26Reducing Workplace Drama:
How It Harms Your Company and How to Shut It Down
From time to time, most of us have experienced or even contributed to workplace drama. It can take many different forms: people gossip, spread rumors, complain, lash out emotionally, rant about a perceived wrong, purposely exclude others, take sides in conflicts, and so forth. No matter how drama manifests, it can be a highly destructive force inside a company.
Drama contributes to a less professional workplace. It creates bad feelings and lowers morale. It keeps people from being able to work together effectively. It tears teams apart. For all of these reasons, workplace drama hurts productivity. Ultimately, it creates the kind of culture that drives away high performers and keeps you from attracting great talent.
We need to realize that those who create workplace drama aren’t always doing it intentionally. Sometimes their behavior is driven by insecurity, fear, or other undealt-with emotional issues. But in most cases I believe drama stems from people not knowing how to handle conflict. I get it. Facing conflict head on and having tough conversations with people isn’t easy or comfortable for anyone. Yet it’s crucial for leaders to know how to do both. (See Chapters 13 and 14 for more on these subjects.)
Great leaders take a zero-tolerance stance against drama. Their behavior and their words let employees know they value a drama-free environment where people cultivate healthy, respectful, collaborative ...