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5 Ways to Avoid Workplace Drama · The Daily Writer

• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome everybody to the Born to Create podcast.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Kent Sanders, and I'm your host.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm an author, musician, and teacher, but most importantly, I'm a husband and a dad.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Here on the show we talk about practices, habits, and strategies that help us live out our creative calling.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 39, and today we're going to be talking about five ways to avoid workplace drama.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: You can find the post that accompanies this episode at KentSanders.net slash workplace drama.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now before we get into today's content, I want to invite you to send in your questions on creativity, productivity, art, or writing, and I'll answer those questions here on the show.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: You can send me an email at Kent at KentSanders.net, or you can shoot me a message on Facebook or Twitter at Kent Sanders.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: You know, relationships are the glue that holds society together.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you work for an organization or if you're an entrepreneur or a freelancer, you still have to deal with people.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: And if we're going to be successful in our families, our work, and in our creative lives, we have to know how to relate well with people.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: However, sometimes things go south in our relationships and they start to crumble and we have issues.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: It might be that someone in your workplace was fired, they were laid off, there was some sort of controversial leadership decision, or some other events happened that set you emotionally on edge in your workplace.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, whenever this happens, it's really easy to kind of fly off the handle and do something that you'll later regret.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: I've been guilty of this, and maybe you have been as well at times.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: So in this episode, I want to share five really simple tips that'll help you avoid workplace drama that so often derails our careers and ruins relationships.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Number one is let people work out their own issues.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'll be totally honest.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: I am what you might call a fixer.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: When I see two people in conflict, my first impulse is to help them fix their problem, whatever it is.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm very solution-oriented.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: However, you have to be really careful when it comes to interpersonal conflict.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's really easy to take sides in a conflict or let other people talk us into joining their personal crusade.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: The more you get involved in a battle, the greater the chance that you'll get hit with shrapnel.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: Unless you're their direct supervisor or unless you're involved in a conflict, it's usually best to let other people work out their own issues.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, talk to people in person instead of sending an email.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, email is great, it's really convenient, but it's also easy to misunderstand someone in writing.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: And this is especially important when it comes to sensitive or controversial issues, particularly when people's emotions are involved.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: When things are going badly at work and you need to address some kind of problem, talk to people in person if possible instead of sending an email or a message.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: And if you can't do that, then do the next best thing and call them up on Skype or talk on the phone or something like that where they can actually hear your voice.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: And that will help clear up a lot of potential misunderstandings.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, never publicly criticize your employer.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now this has been a few years ago, obviously, but if you remember Jay Deleno, the host of The Tonight Show, many times in his monologue in the show, he would take jabs at NBC, his employer.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: And it was funny and you know, lighthearted and all that, and it worked for him because he's a comedian.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: However, that doesn't work for the rest of us in the real world, you know, in jobs where criticizing your employer is not perceived as a funny thing to do.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: When you're involved in any kind of a conflict with your employer or in your workplace, you should not criticize your workplace in public, especially on social media.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: It really could come back to haunt you in the future.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Number four, resolve conflicts quickly.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Most people don't like conflict, myself included.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's easy to let it drag on instead of just dealing with it.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: However, the longer that you allow unresolved conflict to linger, the more it tends to spread like cancer.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: As far as it depends on you, try to resolve conflicts as soon as possible so they don't get out of hand.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: And number five, perhaps most important, don't send an email when you're angry.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: A few years ago, one of my colleagues at my workplace did something that really upset me, and in my anger I fired off this really irritable email that in my mind really set the record straight and proved I was right and sort of proved my point.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Well, about 30 minutes after I sent the message, I finally cooled off a little bit, and I realized that I had responded way too harshly to this issue in this email, and I had to go apologize to my coworker face to face.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: It was kind of humbling, but it needed to be done.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I shouldn't have sent that angry email in the first place.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's really hard to keep your cool when things around you at work are going haywire, but above all, you must remain a class act.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Any negative behavior can come back to bite you in the end.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: These tips, I think, can help you avoid those situations so you can focus on doing your best work and really build and enhance your relationships.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: What are some other tips for avoiding getting involved in other people's drama?
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to hear your thoughts.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: You can join the conversation and find the post and the links that accompany this episode at KentSanders.net slash workplace drama.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: When you visit my site, you'll find all kinds of great resources to inspire your creativity.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'd also love to share a gift with you when you subscribe to my newsletter.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: You can check it out and learn more about my books, writing, and services at Kent Sanders.net.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to connect and you can tweet me at Kent Sanders or find me on Facebook and Instagram as Kent Sanders.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: I hope that you'll also check out our Born to Create Facebook group by visiting KentSanders.net slash Facebook group.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, remember that you were born to create and design to make a difference.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: What will you do with the time you have left?