Address the Elephant in the Room: Working through Employee Frustration
In the workplace, frustration can eventually lead to disagreements between people and even anger. We all deal with frustration and disappointment, especially when things don’t go the way we want or expect. It is best for management to help others work through their frustration for the benefit of the entire team.
Here are some tips from the People HR Blog to consider the next time you have a frustrated employee:
- Have a brief, private talk with the employee and acknowledge the problem
- Begin to ask questions that will help employees rationalize the problem and see that it is temporary – Use questions with the word “why”
- Help the employee analyze the situation and own any facets that they may have contributed
- Discuss things that can be changed by the employee to help improve the situation
- Listen carefully and don’t interrupt – Sometimes the employee only wants to be heard. Many times once they feel validated, they can turn this frustration into positive energy
- Let the employee know that you have heard them and are here to support them. Also, thank them for confiding in you
- Try to help the employee focus on the future with questions like: How can they use this experience in the future? What is the take-away from this experience?
- Don’t rush the conversation or the employee. Let them work through the problem themselves and find their own solution
By dealing with frustration in the workplace you can maintain a productive team, keep morale high and help ensure the team is working together effectively.
https://www.peoplehr.com/blog/2015/08/11/how-to-help-your-employees-overcome-frustration-at-work/