Business leaders and managers should not have to tolerate bad behaviour from employees. And serious staff misconduct can have a very negative impact on a business, from its reputation to how it functions on a day-to-day basis.
Disciplinary procedures are put in place to be able to deal with certain employee issues, but this is tackling the symptom of the problem rather than the cause.
“The real solution to disciplinary issues is in changing the climate of the business,” states Lisa Gower of Ubuntu HR.
Behaviour and Feelings
“Trust is a huge influence on climate change in business. As a leader you need to be seen as trustworthy but at the same time you need to be able to place trust in those who work for you, and to be seen to be doing it”
Lisa Gower, Ubuntu HR
The climate of a workplace is how the people in it feel about it. If this two-way trust exists, then the climate is far more likely to be productive, and positive. If leaders fail to instil trust, and fail to show it, this will have a negative impact on the climate.
“There is, of course, the opposite problem, where leaders give staff too much of a free reign, or too much responsibility without the right amount of guidance,” Lisa says.
Re-engaging With Staff
If people are not meeting the demands of their job role then it becomes a question of accountability.
“There may be a need for disciplinary procedures, but leaders also must reflect on the balance of responsibility and whether their own style of leadership is accountable for poor performance”
Lisa Gower, Ubuntu HR
“Can leaders get their staff back on track? In situations where they have given people too much responsibility, they need to provide the right level of training and coaching to ensure that people’s abilities are in line with their responsibilities,” suggests Lisa.
In other circumstances, it might be a case of looking at ways of motivating staff or discovering why they are disengaged.
“Building a climate of trust and of making people feel valued and heard requires persistence and self-awareness on the part of leaders,” Lisa concludes. “Ultimately this climate change provides a better environment for business growth.”
To discover how to improve the climate in your workplace, please call Ubuntu HR on 0161 478 8293 or visit ubuntuhr.co.uk
To read more of Lisa Gower’s views on this issue, please:
- Read her LinkedIn post, Employee Productivity: How Can Changing Your Climate Help?
- Read her interview, Why Should HR Be More Than Your Emergency Service?
