Minimizing Drama

Put a group of creative people into a room. Challenge them to do outstanding work. Demand that they use all of their skills. Give them a tight deadline. Provide some guidance, then step out of the way.

If you've got a good group of people you'll get some really good results. It'll be tight, it'll be what you wanted, it may be better than you hoped for.

But along with good results, you'll probably get a lot of drama on the way.

Why is that? Why is it that when you put a bunch of skilled, creative people together you end up with catfights, gossip and innuendo, and occasionally some screaming and hair-pulling? Where do all the drama queens come from? It's so common that we expect it...no one sees the interpersonal conflict on Project Runway or America's Next Top Model and says "oh, that's SO unrealistic." But the only way to deal with it is to understand where it comes from.

First of all, consider that the really good people are going to set high standards for themselves. As a result, they probably expect everyone around them to meet the same standards, and when that doesn't happen, conflict erupts. (I know I'm guilty of this a lot) Also, if anyone does anything that might keep them from meeting those high self-standards, then that person is viewed as a problem and is dealt with accordingly.

One reason people feel comfortable setting high personal standards is because they think highly of their own skills. So if there's any critique of those skills, any hint that someone else thinks they aren't as good as they thought, the defenses go up immediately and instead of listening to something that may be constructive (or might not have even been a critique) you get two people either talking without listening to each other, or not talking at all (it's tough to tell which is worse).

In a lot of cases you bring together people with a mix of skills. That's obvious in something like website design, where you've got coders, designers, content providers, ad people, and so on. But even in a hair salon you're likely to have people who specialize in color vs hair, or in mens' cuts vs women's, and they will all have their own view on how things should get done based on the perspective they bring. If those various opinions differ, well then, you get conflict.

Not only do your employees bring different skills, they also have different options available for using them. In a bureaucracy, where everything will get done tomorrow the same way it got done yesterday, you don't have a lot of choices to make. But in a creative environment where things could get done many different ways there will be as many opinions as there are options. When someone's path doesn't get chosen you've got the opportunity for some drama right there.

And of course, people are often drawn to creative endeavors because they have a particular temperament that's suited for it, and one aspect of that is often a flair for the dramatic. Alas.

So how do you deal with it? How do you keep the drama to a minimum? Well, you need to realize it's pretty likely to occur and deal with it in advance, before behavior patterns get established, feelings get hurt, people storm out, lawsuits get filed, etc.

Bring your employees together and see how well they mesh.

Try to keep people who despise each other away from each other.

Help them learn about each other's strengths, and about individual work styles, so they don't get surprised later.

Nip the problem in the bud by making it clear during hiring interviews that this is a drama-free zone.

Have an opportunity for feedback and constructive dialogue so people can vent their frustration in a less confrontational way.

Discourage (but don't prohibit) inter-office dating.

Given that enclosed spaces can lead to high tensions it can be tempting to think that having remote distance workers will solve your drama problem. On the one hand it can reduce the face-to-face screaming, but it can also increase the behind-the-back whispering (or texting). You also miss out on the bonding that can occur between colleagues which can reduce friction, and further, you can limit the opportunity for people to learn about and understand each other's particular talents, which could also help minimize the conflict.

Whatever happens, do your best to keep your drama away from your customers. That's not what they're paying for and they don't want to hear it. Be honest, do YOU want to hear a cashier complaining about the long hours he's working or a flight attendant going on and on about how horrible passengers are? Does it inspire confidence in a client to hear the hairstylist say "I could just kill everyone in here right now!" while holding a pair of recently-sharpened shears? No no no no no. Whatever internal issues are going on, once the client walks into the room it's time for smiles on everyone's faces, or else a quick boot out the back door.

And finally, don't be afraid to let people go if they are more trouble than they're worth. At the same time, bear in mind that if they're worth it, you may have to put up with some screaming and hair-pulling. Such is life.

Bottom line: drama is a part of life but it's not inevitable, and it CAN be managed. And if all else fails, maybe you can just work them so hard that they're too tired to complain about anything.