Handling Arguments with Your Employees to Prevent the Problem from Escalating
In any type of workplace, arguments can happen. People have different views about different things. Therefore, arguments are inevitable. As a leader, your responsibility is not to prevent any argument from happen, but to try and diffuse the tension if it arrives.
The main reason why you should not find a way to prevent arguments before they happen is because it runs the risk of preventing people from speaking out in the first place. You might create a culture where differences are not heard and opinions are not valued. Therefore, it is fine if there are arguments. It is also fine if the arguments are directed at you and how you are handling the business. There are things you can do to handle the situation well so it won’t get worse.
Try to listen before speaking
If there are employees who raise complaints about certain issues, let them know that you are willing to listen. Speak with them privately. Don’t argue without hearing everything. Perhaps, the other side has a point and you are just trying to brush it off. At some point, when you think that the arguments don’t make sense, it is tough to really hold your horses. However, if you have decided to sit and listen, do it. You called this not to make the employee look bad or realize that he is wrong, but just to give the chance for him to speak out and be heard. There are instances in which these employees don’t necessarily need to have their ideas implemented. Just to be heard already creates a huge difference.
Learn how to take the blame
It is easy to throw your anger at your employees if your business is not doing. You blame them if the profits are low or if the marketing strategy did not work. You find the person who is most responsible of the failure and blow your steam off that person. However, in the end, you have to realize that you are the leader. The blame should stop on you. Regardless of the situation, you need to learn how to take the blame and apologize. Blaming the people in your team will only make them feel worse. Accepting the blame will make them more sympathetic of you and even try harder the next time. Besides, throwing the blame on everyone else does not result to anything good. It will just make the problem worse.
Try asking questions
You don’t need to come up with responses to arguments all the time. Sometimes, you can get a better idea or picture of the entire scenario if you throw questions. Along the way, you will have realizations. You will also be surprised to know that the other side also has realizations. This makes the conversation become lighter as you move along. The focus is also shifted to ways on how you can solve the problem and not get stuck on finding who is at fault.
Arguments are common in any business. Great leaders must learn how to rise above them and make the employees feel that they are heard.
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