This post is contributed by Michael Dehoyos.
The workplace is the cause of much stress and disagreement amongst people. This should not be surprising; when there is a group of people working towards the completion of a common goal or task disagreements, frustrations, and resentment is sure to arise.
These issues are not bad in themselves, they are entirely natural and to be expected as a normal part of human interaction. Where it becomes toxic is when these concerns are not dealt with in a productive and timely manner and individuals resort to venting to one another about a boss, a co-worker, or a company policy. Doing this can lead to a negative disposition and cause one’s work performance and productivity to drop. It can create rifts between certain employees or departments and ultimately lower workplace satisfaction.
Here we will look at methods one can use to productively vent at work and reduce the negative impact it has on the individual, their coworkers, and the workplace.
Reduce The Impact Of Venting: How does one want to be perceived by their coworkers? Do they want to be viewed as a leader? Someone who wants to deal with problems head-on or someone who dwells on the negative and often complaining. It is safe to assume that the vast majority of people would prefer the former over the latter.
“The best way to do this is by establishing oneself as an option for people to vent their frustrations but also someone who will take action on their concerns. This requires a bit of trust since people do not always want coworkers to know it was them who voiced the concern.” writes Henry May, a career writer at 1Day2Write and Australia2Write. By being the person who is open to listening but also someone who will take action to rectify the issue one is being a leader in the workplace and gaining the trust of their coworkers.
Balance Venting With Resolving: No amount of venting will make anything better. It requires action in order to accomplish this. Those who spend all their time venting or complaining, and no time looking for a solution, are just as much a problem as whatever it is they are venting about!
Venting is an important part of the solution finding process. One cannot fix something if they do not know what the issue is exactly. As coworkers talk about the issues they have it can be easier to identify what needs to be corrected. This is what draws the line between productive venting and unproductive venting. Just as much time should be sent attempting to fix or rectify the situation as there was talking about the problems.
Limit Venting: As previously stated, venting is a perfectly normal, and often healthy, result of people working together. It is unreasonable to expect everyone to agree on all issues and it is also unrealistic to assume people don’t have issues with certain operations or coworkers. “The key is not to prohibit venting but instead put a time limit on it. Most people feel better just by stating their issues. If they are allowed to continue articulating their frustrations it often has the opposite effect. The employee is likely to become more entrenched in their bitterness or negativity and it will be harder to change their attitude later on. Coworkers can help one another by entertaining their vents for a specific period of time, say 10-15 minutes.” writes Jane Shirley, a business writer at BritStudent and Nextcoursework.
Speak With Coworkers: This is particularly true when the venting is targeted at a specific individual or group. Often it is the case that the individual or group in question does not know they are doing something that is bothering those around them. Many people will be thankful to know that some action of theirs is creating issues for people as most do not want to be disliked by the group they are a member of.
If one does decide to speak directly with a coworker about their behavior or conduct it is best done in a private setting away from others. Failure to do so may result in resentment and further alienation.
Michael Dehoyos is an editor and content marketer at PhD Kingdom and Academic Brits. He works closely with companies and organizations to develop personalized marketing strategies to reach more clients and grow brand recognition. He is also a writer and has contributed to several publications. Most of his work can be viewed at Assignment Help.
