Chaos in the workplace can often manifest as misunderstandings between colleagues, confusion with communication, disorder and disruptiveness, or even mayhem. As many people would agree, chaos feels like “everyone’s hair seems to be on fire.”
However, chaos doesn’t just happen overnight. It is something that starts small, but then grows out of control. In order to address chaos when it gets to that point, you need to first identify the underlying problems and ask, “What is being tolerated?”
Identifying Tolerations
Tolerations are simply issues that are being put up with in the workplace. Alone, they may not be earth-shattering, but when they add up, they can quickly become consuming and overwhelming for any team member or leader. These tolerations include:
- Complacency: A general acceptance of the status quo without striving for improvement.
- Behavioral Issues: Actions resulting in complaints from the public or coworkers.
- Resistance to Change: Individuals or groups who resist necessary changes and innovations while embracing the status quo.
- Personnel Problems: Ongoing issues with specific employees, such as bad attitudes or consistent rule violations.
- Small Infractions: Minor rule breaches that go unchecked but gradually undermine discipline and morale.
All these tolerances can weigh you and your workforce down, impacting morale and leading to that feeling of chaos.
Make a List of Tolerations
Start by making a comprehensive list of everything you tolerate in your workplace. Remember to include patterns of behavior that repeat themselves without a positive outcome. These are the things that, no matter what you do, never seem to get resolved. Prioritize this list from the easiest issues to resolve to the hardest.
Address Tolerations with the Right Approach
Now that you have your list, you need to decide whether you will continue to tolerate that item, or take proactive steps to address it. For each item on your list, ask yourself the following questions to determine the right approach:
- Why am I tolerating this?
- What do I need in order to fix it?
- What are the implications of continuing to tolerate this?
- How does tolerating this affect me or my team?
- Is this something I can resolve on my own, or do I need assistance from others?
Create Space for Action
- Unclutter Your Perceptions: Reduce stress, frustration, and anxiety.
- Increase Freedom and Energy: Focus on your priorities with more clarity.
- Enhance Proactive Management: Start seeing around corners and prevent more conflict from seeping in.
- Encourage Immediate Corrections: Address small annoyances promptly, preventing them from festering.
Turn Tolerations Into Triumphs
As you resolve each issue on your list, you will begin to experience a sense of relief and the feeling of chaos will ultimately decrease for you and your team members. Consider this simple example: a disorganized office with boxes on the floor can feel chaotic. Every time you walk into the office, you might get a sinking feeling that zaps your energy just by seeing the boxes there. However, if you spend just 30 minutes organizing the boxes each week and putting things back into place, that feeling of chaos will eventually be replaced with feelings of organization, control, steadiness, and triumph
Conclusion
Chaos in the workplace is inevitable, but tolerating it until it becomes a crisis is a choice. By identifying and addressing these tolerations, you can transform chaos into an opportunity for growth and improvement. This proactive approach stabilizes your organization and empowers you and your team to thrive in a more structured, efficient, and harmonious environment. Embrace the challenge of leading through chaos and turn disorder into triumph.
About Gina L. Osborn
Gina’s career began in the U.S. Army’s Counterintelligence Program investigating high-profile espionage cases in Germany at the end of the Cold War. After graduating from the FBI Academy in 1996, Gina became the only FBI agent on a task force addressing Asian organized crime in Orange County. Post-9/11, she coordinated counterterrorism efforts in Los Angeles and led the FBI’s Cyber and Computer Forensics Program, notably investigating the Sony Pictures hack. In 2022, as LA Metro’s Chief Safety Officer, she reduced violent crime by 34% before being unlawfully terminated after a whistleblower complaint. Now an international speaker and host of Lead Like a Lady podcast, Gina shares insights on leadership in male-dominated fields and inspires with her message to “just accomplish the mission.”
To learn more about Gina’s speaking topics and book her for your next event, visit www.ginalosborn.com.