Q: It seems as if there is constant tension in our office. I wish we could avoid it, but many of us experience a lot of stress. What can we do to resolve the tension and make life more peaceful at work?

A: Tension in the workplace is not uncommon; in fact, I suspect many people reading your points — and question — would say that it reminds them of their own work environment.

We’ll never completely eliminate tension, of course, but if we can determine what causes it (not always an easy matter), then we’ve taken a significant step to reducing it.

You’ve probably already noticed there are people in your company or organization who seem oblivious to stress: they happily go about their day calmly doing their jobs.

You have other employees, however, who seem to be troubled by virtually anything: they experience considerable stress, which can frequently be shared with co-workers.

So, it’s important to realize there are certain personality types who can aggravate the level of tension in an office. You may not be able to change them, but you can at least be aware of their potential influence.

It is also worth noting tension is often a symptom of unresolved conflict. A supervisor may have disciplined an employee unfairly, perhaps a word was said in anger, or it could even relate to something surprisingly trivial.

Finding the source of the unresolved conflict — and addressing it — can have a positive impact on reducing stress.

And, take a moment to look at your own responsibility for the level of stress (and tension) in the office.

Are you a voice for harmony? Do you try to understand what is causing certain employees to be “stressed out”?

Make every attempt to be a peace-maker and try to resolve tension before it even has the opportunity to take root in your office.

A positive attitude can do wonders and you’ll discover that tension, in many cases, can be resolved through empathetic listening to the expressed concerns of co-workers.

Submit your confidential questions relating to work and office life to simongibson@shaw.ca.