Managing conflict at work

Conflict in the workplace is often viewed in a negative light. While it can be difficult to navigate, it also presents an opportunity for growth, understanding and improved relationships. Learning how to manage conflict effectively is essential for maintaining a healthy work environment that prioritises wellbeing. According to the CIPD Good Work Index 2024, people who experience conflict in the workplace have lower job satisfaction and are more likely to experience poorer mental and physical health.

Understanding conflict in the workplace

Conflict at work can arise from various sources, such as different personalities, work styles, values or simple miscommunication. A well-balanced team is diverse in nature, with individuals bringing their unique perspectives and experiences. Understanding that conflict is a natural part of collaboration can help reframe our approach to it. Rather than viewing conflict purely as a problem, consider it an intrinsic element of team dynamics that, if managed effectively, can lead to innovative solutions and enhanced relationships.

The impact of unresolved conflict

Unresolved conflict can have detrimental effects on workplace wellbeing. It can lead to increased stress, decreased productivity and even high turnover rates. Employees may feel disengaged and demotivated, which ultimately harms the organisation's health. On the flip side, addressing conflict constructively can result in improved communication, stronger relationships and a more positive work atmosphere.

Strategies for managing workplace conflict

1. Encourage open communication

Encouraging open, honest communication within your team is crucial. This means creating a safe space where employees feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns. Regular team meetings, one-on-one discussions and feedback sessions can all be effective channels for communication. Ensure everyone understands that their voice matters, promoting a culture of openness and respect.

2. Active listening

When conflict arises, it's essential to practise active listening. This means paying attention to the other person's perspective without interrupting or immediately formulating a response. Show empathy by acknowledging their feelings and validating their experiences. Paraphrasing their thoughts can also demonstrate your understanding, helping to defuse tension.

3. Identify the root cause

Often, conflict stems from deeper issues than what may initially surface. Take time to identify the root cause of the disagreement. Is it a personality clash, a difference in goals or perhaps a misunderstanding? Understanding the underlying issue is key to resolving the conflict. Encourage participants to articulate their needs and concerns clearly, creating a space for mutual understanding.

4. Focus on solutions, not blame

When addressing conflict, aim to shift the focus from blame to finding solutions. To cultivate a spirit of teamwork and compromise, invite all parties involved to collaborate on potential resolutions. Brainstorming sessions can be an effective way to generate ideas and demonstrate that everyone's input is valued. 

5. The power of mediation

Sometimes, conflicts can become too heated for the parties involved to resolve on their own. In such cases, it may be beneficial to involve a neutral third party to mediate the discussion. A mediator can facilitate the dialogue, ensuring that everyone has a chance to express themselves while helping to steer the conversation toward a constructive resolution.

6. Set clear expectations

To prevent conflicts from arising in the first place, clear expectations are important. This includes establishing roles, responsibilities and goals. When everyone understands their role within the team, there is less likelihood of misunderstandings that can lead to conflict. Regular check-ins can also help in clarifying expectations and adjusting roles as needed.

7. Promote team building

Creating strong, trusting relationships among employees can act as a buffer against conflict. Consider implementing team-building activities that build rapport and a sense of belonging. These activities can help individuals see each other as allies rather than adversaries, paving the way for more effective collaboration.

8. Encourage emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise and understand one’s own emotions and the emotions of others. Encouraging employees to develop their emotional intelligence can significantly improve conflict resolution. Training sessions on emotional awareness and regulation can empower staff to manage their emotions in challenging situations, leading to healthier interactions.

Why Managers Should Make Themselves a Priority

In most industries, the role of management can be very demanding owing to the extra responsibilities not only for the company itself, but also the employees within the company. It might mean working additional hours, undertaking courses to improve, or hitting demanding targets. Often we forget that managers face difficult challenges on a daily basis and that they are still humans who may also experience mental health issues.

People in management positions can also feel intense pressure to appear strong, resilient, decisive and trustworthy at all times so that employees respect them. So, what happens when someone in management experiences anxiety, stress or even depression? They might feel that they can’t be seen to be ‘weak’ or buckling under pressure, which in turn could make any mental health issues they have more intensified.

“Put your own oxygen mask on before you help others”

You’ve probably heard this saying many times before if you’ve ever travelled on a plane, but the same philosophy can also be applied in this situation. While managers must take on the responsibility for employees’ wellbeing, it’s vital that they make themselves a priority before helping others. If they themselves are feeling drained and exhausted, then they’re unable to perform their role to the best of their abilities, which includes supporting others.

Ways managers can prioritise their mental wellbeing

• Increase their skills and knowledge on mental wellbeing in the workplace. Not only will this equip managers to assist their employees. but it will also help them understand what they can do to look after themselves.
• Recognise their own symptoms. Leaders are so busy trying to ensure everyone else is okay that they forget to notice when they show symptoms of mental health issues themselves. By looking out for signs of stress and reaching out to someone outside of the workplace, they can admit if they’re struggling and put practices into place. Early warning signs can include anxiety, poor sleep, weight change and intensified emotions. 
• Make time for exercise. Although most managers have a busy schedule, they should always make time for some form of physical exercise. Whether it’s going to the gym for an hour before work, taking a walk outside at lunchtime or even cycling to and from work, exercise can help stave off insomnia and symptoms of stress and depression. A study published by Science Direct concluded that “stress and the social situation at work are strongly linked to disturbed sleep and impaired wakening…and the inability to stop worrying about work during free time may be an important link in the relation between stress and sleep.”
• Confide in others. It's important for managers to ensure they have someone they can confide in about their worries whether it’s a trusted friend, family member, coach or mental health professional.
• Maintain a healthy diet. Working longer hours often causes people to neglect their diet, so they snack on convenience foods and spend less time preparing healthy meals. But the extra pressure of a busy schedule is even more reason to look after your physical health as well as your mental health. There are plenty of websites that feature healthy recipes that can be rustled up in no time, and foods such as fruit, nuts, raw vegetables and yoghurts are great for snacking on during work hours.

How to Perfect the Art of Delegating

Are you inundated with tasks at work? Do you find your to-do list growing quicker than you can cross off tasks? Is your workload causing you anxiety and stress? If the answer is yes to these questions, then it’s time for you to perfect the art of delegating.

What is delegating?

Delegation is the distribution of certain tasks to the relevant people or departments rather than trying to complete them all yourself. Doing this ensures the tasks are completed on time and in the appropriate fashion. Allowing tasks to pile high because you don’t want or trust others to complete can often result in burn out and mental health issues.

How to delegate as an employee

If you aren’t in a managerial position, delegation can become tricky when superiors expect you to take on extra tasks. 

When you are given tasks in addition to your 'business as usual' expectations:

• Compile a list of the tasks you currently have with deadlines attributed to them. Send this list to your boss and ask them which one or ones they would like you to postpone in order to do any extra tasks they have asked you to do. This allows your manager to see just how much you have on your plate and to understand that if they present new priority tasks then other tasks won’t get done on time.
• Block out time in your calendar to complete tasks. If your calendar can be viewed by colleagues and management block out an hour or so as 'busy' so others know not to disturb you during this time. You can also let your manager know that you’ll be doing this to ensure you can complete tasks on time.

How to delegate as a manager

It’s important not to take your employees for granted but allocating tasks to employees can mean allowing them to learn new skills which will benefit them in future. It also shows that you trust them with certain levels of responsibility, which can boost their confidence and increase their levels of motivation.

When delegating tasks as a manager:

• You don’t have to do it all. The first step for many managers is acknowledging that you can’t do everything, even if you want to. There is nothing wrong with delegating tasks, in fact, doing so gives you the opportunity to be a great manager to employees who want to learn new skills or have more responsibility.
• Make sure the employee you select has time to complete the tasks. Go through any current responsibilities they have to ascertain if other tasks can be sidelined and if they have the time to complete new tasks.
• Choose the right person for the job. If an employee is an excellent problem solver or loves research, then give them tasks to suit these skills. Likewise, if an employee is great with admin, or known for being a spreadsheet whizz, allocate these types of tasks to them.
• Be very clear about your expectations and what the task entails. Provide examples of similar tasks and their results if possible. It’s also important to let your employees know to communicate with you if they need any additional information or are uncertain about any elements of the task, or if they are having any difficulties completing the task. 
• Don’t micro-manage. Once you’ve delegated tasks, trust your employee to do the job. Don’t be tempted to continuously check in on progress. If you’ve given a deadline, trust they will deliver by this time.

How Emotional Intelligence Can Benefit Managers

We've all been managed by incredibly smart people in their field who have risen through the ranks but who are not natural managers. And then there are the people who colleagues are drawn to for guidance even though they're not the manager. So what is it that sets these two groups of people apart?

Emotional intelligence 

When psychologists John Mayer and Peter Salovey published their theories in 1990 on how we process emotional information, the term 'emotional intelligence' was coined. Their findings provided fantastic insights into how processing emotional information could be used to promote social success, improve leadership skills, and even lead to happier relationships. The concept of emotional intelligence answered the question that some looking to progress in their careers had been asking for decades: why doesn't having a high IQ automatically translate into being a good leader? There are many situations in which leadership skills are needed, from teachers to tutors, to managers and even parents, but some are clearly better at leading than others.

The four areas of emotional intelligence

Mayer and Salovey presented four areas or ways in which one could exhibit emotional intelligence:

1. Being aware of emotions at a non-verbal level
2. Being able to use emotions to inform cognitive thinking.
3. Deciphering the information relayed by emotions and also the resulting actions.
4. Effectively regulating your own emotions, for your own sake and for the sake of others

How can emotional intelligence benefit managers?

Being self-aware can lead to a more trusting workforce As a manager, knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and how your emotions affect you and others can benefit both you and your employees. Do you find yourself taking things personally? Perhaps stop and reflect on how your emotions could influence your actions at work and how you react to others so that your employees can be confident in your decisions.

Practising empathy and open communication for a happier team  Being socially aware of situations can give you better insight into how your employees are feeling. Does your office work in cliques with some colleagues preferring to work with friends and leaving others out? If so, do you need to address this to improve relationships in the workplace? If an employee is isolating themselves when they usually wouldn’t, could this be a sign of underlying issues?

Foster a culture of communication by letting employees know they can communicate with you or with other clearly signposted groups or individuals. Unaddressed stress and anxiety in the workplace can lead to demotivated employees, high sickness rates, and ultimately poor results. Being emotionally aware can help to prevent this and make for a happier, more productive workforce.

Being aware of your own motivation can help to motivate others  As a manager you should not only reflect on the needs of your employees, but on your own emotional wellbeing too. Question what motivates you in your working life and how can this help to motivate others?

Do this by:

• Reflecting on why you took this role in the first place and if it still makes you happy. If you’re finding it tricky to remember what attracted you to this job, try writing down any bugbears and see if there are any solutions that will result in you being happy in your role once again.
• Involve employees in setting goals so they can be motivated too. You may already have your own goals, but by encouraging employees to be involved as a team, they will be more inclined to want to reach these shared ambitions. 

Why managers should make themselves a priority

In most industries, the role of management can be very demanding owing to the extra responsibilities not only for the company itself, but also the employees within the company. It might mean working additional hours, undertaking courses to improve, or hitting demanding targets. Often we forget that managers face difficult challenges on a daily basis and that they are still humans who may also experience mental health issues.

People in management positions can also feel intense pressure to appear strong, resilient, decisive and trustworthy at all times so that employees respect them. So, what happens when someone in management experiences anxiety, stress or even depression? They might feel that they can’t be seen to be ‘weak’ or buckling under pressure, which in turn could make any mental health issues they have more intensified.

“Put your own oxygen mask on before you help others”

You’ve probably heard this saying many times before if you’ve ever travelled on a plane, but the same philosophy can also be applied in this situation. While managers must take on the responsibility for employees’ wellbeing, it’s vital that they make themselves a priority before helping others. If they themselves are feeling drained and exhausted, then they’re unable to perform their role to the best of their abilities, which includes supporting others.

Ways managers can prioritise their mental wellbeing

1. Increase their skills and knowledge on mental wellbeing in the workplace. Not only will this equip managers to assist their employees. but it will also help them understand what they can do to look after themselves.

2. Recognise their own symptoms. Leaders are sometimes so busy trying to ensure everyone else is okay that they forget to notice when they themselves experience mental health issues. By looking out for signs of stress and reaching out to someone outside the workplace, they can better recognise when they're struggling and put practices into place. Early warning signs can include anxiety, poor sleep, weight change and intensified emotions. 

3. Make time for exercise. Although most managers have a busy schedule, they should always make time for some form of physical exercise. Whether it’s going to the gym for an hour before work, taking a walk outside at lunchtime or even cycling to and from work, exercise can help stave off insomnia and symptoms of stress and depression. A study in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, which is published online by Science Direct concluded that “stress and the social situation at work are strongly linked to disturbed sleep and impaired wakening…and the inability to stop worrying about work during free time may be an important link in the relation between stress and sleep.”

4. Confide in others. Managers should ensure they have someone they can confide in about their worries whether it’s a trusted friend, family member, coach or mental health professional.

5. Maintain a healthy diet. Working longer hours often causes people to neglect their diet, so they snack on convenience foods and spend less time preparing healthy meals. But the extra pressure of a busy schedule is even more reason to look after your physical health as well as your mental health. There are plenty of websites that feature healthy recipes that can be rustled up in no time, and foods such as fruit, nuts, raw vegetables and yoghurts are great for snacking on during work hours.

Dealing with remote bullying in the workplace

Lockdown saw many people having to work remotely and although there are some key benefits to working from home, it isn't without its troubles. Just because we aren't in physical contact with our bosses and colleagues, doesn't mean that bullying in the workplace has gone away.

Toxic behaviour, offensive language and threatening attitudes can still reach people remotely, whether that's via email, video calls or social media and when the bullying is coming from colleagues rather than strangers or acquaintances, it's not so easy to cut it off.

What is remote bullying

Remote bullying comes in many forms and sometimes you might not even realise that it's bullying behaviour, even though it has a profound effect on your mental health. If you've experienced any of the below, then you should think about whether you may have been on the receiving end of bullying.

• Being excluded from social events, meetings, or important decision making
• Offensive or intimidating language
• Sexual or gender harassment
• Gossip
• Colleagues or management persistently criticising your work

This kind of bullying behaviour, even when it's done remotely, can have a serious effect on your mental health. Over time, it could start to affect your sleep patterns. Perhaps you're suffering from insomnia because you're feeling stressed or anxious and replay situations or conversations over in your mind. Or maybe the constant worry is causing you to have headaches and your self-confidence is at an all-time low.

Any form of bullying needs to be nipped in the bud. But it's not always that simple as you might fear that reporting the behaviour could lose you your job or create even more animosity among colleagues. A study carried out by Harvard Business Review prior to covid-19 found that 52% of remote workers felt excluded from decision making and that their colleagues were lobbying against them. While this was carried out by an American organisation, it is likely that following the recent large rise in homeworking in the UK, a similar study carried out in the UK would have similar findings. If you think you are being remotely bullied, ACAS has some helpful information on dealing with bullying and other problems at work. 

How to address bullying in the workplace

There are several ways for both the victim and the company to deal with workplace bullying. If you are the victim of bullying and you feel confident enough to resolve the issues with the bully directly, this could be an immediate solution. Sometimes they might not realise the distress that they are causing you and when confronted calmly, they might start to change their behaviour. However, if you don't feel that this is an option then you should speak to someone in HR, management, or your trade union representative (if you have one) who will then need to deal with the situation. You can also call the free National Bullying Helpline if you need advice and support from somebody not linked to your workplace.

All companies should have a procedures in place that prevent workplace bullying and protect their staff. If the complaint can't be initially dealt with informally, then further action must be taken. 

If you're an employer or manager, www.peoplemanagement.co.uk has a helpful article for employers tackling bullying of remote workers. 

There is also lots of helpful information on the UK government's website as well as on the ACAS website (link provided above). 

Inspiring your workforce

There’s no question this past year has been a tough one, leaving many of us feeling anxious, stressed and suffering from depression. It’s no surprise that motivation levels may have fallen through the floor, but what can you do to inspire and motivate your workforce?

It’s most likely your employees won’t thank you for toughening targets and deadlines, yet for your business to succeed, you still need to see a certain level of achievement from your team. Some of your employees might be working from home while some might still be furloughed but there are ways to inspire them without being insensitive to their current situation.

More than anything, most people need to feel valued so by taking a few steps to show your appreciation for the work they do, you can instil a more positive attitude and enhanced wellbeing.

Show appreciation

You don’t have to spend the entire company budget, just a small gesture such as an email or letter thanking your team for their contributions can have a positive effect. Make sure each message is personal and relates to their individual performance rather than the company as a whole.

Equip your team

If you have staff that work from home, ensure they have all the equipment they need to perform their job to the best of their ability. Trying to work with inadequate equipment can increase stress levels and decrease motivation.

Encourage personal interaction

Stay engaged with your employees and encourage them to interact with one another so that they continue to make social connections. It doesn’t always have to be work related either; a monthly online quiz or catch-up chat via video calls can uplift peoples’ spirits and make them feel valued.

Be genuinely caring

Have regular one-to-one chats with your team to check in on their mental health. Knowing that your boss sincerely cares about your wellbeing is one of the greatest motivators and is much more likely to inspire you than being reprimanded for any under-performance.

Be a motivational teacher 

Successful leaders lead by example so it’s equally as important to look after your own mental health in order to teach and inspire without lecturing.

Listen to your employees

Take on board what your employees have to say. If they have ideas for their role or the company, consider how you can help implement them and don’t dismiss them before you’ve even taken the time to consider them properly.

Utilise the talents and skills of your team

By allowing someone to play to their strengths, they will more likely want to prove their abilities and work harder to succeed. It might be the case that you allocate tasks they wouldn’t normally undertake, but this can inspire personal growth and you might just find that their skills are better placed elsewhere in the company.

Nurture don’t micro-manage

The moment an employee feels that their every move is being scrutinised, they’ll start to feel under pressure and afraid to take risks. By giving staff the freedom to take control and accountability for the work they do, they will grow in confidence and want to step up to the mark.


For more information on how to inspire your workforce, check out this handy study and guide from Motivates.

Tips for hiring the right candidate

Making sure you hire the right candidate is not only important to the financial success of your business, but it is also vital for creating an environment where work colleagues can work together amicably and efficiently. Choosing the wrong person for the job can be seriously damaging, not to mention costly, and could negatively impact the culture of your current workplace and employees. Research published in the journal Personnel Psychology, which analysed 200 individual studies, showed that employees who were compatible with the culture of the workplace would stay longer at the company, were more satisfied in their role and performed better overall.

Negative impacts of hiring the wrong person:

1. Missed deadlines may lose future contracts
2. Time and money are lost from correcting mistakes
3. Toxic work environment
4. Stress on managers’ and employees’ mental wellbeing

To avoid these issues, try not to rush the hiring process and make sure you have everything in place before you start the selection process. Understandably, you’re never going to please everyone with your choice of employee, so you need to figure out what’s most important for the role and the company. Trying to find someone who has the ideal skill set as well as being able to integrate harmoniously into the culture of the company can be a tricky task so we have a few pointers that might make your selection process less challenging.

Create a checklist

Make a comprehensive list of all the skills and personal qualities you would like the right candidate to possess before you begin advertising the job role. Consider who they are most likely going to be working alongside in their role and perhaps even ask those employees what kind of person would benefit them in their job.

Introduce candidates to present employees

At the interview stage, it’s always a good idea to introduce candidates to other members of your team. How they interact with other people, especially when it’s not the person interviewing them, can be very telling of their personality and communication skills.

Check previous career commitment

If you’re wanting to employ someone for the long term, someone who isn’t going to abandon you when the going gets tough or because they constantly strive for a new work environment, pay particular attention to the duration of their previous job roles, whether that’s on their CV or during the interview. If there are signs they seem unable to hold down a position for a considerable period of time, make sure you get to the bottom of why this is the case. If you find yourself having to go through the advertising, interviewing and selection process again a few months down the line, it will be a further expense as well as time consuming.

Don’t rely purely on someone’s CV

Of course, most of us use our CV to showcase the best of our achievements but it’s not unheard of for some to perhaps exaggerate or, in some instances, completely fabricate work experiences. So, although CVs are generally a good indication of a candidate’s skillset and experience, make sure you don’t wholly rely on it. It might be a good idea to set a task that tests the relevant skills needed for the job during the interview stage or alternatively ask candidates how they would respond in certain key situations. This way, the candidate will need to think on their feet, and you can get a sense of how they would respond if they were appointed to the role. 

Keep it conversational

You will find out more about candidates if you keep the interview process conversational and relaxed rather than confrontational. The job website Indeed suggests spending 5-10 minutes at the start of the interview to build rapport with the candidate. You could ask if they had any difficulties finding the location, how their day is going, or comment on something you have in common with them. You want to see if the person you are interviewing has the skills but you also want to employ someone who fits into your team and your organisation as a whole. You will only be able to determine this by having a conversation with them, so keep it professional but friendly.

Have more than one interviewer

Involving other members of staff in the interview process and decision making can provide different perspectives and could highlight either positives or negatives that when interviewing alone, you might miss.

Check social media

It might seem intrusive to check up on a person through their social media but if they set their profiles to public then they are open to public viewing. You might very well find some important giveaways about a person’s true character, whether that be good or not so good.

Make sure you request references and do background checks

This may seem like an obvious tip, but it can be tempting to put references and background checks on the back burner once you have the ideal candidate in mind. Regardless of how well suited you think a person is to the job, always request references from previous employers and follow through with background checks as you could learn something that may tip the scales.

During every part of the hiring process, remember to take your time and don’t rush into anything, even if you need to find someone urgently, as it could lose you even more time in the long run if you cut corners. 

Getting the right people working for your organisation is the key to success. 

Managing a multi-generational work environment

The workplace environment has changed drastically in the past few decades, meaning that team leaders are now having to learn how to successfully manage multi-generational employees. People who would’ve once be long retired are working alongside teenage apprentices and young adults fresh from college. Throw into the mix individuals who change their career path in their late 20s and 30s and you could have an extremely diverse work environment. Learning to manage a multi-generational work environment is not only essential to ensure happy employees but is necessary to achieve peak productivity.

What problems are associated with a multi-generational workplace?

If you are aware of the phrase “OK boomer” you will have some insight into how different generations may regard one another. The term 'boomer' relates to people born in the two decades after World War II. Boomers are thought to be out of touch with today’s generation. Besides boomers, there are other generations that have been given names, all of whom you may find in the same workplace:

Traditionalists – born between 1922 and 1945
Boomers or baby boomers – born between 1946 and 1964
Generation X – born between 1965 and 1980
Generation Y or millennials– born between 1981 and 1997
Gen Z – born between 1998 and present day

It is understandable to think that a multi-generational workplace will face problems, after all, each generation will have experienced different technologies and ways of doing things in a work environment. Problems can arise from prejudices of each generation born from presuming they are too traditional or non-PC, or conversely, too modern or liberal. Other difficulties can arise from one generation not being experienced in using certain technologies, and other generations ignoring tried and tested ways of approaching specific elements of work. For example, it may be presumed that older generations may not be fully aware of the benefits of social media, while younger generations may be perceived as being too reliant on modern technology. Clashes such as these require competent management to avoid confusion and frustration between colleagues.

How do I manage multiple generations successfully?

You will be relieved to know that there are ways to create a cohesive workforce made up of many generations.

Don’t make presumptions

It is all too easy to presume that younger candidates will be more capable when it comes to modern technologies and online media. However, it should never be presumed that other generations are not as up to date with technological advances. Bear in mind that the older generations have also lived through changing technologies. In the same way, don’t believe that Gen Zs couldn’t possibly live without their mobile devices or that they are easily distracted by social media updates. Treat each employee as an individual and listen to their unique experiences to ascertain how they will complement your workplace.

Encourage inter-generational mentoring

Like any workplace, employees may have very different experiences and qualifications. Use this to your advantage by encouraging employees to share their skills with one another. For example, one generation may not realise the importance of social communication etiquette, and another could be lacking the real-life interpersonal skills still required in today’s work environments. By delivering this in the form of mutually beneficial mentorships you are ensuring that employees don’t feel patronised.

Ascertain the goals and ambitions of each employee

There are many benefits to having a multi-generational workforce, especially when you know what each employee wants from their work. Younger generations without commitments may be more willing to travel and be keen to be given opportunities to do so. Those with family commitments may not want to be away for long periods of time and their skills could be better used elsewhere. However, it is essential that you don’t just presume, and as a manager you need to ascertain what each employee wants.

Be flexible

Being aware of the many potential differences between generations in the workplace allows you to get the most out of your employees. By being flexible with your approach to each employee and acknowledging their strengths, weaknesses and individual needs, you can provide management that will benefit not only them, but your entire workforce.

Making the leap to leader

It’s not uncommon to experience a change in attitudes and relationships when making the transformation from co-worker into leader. Peers who were once your friends are now the people whose performance you are driving and whose potential you are hoping to realise.

It can be an extremely difficult move from co-worker to leader, but there are ways that you can avoid any negativity and make a smooth transition. This article from The Psychologist looks at some of the ways to make the successful leap from co-worker to leader and whether it’s jealousy from your peers that you’re facing, or a lack of respect, here is some helpful advice.

Skill up

Your employer must have seen your management potential, but your peers may not – yet! So a great way to help you manage the transition to leader is by attending a management course. It may not teach you anything you don’t know, but it's a good way to validate your new role with your co-workers and meet other people in a similar situation as yourself. Training also gives you the opportunity to discuss your concerns with someone other than your boss or former peers.

Set expectations

Being open and honest about the change in your role is the first step to acceptance. Arrange one-on-one meetings with your team and discuss what these changes will mean to the team. It’s important to clear the air and get any grievances out in the open from the word go. This can resolve any initial resentment and sets a precedent for the future. Allowing employees to share their feelings can also prevent them from discussing any issues with their colleagues, and promote an open door relationship going forward.

Manage your attitude

One of the reasons former co-workers may fear your new position is that they expect your attitude towards them to change. Although this will be true in some ways – you’ll need to manage their performance, for example - it’s important that you don’t take a dominating or oppressive management style. There’s a fine line between being over friendly and being dictatorial but once you’ve found the balance, they are more likely to respect your position.

Listen and include

Often, employees get frustrated at work because they don’t feel appreciated or included in management decisions. Ultimately, decisions need to be made by management but that isn’t to say you can’t take their thoughts into consideration beforehand. When planning goals, speak with your team and listen to their ideas – you could find that they have valid points and appreciate you asking for their input.

Give praise

There’s nothing more disheartening than achieving something great at work and either not being recognised for it, or management taking all the glory. Make sure you praise or reward your staff when they've gone the extra mile or have exceeded targets. You understand the job that they’re doing, so remember to make a point of recognising their efforts regularly.

Look and learn

One of the best ways to learn how to become a great leader is by observing how other managers behave towards their employees. Not only can you see how they create positive relationships, you can also learn from those managers who have yet to gain the respect and support of their team. Listen to how they speak to their staff, observe their body language and watch how their employees respond to them.

Successful stakeholder relationship skills

It’s International Day of Happiness today. Most of us will have a good sense of what makes us happy outside of work but, given that we spend most of our waking life at work, it makes sense that a feeling of contentment at work contributes to our overall happiness.

Positive personal interaction makes the world go round and one of the keys to happiness at work is the relationships we form with our colleagues and other stakeholders. By learning how to build productive connections with other people, we can improve our overall happiness and mental wellbeing.

Stakeholder management is usually regarded as a business process. This assumes that relationships are rational and that we can manage these interactions in a documented way. What this fails to address is that stakeholders are human beings and, as such, operate on an emotional level. By appreciating both the rational and emotional aspects of stakeholder relationships we can build deeper connections that deliver mutually beneficial results. Here are some tried and tested tips to help you connect with your colleagues and co-workers.

Accept that you are dealing with people, not processes

The first step in relationship building is appreciating that people don’t always behave in a consistent or predictable way. Every relationship requires effort and an appreciation of where other people are coming from. That’s how you build trust – and people work better with people that they trust and respect. When building relationships with people at work, it’s pays to try and look beyond their job titles to see what drives and motivate them on an emotional level. You can read more on how to do this in this article from Psychology Today.

Give and take goes a long way to building goodwill

Learning the art of compromise is essential to building mutually beneficial relationships in the workplace. Far from it being about giving in, it’s more about understanding and accepting that there are always different viewpoints in any given situation. Give and take is about respecting the opinions of others and being prepared to change your own expectations and priorities – perhaps even your proposed plan of action - for the good of your personal relationships.

Say what you mean and do what you say

Decisiveness is essential to building productive stakeholder relationships, especially if you want to take people with you on a particular course of action. Collaboration and consensus have their place and are laudable, but ultimately people respect those colleagues who are not afraid to make decisions when needed to. Working with people who constantly sit on the fence or are always looking to others for approval and agreement can be very frustrating for co-workers. Taking decisions shows that you are responsible and this is a solid basis on which to build trust with stakeholders.


Successful stakeholder management takes time. It’s worth remembering that difficult relationships with colleagues and stakeholders at work can be emotionally draining and very distracting, which can impact your own performance, so it really pays to make the effort to make your work relationships positive. You can find more tips on how to build beneficial work relationships in this Psychology Today article.

These are our ideas for building successful stakeholder relationships. What would you add to the list? Please comment below and let us know…

How to stop absorbing the emotions of those around you

It’s one thing to act as an empath in the workplace - having an appreciation of how other people in your team feel is a rare gift that can help you motivate and get the best out of people - but when you work in a team environment it can be hard not to be impacted by the moods and emotions of your colleagues and team mates from time to time.

When the emotions are positive – happiness, excitement, pride – it’s easy to get carried along with the emotion and often this is a great motivator which drives us to be more productive. However, if your colleagues are in a negative or fragile emotional state, it can have a detrimental effect on your own work and the performance of the rest of the team.

This article from Psychcentral outlines six ways for you to ensure that you acknowledge, rather than absorb, the feelings and emotions of those around you. It includes recognising and labelling what you are feeling so that you can make rational rather than emotional decisions and consciously passing back the feelings to your colleague, leaving you emotionally free to focus on your own goals.

If you do find yourself getting wrapped up in the emotions of those around you, we want you to ask yourself the following questions:

Is this feeling mine?

Once you have acknowledged the emotion you are dealing with, you need to ask yourself, honestly, whether you have a reason to own it as your own. If the fear, anger, anxiety is yours, you can then get to the bottom of what is causing it – only when you have established why you are feeling that way can you take the steps necessary to get through it. Accept ownership, then deal with the cause.

Does distance help?

Often, absorbed feelings lessen once you have gained some physical distance from the suspected source. When you start to feel overcome with emotion, but are not sure why, move yourself into another office or take a short walk around the block. Does the feeling remain? If yes, you can accept the feeling as your own and deal with it. If distance brings you some relief, chances are the feeling belongs to someone else and it’s just rubbing off on you.

Am I still centred?

Stress and negative emotions can often be felt in your stomach, rather than your head. When you feel the stress and negativity starts to build, we want you to take a few moments to concentrate on your breathing. Exhale your stress and inhale only calm. This will quickly make you feel better and able to identify your true feelings.

Can I find a positive?

If you find yourself getting bogged down with a colleague’s emotional state, seek out for positive influence from other people around you. Call a friend or family member who is known for their positivity and use their emotions to help you find the positivity you need. Hope, faith and optimism are contagious – use it to help prevent absorption of the negative feelings of your team mates.


In a close knit team it can be hard not to take the knocks felt by those around us, but we hope that by acknowledging and recognising when this happens, you can easily get your emotions back on track and remain empathic towards your colleagues, but not be led by what they are feeling.

How to boost productivity within your team

Businesses deliver better results when people work together as a team. Anything that upsets motivation or productivity can have a massive impact on organisational performance and so, as managers, it’s important to make sure that each member of your team is positive and productive.

Often, the constant pressure to focus on results and the bottom line can mean that it’s easy to forget about the people behind delivering these results, so we’ve developed a few simple ways of keeping your team motivated so that they can give their best at work.

To do, or done?

As a manager chances are you have a ‘to do’ list as long as your arm. It’s easy to concentrate on what needs to be done, when in reality employees really need to focus on what they’ve done well, in order to keep on delivering. Giving – and receiving – recognition and praise for work already completed provides a great confidence boost which motivates us to go above and beyond what is expected of us. So, if you feel your team’s motivation is waning, spend some time to focus on their achievements, rather than the tasks that remain ahead.

Work matters

Most people like to feel as though they're working towards a greater good, it’s a great motivation boost to know that your actions are having a positive impact on society and this leads to greater productivity – you only have to look at big businesses like Unilever or P&G to see how they’re linking brands to a wider community benefit. If your business or organisation doesn’t have a community benefit that's easily identifiable, consider creating a volunteering or fundraising initiative for your team to get involved in and see how their positivity translates into greater productivity in their day to day work.

Flexibility pays

In today’s digital age it’s easier than ever to provide more flexibility to your team – and often the more flexible working environments are, the more productive the employees - as it enables everyone to have a better work/life balance. Advances in technology mean that employees can access the files and tools they need from anywhere, so if you're looking to boost productivity, look for ways to offer your team more flexibility in how they work. You can read our previous blog post on flexible working for ideas and inspiration: https://firstpsychologyassistance.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/flexible-working-making-it-work.html


Spending some extra time looking for ways to better support your team, might mean that you need to establish some working practices that maximise your own productivity – besides, leading by example is often the most effective way of coaching others.

This blog post - https://firstpsychologyassistance.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/how-to-motivate-yourself-and-others.html - covers the basics of how to keep yourself motivated. Some simple tips that you can start straight away include:

• Set blocks of time aside to tackle basic admin tasks – or emails - rather than spreading them through the day/week.
• Set aside certain periods (a day,  an afternoon a week, etc) for meetings, leaving the rest of the week clear to get on with tasks.
• Give yourself ten minutes each morning to steam through small tasks that would otherwise sit on your to-do list for days or more.

Remember, positivity and productivity go hand in hand, so lead with the enthusiasm and energy that allows your team to shine.

Managing groups and recognising team personalities

Being able to identify your key strengths and core skills are central to setting and achieving your goals. And as a manger, knowing exactly what your team is capable of, will make the difference between success and failure.

If you ask people where their skills lie, chances are they will be able to give you a long list of their qualifications and work-based achievements. What sets the great managers aside from average managers is their ability to see through what is written on paper and gain an appreciation of people’s soft skills too. Having an understanding of what each team member brings to the table will enable you to not only bring out the best in your people, but also achieve your collective goals.

We’ve outlined a few of the common personality types you may find in your team to help you with this – go ahead, see if you can find a match in your own talent pool and do whatever you can to play to people's strengths to get results!

Leaders

These people are great for mediating conflicts and keeping everyone on track. Your leaders guide meetings and keep them on track, as well as helping to delegate tasks within the team. Leaders are often good communicators, focus on the end results and are able to motivate and bring out the best in others.

Team players

Not everyone can lead and having some real team players on your side are key to getting things done. You can tell the team players by their enthusiasm when working with others towards a common goal. They’re usually eager to help, willing to compromise and diplomatic. They might not the greatest self-starters, but once they’ve been briefed you can guarantee they’ll see tasks through to a successful conclusion.

Questioners

Always probing and seeking more information, questioners are great at finding gaps or inaccuracies in plans and projects. As well as asking the questions, they are often more than happy to find their own answers or conduct the research necessary to make sure that no stone has been left unturned when it comes to planning. Questioning types within your team – if you don’t take their constant probing personally – are usually great at testing new concepts and ideas before the planning phase.

Experts

Every team need a subject expert. These are the people who know all there is to know about the specific area of the business. Not only that, if they don’t have the information they will go out of their way to find it.

Planners

Thriving on rules and regulations, planners are essential to keep the more creative members of your team on task, organising everyone so they’re set up for success. Creating order and cutting through chaos is what planners do best, so if you have a natural planner on your team, use them wisely. They’re great at improving efficiency and thinking projects through from concept to completion.

Creative thinkers

Yes, we know that sometimes creative types can drift away into their own little world of concepts and ideas, but when you can actually ground what they have in their heads, creative thinkers are the ones who excel at problem solving, delivering fresh ideas that can reinvigorate business development and build the concepts many businesses need to stand out from the crowd. Creative thinkers can be frustrating to work with but if you place them in the right team, their input usually adds real value to a business.


This article: How To Manage Personalities To Get The Most Out Of Your Teams breaks down team personalities into three different groups – have a read and find out how to propel your team’s performance from OK to outstanding…