By David Giuliano, Business Coach

For over 40 years I have worked in the business world and I’ve learned many lessons. One of the most important aspects of business success is a work environment where people feel safe, can communicate honestly, and grow as a whole.  Having an unsafe environment causes the most damage to the owner of the business.  This might seem like a no-brainer, but the truth is in this day and age, it’s extremely hard to maintain a healthy work environment, but very necessary to do so.

My work has shown me that if we can address conflicts and bring peace to and within the organization, it can prosper. Many businesses have disruptive environments festering for years but become very used to them and accept them as their “normal”.  Not addressing these issues creates a blindness, can breed a victim mentality, and can happen in a completely unconscious way.

The reason we avoid these issues is because we don’t know what we can really do about them.  Conflict is uncomfortable, as is change.  However, you are doing your entire office a disservice by not properly addressing the issues that may be going on in your firm.

When you think about your practice and the working environment for your support staff and associates, ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have a lot of staff call in “sick”?
• Is there a lot of office drama or gossip?
• Does your staff seem excited or happy when they come into work?
• Do employees have a clearly defined line of communication to report to a supervisor or leader?
• Are your employees productive and motivated to do their job?
• Are there issues of potential nepotism or favoritism in your company?
• Could the issue be YOU, the business owner?  Are you clearly and professionally communicating your expectations and needs?
• Do you have a lot of employee turnover?

All of these things can be signs that something is going on in your office that needs to be addressed.  It can be extremely challenging to navigate, especially on your own.  This is the kind of stuff that no schooling or CE courses can really help you with, but that will fundamentally affect the success of your business.  Addressing these issues in your practice can be one of the greatest benefits to give not only to yourself, but to your staff and also to your clients.  Employees that feel heard, valued, respected and safe in the workplace are likely to be far more productive, pleasant to work for and with, and generally happier people as a whole.

But, this is not something to be done on your own if you don’t have the experience of doing so.  By bringing in a coach, a neutral third party, you can make the work environment safe, handle conflict with the greatest sensitivity, and generally elevate communication within the entire practice.

My clients have used me in this capacity to restore trust and support them through these ever-changing challenges. Results have been lower employee turnover, doubling their annual revenues, and maybe most importantly, creating a newfound peace for themselves and their organization. The bigger the challenges, the greater the benefits will be.

If you are interested in learning more about how I can help you, please feel free to contact me directly at (201) 264-6422 or by e-mail at dgmediate@gmail.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Giuliano realized his true calling after a highly successful, 25-year career in the automotive industry. It was his gift of conflict resolution, which ultimately led him to the world of professional coaching. David went back to school to hone his natural abilities and earn the professional credentials needed. As a student at The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (IPEC), he realized that the fundamental key to life is being able to connect with other people, to information and to living in general. This insight became the impetus for his mantra “it’s all about connection.”  In 2008, David founded Without Boundaries Coaching and since then he has successfully served hundreds of business professionals and small to mid-size companies with conflict resolution and business expansion support. His coaching practice is built not just on theory or what he learned in coaching programs, but largely as a result of boots on the ground business experience. David recently moved back to New Jersey and through his company, Giuliano Mediation & Consulting, LLC, he is servicing numerous clients in all kinds of industries across the country.  David can be reached at (201) 264-6422 or by e-mail at dgmediate@gmail.com.