What can cause challenges in the workplace?

While challenges are a natural part of any workplace, they often present valuable opportunities for growth and improvement. Understanding the contributing factors can help you create a supportive, positive environment.

Some challenges may include:

• Professional relationships
• Communication gaps or differing communication styles
• Role clarity
• Recognition and appreciation for achievements
• Work-life balance

As an employer, your influence lies within the company, which can be used to:

• Minimize the internal factors that contribute to challenges in the workplace.
• Offer support and flexibility for workers who are dealing with issues caused by external factors.
• Implement policies or programs that could resolve common problems.

To help managers and company leaders navigate workplace challenges, provide the training, tools and resources they need to implement effective management strategies to help guide and encourage employees affected by internal and external issues.

Why is it important to resolve challenges at work?

Helping your team overcome challenges is an important part of leading a business. Taking action to fix problems helps prevent them from growing into more serious issues that affect morale and productivity. It also lets employees know you’re dedicated to building a respectful, safe and welcoming environment. Over time, this process can create a stronger company culture, improve job satisfaction and create a higher employee retention rate.

How to manage workplace challenges

When company leaders take action to identify and resolve challenges in the workplace, it can create a more positive and productive environment. These strategies can help you address problems effectively.

1. Acknowledge and identify the problem

Acknowledge that a problem exists, and identify the issue. Try to be as specific as possible, and document examples of the problem. Is the issue limited to a single team or employee? Does it happen all the time, or is it limited to specific days?

For example, you might notice that the design team is consistently missing deadlines. To define the scope of the problem, you could ask the team manager to compile a list of delayed assignments, identifying the root causes and whether it’s resource challenges, unclear expectations or workload imbalances.

2. Ask for feedback from employees

If you’ve identified a concern involving specific team members, arrange a private, one-on-one meeting to discuss it. Approach the conversation with curiosity and a collaborative mindset, seeking their input and insights on the issue.

Whenever possible, give employees time to prepare for the meeting so they can share their perspective openly. Reassure them that your goal is to identify the underlying cause of the challenge and work together to find a constructive solution. Leading with empathy and recognizing their positive contributions before addressing concerns helps foster a productive and positive dialogue.

3. Create an action plan and document it

Once you’ve identified the problem and the cause, work with the employee or team to create a plan of action. Document the steps the company, the manager and the employee will take to resolve the problem. It’s also helpful to let the employee know you are available to offer support and guidance.

The exact steps depend on the problem. If there’s an issue with an employee’s performance, your action plan might establish expectations, identify specific actions the employee will take and define the metrics the manager will use to measure progress. When the employee is struggling with a personal issue, you might offer flex time, unpaid leave or access to resources such as counseling.

An employee assistance program (EAP) or open-door policy can also support employees facing personal and professional obstacles. These offerings allow employees to share their concerns with a manager or licensed professional.

4. Follow up consistently

Check in regularly with the employee to discuss their progress and provide additional feedback. Review the plan of action, and make adjustments as necessary. Following up on the issue lets the worker know that you’re serious about working together toward a solution. It also gives you an opportunity to build a stronger relationship and recognize the employee’s efforts.

Common challenges in the workplace and how to resolve them

Here are some examples of workplace challenges and ways to address them to help support employee wellbeing and company success.

Communication issues

Open communication is essential for most successful businesses. Freely sharing information and ideas makes it easier to innovate and keep projects on schedule.

While many companies strive for a culture of open communication, the process often comes with challenges. For example, you might notice that teams and departments aren’t sharing information effectively, leading to bottlenecks or repeated work. In some cases, a vocal majority might overshadow other perspectives.

Communication issues aren’t limited to employees. A lack of transparency from company leaders can create confusion in the workforce. And if managers aren’t communicating effectively, it may impact team morale and productivity.

A diverse workforce can bring together people from varying backgrounds, cultures and professional experiences. Because differences in communication styles and skills can lead to misunderstandings, it may take time for employees to build trust and develop an effective communication process.

Here are a few ways to prevent challenges and poor communication:

• Create a communication policy that requires respectful behavior and dialogue.
• Ask for input and address it by making necessary changes.
• Provide communication training.
• Give everyone a chance to speak in meetings.
• Establish standard communication channels and practices.
• Encourage discussion of individual communication differences and preferences.
• Embrace transparency at all levels.
• Use collaboration platforms to share information across teams and with remote workers.

Interpersonal conflict

When your company has many different people working closely together, it can lead to interpersonal challenges. Varying personalities, incompatible working styles and differences in goals or values can lead to disagreements.

Conflicts can also arise when employees try to secure resources, power or recognition. For example, your sales director and marketing director might disagree about who has the authority to determine how to position a new product in the market.

It’s important to address interpersonal conflicts before they escalate. Meet with both parties, and ask them to communicate their concerns clearly. You can ask that everyone listen carefully and respectfully; the goal is to understand the other person’s perspective. Then, work together to develop a compromise.

When a conflict is serious, consider bringing in HR to help you mediate. HR employees can also help you understand how company policies impact the situation and recommend appropriate solutions.

Inadequate work-life balance

A lack of work-life balance is a common challenge in companies of all sizes. When employees experience stress from work or personal commitments, it can sometimes affect their performance, productivity and behavior.

Work-life imbalances can arise when:

• Workers take on new job responsibilities.
• Personal situations cause stress.
• Company policies don’t allow flexibility for employees to handle issues outside of work.
• Managers’ styles conflict with employees’ needs.
• Employees work more hours to cover rising costs or unexpected expenses.

Encouraging employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance can have long-term benefits for the business. It can reduce stress, prevent burnout, reduce employee turnover and create a more productive and positive workplace.

Consider using these strategies to promote work-life balance:

• Offer flexible schedules or work-from-home days to help employees manage personal situations.
• Encourage workers to take their vacation and sick days.
• Avoid work communication outside of business hours.
• Ensure that employee workloads are manageable.
• Reinforce the importance of breaks.
• Invite employees to talk to you about challenges and struggles.

Make sure to lead by example. When managers and company leaders make self-care a priority, employees may feel more confident doing the same for themselves.

Ineffective management styles

Managers are an important part of your business. Because they often have more contact with employees than other leaders, managers can influence employee morale and productivity.

Leading a team successfully involves understanding and adapting to each person’s personality, abilities and working style. It also requires managers to allow employees a certain level of trust and autonomy. When managers aren’t able to adjust their methods and leadership style to meet the needs of the team, it can create challenges. Employees may lose motivation or be afraid to speak up.

Training and coaching can help resolve many managerial conflicts. Depending on the situation, you might provide training in communication, career development, management, cultural understanding and inclusivity. Provide a way for employees to give confidential feedback, such as a comment box or employee surveys. Their insights can help you develop effective training programs and address challenges within your team.

Low performance or productivity

Employees keep your company running smoothly. When their performance or productivity drops, it can affect the whole business. Signs of performance issues include missed deadlines, reduced work quality or lower output.

A variety of factors can impact productivity. Common causes and solutions may include:

• Ineffective time management: Employees who struggle to manage their time effectively may also have problems turning in work on time. Managers can help by teaching employees how to prioritize tasks, avoid distractions and allocate time. This may include helping them set specific, measurable, achievable, related and time-bound (SMART) goals that provide short-term milestones.
• Overload: When an employee’s workload is too much, they may feel overwhelmed and unable to make progress. Managers should reevaluate each person’s job duties regularly to ensure they can reasonably complete their tasks in a standard work week.
• Lack of training: If workers don’t have the skills to complete their jobs efficiently, they may not be able to meet performance and productivity standards. For example, an employee who is inexperienced in a graphic design program may take twice as long to create a poster or an ad. By providing ongoing training in workflows, equipment, processes, tools and technology, you can build a more agile and productive workforce.
• Unclear expectations: When workers don’t understand the goals of their role, it can have a direct impact on performance. To ensure everyone has clarity about their duties, you can set clear expectations during onboarding and periodically through one-on-one meetings and performance reviews. It can also be helpful for managers to work with employees to create individual goals.

Insufficient employee recognition

Recognition is one way to thank employees for their work and reinforce the value they bring to your company. A lack of recognition can have a detrimental effect on performance, loyalty, morale and productivity.

To ensure your workforce feels appreciated, work with leaders and managers to develop a more robust employee recognition program. Start with simple practices, such as observing employees and thanking them for their contributions. You can also recognize team members during meetings, hand out awards or host occasional celebrations.

FAQs about resolving a problem in the workplace

What is an example of a challenging situation at work?

A common challenging situation at work can happen when an employee is asked to cover a colleague’s responsibilities while they’re on vacation or leave. If the employee is already busy with their own work, they may not have enough time to complete the new duties. A better solution might be to delegate smaller tasks among multiple employees or to bring in a temporary employee.

What are the signs that employees are facing a challenge?

Changes in behavior or output often indicate that one or more employees are dealing with a challenging situation. Look for signs including:

• Changes in attitude, mood or motivation
• Lack of participation in discussions and brainstorming sessions
• Diminished quality of work

When a problem isn’t addressed, it can create broader issues, such as an increase in employee turnover or a higher call-out rate. You might also notice that employees are less willing to work together as a team or develop innovative solutions.