally, conflict will break out. There are all sorts of forms which this could take. It can range anywhere from a one-off argument to – in extreme cases – physical violence. However, you should be doing everything in your power to stop it before it escalates that far. If it has become clear that two or more people in your office do not get along, then mediation is in order. You can use an external mediator for this – in fact, it is best to. This way, everyone can get their opinion heard in a safe environment. Of course, to prevent this happening in the first place, you should try and encourage a policy of open, honest communication. That way, tensions are unlikely to build so strongly.
Powercut
This is one of those unfortunate situations which can occur at any time. The most important thing to bear in mind when it comes to powercuts is that you should be as prepared as possible. What this means is: backup your data! You would be amazed at how many businesses do not backup their data; this is a rookie error. If the worst happens, you want to know that your business won’t fail because of it. However, there are also things you can do to minimise the likelihood of a powercut occurring in the first place. For more info on that, look here: http://www.captech.com.au/
Poor Atmosphere
Any workplace can find itself in a bit of a slump every now and then. If you find that it has happened in your office, try not to be disheartened. It is always fixable; there is no such thing as a problem to end all problems. A poor atmosphere at work could be the result of a whole variety of different factors. The truth is, most of them are out of your control. Things like home life situations, the weather – these are not things you can do anything about, so it’s not worth worrying about them. What you can do, however, is make the office environment as happy a place as possible. Part of this is simply treating your staff with the respect they deserve. This makes a huge difference in the long run. But it is also the simple things – smiling to people, greeting them in the morning, being polite. As the manager, one of your duties should be to do everything you can to keep the atmosphere light. For more on this, visit www.fastcompany.com/
