In any business in the UAE, there is always a diverse mix of people categorised in many ways, including nationality, education and skills.

In a retail business environment, we manage employees in the warehouse, distribution, store and office. Each group brings their own skills, perceptions and expectations. This is an interesting challenge, yet one that requires thought and understanding to develop a harmonious and efficient team to deliver on the objectives.

Acknowledging this and identifying the staff that can have a positive impact on different teams is critical to avoiding, or even solving, workplace drama.

Common triggers

Firstly, the most frequent and obvious demands from the staff are around salary and benefits. It does not matter which role you work in, there is an expectation that you will earn more here than at home, no matter where you are from.

Unfortunately, these are often discussed and compared amongst peers, more so than in many other countries, leading to difficult conversations within the group and for the senior management team dealing with the demands, to try to keep a motivated team.

Secondly, employee frustration can manifest itself through bad management from direct line management. This is all too common and it is divisive. This can lead to more problems that are far less easily fixed than a conversation about salary.

Good workers can be good at their job, however not equipped to deal with others reporting into them at a managerial level. They need to be acting as a role model and listening to others’ frustrations to act on accordingly.

From experience, this leads to more office politics, disgruntlement and drama than any other reason or issue.

How you can manage workplace drama

The key is to accept that office drama will always be a part of any work environment and how you manage and mitigate is the key to a successful business. By employing people, you accept there are different personalities and aptitudes, but the critical element is the mindset of the team along with understanding.

What does each role need to deliver to achieve the overall objective and how do you make this happen?

In the warehouse

Manual labourers perform best when instructions are crystal clear and standard operating procedures are laid out for them to refer to. From personal experience, I have seen these employees sort out their own issues much faster than office-based staff. It is also important to have a manager in place who will listen to them vent and observe as well as understand the situation allowing them to come to the right conclusion.

In the office

Office-based situations can flare up quickly if not handled diplomatically. There are passionate office managers, attention-seeking ones and those who just get the job done without fuss. This group feels closer to the management by being in the office.

Leadership plays a key role in both scenarios; however, office-based staff feel and are often closer to it. Open communication needs to prevail, to show the team that no matter what idea they come up with or a heated discussion occurs, it is about the delivery of business objectives at the end of the day.

Evaluating all sides of the business, it is important to put in place clear guidelines for those in a position of management — demonstrating from the top down what this means. Tolerance, collaboration and trust are important messages within our business environment.

Businesses should also establish a process to escalate issues effectively through a well-documented grievance process that is clear from the first day of a new joiner.

If you are running a business, it should be focused on the bottom-line no matter the industry. Yet for most businesses, people are at the centre of making this a reality.

Office drama lowers morale and therefore lowers productivity. Creating a team and demonstrating the interest in, and management of, the individuals, managers and team is paramount to avoid unnecessary workplace drama, ensuring a profitable, yet happy business.

The writer is a member of Entrepreneurs Organisation and Director of Regal Group Holdings.