One thing that everyone hates in the workplace is drama. It’s unnecessary, and more often than not, it leads to less productivity in the long run. Here are some things you can do to combat workplace drama, as listed in a Walden University article.
Practice Self Reflection
We all have our bad days. Sometimes we feel upset with a coworker and make a remark about them to someone else while they’re in earshot. Now they know everything you said about them. It’s so easy for someone to point the finger at someone else, like at the person you were complaining about, but practicing self-reflection is more complex, but it’s a better route to take. Next time, you can avoid such pettiness. You can’t control anyone else’s actions but yourself, but you CAN set an example. Stay focused and productive on your tasks and ways you can enhance the group’s survival and prosperity. When you’re busy and productive, you’ll have little time for petty observations, and your example can help others do likewise…a rising tide raises all ships.
Stay present
In the workplace, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in different hypothetical situations. However, when you’re creating these situations, the only thing it’s doing is creating more anxiety for yourself –– and drama in the workplace. One thing you could be doing is thinking about the potential for things to go wrong in your workday. While some things could come true, the only thing you’re doing is setting yourself up for situations that won’t happen and most likely will never happen. Such needless worry is a distraction to your productivity and tends to give it power towards becoming a reality. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or concerned, take a break and leave your work area – take a walk and just observe whatever is present. Do this until you feel reinvigorated, whether it takes 5 minutes or half an hour, and you’ll thereby be more energetic and refocus your attention on the key tasks at hand.
Get It All Out
When shared with the appropriate audience, expressing your frustrations can be a good way to feel better. With a trusted confidant, such as a longtime co-worker, a best friend, a sibling, or even a partner, they should not only be trustworthy, but they should also be able to reframe your frustration into the next steps, so you’re not staying in your frustration. Though it can just feel good to vent your frustrations, shifting the conversation into a positive, productive conversation can help more than you know.
There are many different ways to make sure that you’re in the best mindset possible in the workplace. When you keep yourself in the best mindset, you’ll be able to handle drama in the workplace better…and reduce if not nullify such drama by your example.