Well, this might be the one but obvious fact, that maintaining harmony is imperative in today’s diverse workplace. An organisation is a miniature of larger society. In an office, people from various backgrounds are urged to join forces in order to achieve mutual goals and objectives. The problem however lies in the fact that everyone barely shares the same character. How should HR leaders overcome this challenge?

Diverse teams can either prove to be a bane or boon for an organisation. Each individual involved in a team is unique. They possess diverse opinions, distinctive styles, and exceptional ways of doing things that differ and even contradict with one another. Given these differences, there are often ego clashes and relationship issues between co-workers, hence it is crucial for employers to sketch out a win-win strategy that ensures everyone can collaborate and work efficiently together.

People typically spend more time at work than any other place every day. No wonder, achieving harmony at work is essential for employee’s well being. While you cannot just force someone to always get on the same page with everyone else, you can always find a way to improvise and fix the circumstance.

Therefore, fostering a harmonious environment where employees and employers are working alongside  will facilitate an opportunity for both personal development and organisational growth.

Harmonious team is also the key to retaining top performers. When you create a conducive and supportive environment for growth, it wipes out any signs of draining workplace drama such as back-stabbing and bad-mouthing, thus making your top talents to stick with the company for long.

See: Flexi-work a ‘feasible approach’ to work-life harmony: Tan Chuan-Jin

Take a look at the following practices to mitigate workplace conflicts and improve your office harmony:

Understand the team dynamics

Rather than demanding employees to just follow the lead, business leaders should learn to understand the team dynamics. Everyone might have different views towards particular matter, however as long as it benefits the company, it is critical to take their opinions into account.

Pay attention to what the employees are thinking and feeling about the current work environment, such that you can learn to fix and improve the gaps that might lead to more serious issues in the future.

Implement open door policy

Encouraging dialogue and fostering effective communication are among some of the best practices to implement open door policy. This strategy will promote good relations not only among co-workers, but also between staff and management as well. Leaders should be open to any suggestions, discussions, and even complaints without placing judgement on the related parties. As everyone comes from different backgrounds and experiences, it is important to learn how to see their viewpoint such as to gain better perspective and make careful decisions.

Stamp out any idle gossips  

Idle gossips and rumours might sound like trivial matters in everyday life at work. However, while this might seem like no more than gossip ‘materials’ to pass away time during breaks, such baseless stories are dangerous for office harmony.

Underneath every gossip, there lies distrust that might build resentment among colleagues. When the topic of gossip has gone too far and uncontrollable, such rumours can spark heated arguments between co-workers and lead your organisation into chaos. To prevent such scenario from occurring, you should try looking at establishing a ‘no-gossip policy’.

Establish work-life balance

Your employees are not tireless machines that devote their lives solely for the company’s sake. They are human beings who have life outside of the workplace. Only when you’re successfully establishing and enforcing work-life balance, you can keep your best employees from jumping ship.

Promote non work-related social events

Owing to less stressful environment, people can act so differently outside the office. Therefore, leaders should build harmonies through non work-related social events. For example, you can plan casual outings within particular period of time, such as weekly happy hour every Friday night or yearly vacation that involves employee’s family. In this relaxed setting, employees can build a stronger bond between one and another.

Read also: Science of Positive Leadership to Create Flourishing Organisations