In every office there are a variety of personalities and often not all personalities work well together. As a manager how do you handle the various conflicts and petty argument that arise between your employees? Diplomacy and the frequent use of headache medications may be necessary.   Conflicts can arise out of differences in opinions regarding procedures, the often played blame game of one person did not do what they were supposed to do, or simply two people just do not like each other. Whatever the reason as a manager it is important to determine the details of the entire situation and to get the viewpoint of all sides.

The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) has links to information on how to handle interoffice conflicts including curbing conflict, bullying, management guilt, and much more. There are a variety of sources from books at the library to informational articles online. No matter what method you choose to learn about solutions, if you have a conflict within your office it should not be left unresolved. Conflict can be beneficial in the workplace as challenging ideas can sometimes lead to new solutions or ways of thinking that can improve the company.  When conflict arises communication with the parties involved is very important.  Take the time to discuss the issue at hand with each employee separately.  Bringing the employees together initially to discuss the problem can lead to something short of a cat fight if not handled properly. In discussing the issues separately you can determine if it is a difference in opinion, a simple misunderstanding, or basically one person has it out for the other person. Once the situation is understood, diplomacy and a simple conversation will hopefully allow you to mediate a truce between the parties. If you are unable to do so, it may be necessary to move further up the command chain and include your human resources department or a higher level of management.

For a new business owner there are many obstacles to overcome.  Of these managing employees can be a major task. When first starting a business it is important for an employer to lay ground rules for the employees of the company. Granted experience and various complications along the way will provide the need for revised policies and probably the desire for therapy, but getting the basics down will help with the day to day management of employees. Not all companies are the same; therefore, a cookie cutter template of an office manual probably will not work.  There are a variety of resources to look at when researching how to create office procedures.  A simple search in the books on Amazon of office procedures will reveal numerous reference sources for the creation of policies for your company. You can either purchase items online or just check out your local library. Often taking a trip to the library can help you find information on a variety of issues that can benefit your office.

Another resource can be your local SCORE office. SCORE is a nationwide program that offers counseling advice to business owners. Individuals who mentor others through the SCORE program are usually retired business owners who have a wealth of experience and can guide newbies through the complications of business ownership. Counseling can be done online or face to face in one of their many offices across the country. Your advisor can help you determine what you need to focus on and through their own experiences help you plan ahead for problems that can occur.

Another consideration may be to have a meeting with your employees to discuss their concerns and issues that they may be facing. By taking the time to listen to your employees, do proper research and obtain the guidance of an experienced mentor you can take the guesswork out of preparing office policies for your company.

Office romances are always a source of office gossip and sometimes can be the source of employee terminations. What should you do if you find that casual conversations with a co-worker are become less business and more personal?  What do two individuals do when they find they are strongly attracted to each other but must maintain a distance due to their work? Office romances are often complicated and even more complicated should the employees be married or one is the subordinate of the other. Some would say the easiest bit of advice would be don’t get into a romance in the first place. Yet, how many individuals are capable of keeping their hormones in check to follow that advice?  Some may be able to take heed, but not all are so strong willed. If you are one of the ones who can’t fight the feeling then here are a few bits of advice.

First and foremost keep it out of the office. Even if you are a married couple who happen to work together personal issues should be saved for home. One of the biggest problems should you start dating a co-worker is if you have a fight or break up it makes working together even more difficult. For this reason many companies frown upon or even outright forbid office romances. Some companies will not allow married couples to work in the same departments. Personal conflicts can cause problems not only in your performance but can make your co-workers lives miserable. Also, don’t try to sneak into quiet places in your building to get affectionate with each other. The worst thing that can happen is what you think will be a brief interlude in the supply closet to be interrupted by your boss as he is looking for pens. So play it safe and keep your love life at home and make sure business stays business.