As recruiters we hear people complain all day long about their companies and the people in their companies, which is usually why they are seeking new employment. We also hear companies complain daily about their staff and management, which is why we get recruitment assignments to replace them. Aggression in the workplace has always been a key factor in contributing to the disruption and downfall of teamwork and team spirit and can be seen as one of the main factors in company headcount turnover.

There are hundreds of reasons for aggression in the workplace, and every company experiences it, some even on a constant basis. The following are some of the more common situations and how they can be remedied:

When Team Members Do Not Get Along

A lot of times people are forced to work in pre-established teams, on projects together. Due to personality, intellectual, maturity, and creative levels, rank, social differences, envy and a host of other reasons, chances are high that not all people on the team are going to get along. The problem is when the aggression gets so out of hand that the project suffers and team members become stressed and de-motivated.

If the team members cannot work out the problems themselves quickly, then management should intervene. If management cannot help to remedy the situation between the aggressive team members, then he or she should pull those members out of the project and replace them with others. The project getting done successfully is most important, followed closely by the team enjoying working aggression-free on the project together.

When Colleagues Do Not Get Along

This happens often and for the same reasons mentioned above. When it gets to the point of aggressive behavior, management must step in and attempt to remedy the situation. This should be done by hearing both sides fairly and then trying to bring a compromise to the situation. It is so important to really try to understand everyone’s point of view as all people are very different from one another –it takes a good ‘people’ manager to be able to do this. If conflict resolution is not their strength, a top executive or line manager should consider reverting the task to a really good HR specialist. Should the aggression still persist, a decision should be made to either separate the two colleagues into different divisions, or remove one or both from the company entirely.

Any aggressive behavior in an office, affects not only the targeted people, but also everyone else around witness to it. High productivity comes from a friendly hard-working office; take the aggressors out and that is what you will have again.

When Boss and Subordinate Do Not Get Along

This happens often and for lots of reasons: the boss finds the employee incompetent and/or the employee find the boss incompetent, or one finds the other to be aggressive or bullying, corrupt, rude, too demanding, discriminatory and/or other reasons.

If the boss is a line manager than it is worth attempting to get a higher management member involved to attempt to understand and remedy the situation, even if it is only simple communication issues. Good management should want to know what the issues in the office are, so that he or she can settle them immediately and fairly and get everyone back to focusing on work and productivity.

If the boss is high up in the company, at the top or in strong close relations with those at the top, an attempt should still be made to work through the issues at hand, if the subordinate really wants to work for the company. However, if that tactic does not work and top management is unapproachable, it is simply probably best for the subordinate to look for new employment at a different company.

In my role over the past 9 years as CEO of Staffwell, I have always tried to make clear to all employees, that they should always feel comfortable coming to talk to me about any problems they are having with other office members, no matter what their rank. This tactic has helped me keep some very good people in our company over the years, whom might have left otherwise, due to issues they had at one time or other with their direct report.

When the Work is Not Interesting or Satisfying

There is no doubt that employees can turn hostile, unproductive, bored and depressed, when their work is not satisfying to them. Unfortunately most employees have a fear of speaking up to management about their issues, so their resulting aggressive reactions tend to amplify over time, all to the detriment to the productivity of the company.

Initial and ongoing recruitment is highly important. First try to hire the ‘right’ people into the role, then stay on top of them to understand if they are continually productive in the role and remain the ‘right’ people for the role. Always have a plan in place to shift good workers to other roles if they require and deserve new challenges, and always be looking for others to fill the roles that have higher turnover.

Some employees will always have a tendency to be hostile, unproductive, bored or depressed, no matter what role they are in. These are the people you want to identify and rid the company of as soon as possible. There are always much better people to hire on the market, who will want to work hard in the role and for the company.

When People and Their Contributions are Neglected

Employees, including all levels of management, need feedback and attention. When people and their contributions, however good or bad, are neglected, they feel alone and undervalued and take on a dislike for their job, superiors, and the company. Top management down need to keep in touch with all employees on a somewhat regular basis.

Praise and, if possible, promotions should be given to those doing a superior job, and constructive criticism followed by encouragement for those needing to improve or be refocused. This should be an important part of the official job responsibilities of all management, and if practiced will help companies keep their desired better performers.

When People Do Not like the Company they Work For

Not everyone likes the company they work for. Maybe it’s the products or services they sell, the company values, the operations, and/or the direction the company is taking. If someone is declaring their dislike for their company, it is best to find out about it and approach them as soon as possible. Again, any aggressive behavior by a person or group affects everyone else around them negatively and slows productivity.

Find out what the dislikes are, work on fixing them if you find they should or could be fixed, and then determine whether the person or group’s attitudes could then improve along with their productivity and those effected around them.

After firm attempts to remedy the situation, let go of any people still causing disruptions to the productivity and spirit of the company. You are better off without them and there are always much better people available on the market (possibly internally and definitely externally) to replace them with.

When People are Treated Unfairly

Aggression is a somewhat natural resulting emotion when people are treated unfairly in the workplace, especially when it happens repeatedly. However, again, it negatively affects the productivity and spirit of that employee and usually everyone else around them.

Top management should ensure that their companies have clear policies that all levels of management should sign onto, which prohibit the unfair treatment of employees. This should cut down on aggression in the workplace, demand that management adhere to ethical conduct, improve the spirit and productivity of all employees, and gain more employee loyalty and respect for the company.

Perpetrators, who repeatedly treat other unfairly, thus causing the aggression in others, should be replaced by better candidates.

When People are Discriminated Against

Age, birthplace, societal rank, height, weight, success, religion, appearance, political affiliations, beliefs, hobbies, personality, are just a few of the things people in the workplace are discriminated against for. Employees and management who discriminate against others can be aggressive in their tactics, and people and management who are discriminated against, may defend themselves by acting out aggressively in the workplace, either verbally or physically.

Again, it is up to top management to create clear policies to prohibit discrimination in the workplace. They then need to be signed off on by all management and employees, and have serious consequences, including dismissal, for repeat offenders. When people know what the rules of the company are, they tend to follow them. It’s when there are no rules or policies in place that companies organically create an unruly, unfair and unethical environment, where the worst can come out in the people working there.

Personal Issues

When a person in the office starts acting aggressively without obvious reason, chances are highly possible that something in their personal life is causing their aggression at the office. Illness, ending relationship or relationship issues, money issues, victim of crime, or many other reasons, could cause unexplained aggression in the workplace from people. A lot of people internalize personal issues (keep them to themselves) but then externalize the stress from the issues, by acting out aggressively in the office toward others, many times without reason, and often without even realizing they are doing it.

In these cases, a direct report, HR Specialist, or more senior management member should get involved. A private meeting to sensitively discuss the complaints against the individual (without mentioning names) should be organized. Try to find out what the underlying issues are, and then if possible, offer any help or solutions to the person. The faster you can get the person, and those working around the person, back to 100% productivity for you, the better.

Then keep a close eye on the person to track that the aggression subsides appropriately. If it does not, issues warnings to the person that if they do not stop their aggressive behavior, they will risk losing their job.

Summary

Companies can be compared to Kindergartens at times, where natural born aggressors and those reacting to aggressors in aggressive ways, develop and carry out their sometimes destructive tactics. Good teachers create clear rules for the class to adhere to and punish any repeat offenders. Really bad kids are asked to leave the school permanently, because they disrupt everyone’s progress.

Good top management at companies, if they don’t already have it, should create similar rules, policies and procedures, which will reduce the amount of aggressive behavior from the ‘bigger kids’ in the workplace.

Any aggression, especially ongoing aggression, can negatively affect the productivity and positive spirit of a company. Always try to resolve the issues, by objectively trying to comprehend the point of view of everyone involved, and offering sensible solutions. However, if the aggression persists, it will be better for the company to recruit and replace the antagonist(s) involved, so that maximum productivity and positive company and team spirit can be restored.

Published in General Director № 12, 2009 journal

Filed under HR/Recruitment, Stress Advice, Leadership/Management, Career Advice