Family dynamics are a sight to behold. Any parent with two or more kids can probably go on for hours about interactions between the siblings — amusing, horrifying, endearing, frightening stories that form the stuff of family legend. The time kids spend with each other can alternate between stiflingly boring to over-the-top dramatic.
People being people, these same kids one day grow up and enter the workforce. To a lesser or greater degree they often bring along their all-too-human habits and tendencies. As anyone who has spent time among a group of co-workers in an office can attest, that gives rise to “workplace drama.” This is such good stuff that it has been the raw material for such classic TV shows as The Office.
Unfortunately, drama in real-life workplaces is often pernicious. Writing for Forbes.com, Mark Murphy says, “A Leadership IQ study found that employees who work in high-drama environments experience increased stress, decreased engagement, and lower productivity. This is because drama isn’t just annoying — it’s actively harmful. Emotional overreactions create confusion, amplify negativity, and derail meaningful work.”
The good news is that there are ways to prevent ordinary friction between employees from bursting into flame. Murphy offers five insights that can help you do exactly that.
“The Fix: Flip the Script with Facts.” There’s more than a grain of truth to the old saying that perception is reality. In this situation, drama in the workplace is usually fundamentally based on emotion. If a person is upset about some incident, they typically tell a colleague or supervisor about it — often in highly emotional language. If the colleague or supervisor reacts in kind, watch out — things just got more intense. Perceiving a situation as being on the verge of chaos makes the situation chaotic. Murphy offers an alternative: “When a dramatic coworker bursts in with an exaggerated story, they’re looking for a response. They want you to gasp, to panic, to validate their extreme interpretation. Instead, respond with four powerful words: ‘Just the facts, please.’” Simply insisting on an objective description of the issue, then, is the first step toward dousing the dramatic flames.
“Why This Approach Works.” Ask any stand-up comedian: how do you feel if your audience sits on their hands, quiet and motionless? The answer is… deflated. Comedy — and drama — depend on an emotional reaction. There’s a significant benefit to this approach: “Responding with facts sets the tone for rational problem-solving and fosters long-term trust among coworkers,” Murphy says. “When employees see that decisions are made based on clear, objective information rather than emotional reactions, they feel more secure in their workplace interactions. Over time, this consistency builds confidence in leadership and encourages open, honest communication throughout the organization.”
“Controlling the Tone = Controlling the Conversation.” This is a key insight that anyone in leadership should understand. A person’s calm reaction can keep the interaction on track. That reaction includes body language and tone of voice. Staying collected and returning to the need for an objective description of events effectively controls the direction and nature of the conversation.
“Adapting Your Communication Style to Reduce Drama.” Mark Murphy’s company, Leadership IQ, has a quiz that lets a person assess their communication style. It’s based on a theory that there are four styles of communication: Personal, Intuitive, Analytical or Functional. If a leader’s style is personal — which means they value emotional connections and interpersonal relationships — they may unknowingly contribute to the drama. Defusing an emotional situation requires a different style of communication. If you know your own style of communication, then you can consciously adapt it based on the situation. “Adapting to these styles can help shift conversations away from emotional reactions and toward rational problem-solving,” Murphy says, “ensuring a more productive and balanced workplace.”
“The Broader Impact on Workplace Culture.” People get enough drama in their personal lives — in the workplace they typically just want to focus on the job at hand. This general observation is backed up by recent studies. “This approach also aligns with the research on workplace engagement,” writes Murphy. “Teams that operate with clear communication and minimal emotional distractions experience higher productivity with less time wasted on gossip and panic, lower stress levels as employees feel more in control of their work environment, and better decision-making because facts lead to informed choices, not reactionary chaos.”
The lesson is clear: Cut out the workplace drama and watch productivity rise.