Avoid Workplace Drama by Focusing on Company Goals

RCS Influencers Ashley and Seth Pietsch say that setting expectations with a mission statement can help you maintain a team that lives out your core values.  

If you mention “toxic employees” chances are that everyone in the room will have a story or an experience to share. From anger management issues, inappropriate office talk, or the chronic complainer, and everything else in between, we’ve all been subjected to it. So, what can we do about it? 

Start with a thoughtful discussion. Sometimes people are reacting to things outside of work and don’t even realize the negative atmosphere they are creating in the workplace. By gently bringing their behavior to light they can reflect and hopefully make the necessary adjustments. 

Obviously, this doesn’t always go smoothly, there could be pushback. If so, referring to your employee handbook can be helpful. This can be used as a reminder that they knew the expectations from the beginning and that you are not just being petty, you are enforcing the rules to ensure everyone is comfortable in their work environment. 

Sometimes the behavior might need to be addressed on the spot, in a respectful way of course. Offering up, “You seem frustrated, how can I help?” or “Did you have some constructive criticism you wanted to share?” this can make them feel seen, let’s them know you’ve noticed the bad behavior, and also let’s fellow employees know that you are making strives to better the situation. 

When all of these measures have been taken, warnings have been given, and the toxicity continues, sometimes there is no choice but to cut your losses and make the hard choice to let the employee go. Company culture is so important to running a successful business, where not only the company is thriving but your employees are too because they feel safe and supported when they are working. Sacrificing that sense of inclusion and security no matter how much monetary value the toxic employee brings will no doubt eventually lead to the rest of your team feeling frustrated, alienated and like you are choosing money over human connection. 

At Integrity Insurance and Bonding, we pride ourselves on being a team and living out our core values. Every other week we have a team meeting and we read our mission statement, vision statement, and core values to keep them fresh in everyone’s mind and to ensure that we are all working towards a common goal, personally and professionally. The workplace should not be a place of anxiety. We can’t do our best work if we are worried about what kind of drama, ridicule or inappropriate behavior we will be subjected to daily. 

So, cheers to choosing great employees and being brave enough to have tough conversations when needed, to making your place of business a happy and healthy place for employees to come and be productive and grow together as a team. 

Our mission, vision and core values 

Mission statement 

Our mission at Integrity Insurance is to secure the future of our customers, agents, employees and community. We do this by being intentional about living our brand every day. With honesty, transparency and consistency being of the utmost importance we work hard to exceed all expectations. Our goal is to provide the best coverage with exceptional service, while developing lasting relationships with the greater purpose of creating a positive impact that spreads into our communities. 

Vision statement 

Our vision is to set the standard of excellence among insurance agencies while expressing our values through our actions. 

Core values 

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcomes. Our growth is based on mutual success surrounding these values. When our customers and our employees grow, we grow. 

Honesty is the foundation that trust is built upon. At Integrity we will earn your trust by holding ourselves to the highest level of ethical standards. 

Transparency is the antidote to hypocrisy. At Integrity we value and encourage open minds who speak thoughtfully and respect diversity, giving everyone a chance to be seen and heard. 

Consistency is what transforms average into excellence. At Integrity we relentlessly strive to produce high-quality experiences. We’re constantly developing, testing and improving to make sure we are delivering our very best personally and professionally. 

Slogan

“Where Honesty, Transparency & Consistency is Bound” 

Seth Pietsch is the president and Ashley Pietsch is vice president of Integrity Insurance & Bonding Inc. See Seth’s full bio here and Ashley’s full bio here.