Manage peo[ple & promoting Collab

Creating a Drama-Free Workplace

The ways in which managers deal withor fail to deal withdrama and negativity in the workplace have far-reaching effects on the overall organizational culture. The average professional spends a significant portion of their lives in the workplace, so it would be sensible to ensure that it is as enjoyable an experience as possible. Although many people put up with toxic work environments, they also frequently leave those environments to be treated better. For those who stay, it can be expected that they would be less committed and connected to their job. Instead of thinking of ways to innovate or cut costs, they might spend their mental energy imagining what they will be doing on their next vacation. Leaders who strive to create a drama-free workplace do their part to avoid that outcome.

In this Discussion, you will recall an instance of workplace drama or negativity youve observed or experienced. You will then analyze the managers role in the experience and develop specific, behavioral suggestions for ways that same manager could have responded to foster a more positive overall environment.

Resources Required Resources

Have you ever wondered why one negative co-worker can drag down the feeling of an entire workplace? Through these resources, you will explore the very real benefits of a positive workplace culture as well as learn some tactics for dealing with workplace negativity and drama.

• NeSmith, M. (2025, April 11).
• . Bamboo HR. https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/5-pillars-for-building-a-positive-culture-hr-unplugged-ep-7
• Time Estimate: 6 minutes
• Taylor, B. (2020, February 17). . Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 24. http://hbr.org
• Time Estimate: 5 minutes
• White, P. (2018).
• . Personal Excellence, 23(4), 1920.
• Time Estimate: 5 minutes

More and more, leaders and organizations are understanding the costs of drama in the workplace. Using these resources, you will examine how to recognize drama and explore methods for helping you and your teams move beyond it to productive conflict and true effectiveness.

• McQuaid, M. (2019).
• Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/functioning-flourishing/201911/is-workplace-drama-wearing-you-down
• Time Estimate: 2 minutes
• Reality-Based Leadership. (2017, March 16).
• [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_57hBiOldw
• Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.
• Wakeman, C. (2018, June 13).
• [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uX2ZG1SIHk
• Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.

What does it mean to have a truly diverse, inclusive, equitable workplace? Many organizations talk about diversity, but it may not be reflective in their business practices. Using these resources, you will explore why creating an equitable workplace requires much more than surface-level diversity, as well as what makes an organization or team truly inclusive and how this drives not only positive social change but also strong organizational results.

• Chan, B. K. (2021).
• . Diversity for Social Impact. https://diversity.social/workplace-diversity-types/
• Time Estimate: 12 minutes
• Corritore, M., Goldberg, A., & Srivastava, S. B. (2020). . Harvard Business Review, 98(1), 7683.
• Time Estimate: 20 minutes
• Sherbin, L., & Rashid, R. (2017, January 31). . Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 25. http://hbr.org
• Time Estimate: 6 minutes

Managers play a key role in ensuring their teams and organizations are truly inclusive. Using these resources, you will investigate ways to develop your own skills in creating and maintaining truly inclusive work environments.

• Bourke, J., & Espedido, A. (2020, March 6). . Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 25. http://hbr.org
• Time Estimate: 6 minutes
• Bourke, J., & Espedido, A. (2019, March 29). . Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 25. http://hbr.org
• Time Estimate: 6 minutes
• Heath, K., & Wensil, B. F. (2019, September 6). . Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 25. http://hbr.org
• Time Estimate: 6 minutes
• Williams, J. C., & Mihaylo, S. (2019). . Harvard Business Review, 97(6), 151155.

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.

Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the resources from this week focusing on creating a drama-free workplace.
• Identify an examplefrom your own experienceeither of a workplace that was characterized by drama or negativity, or a singular incident involving drama or negativity that was poorly handled by management.
• Also consider the role of the manager in the situation.

By Day 3

Post an analysis of the role of a manager in influencing workplace culture and formulate some recommended managerial action steps for addressing drama and negativity and improving the workplace culture. Specifically:

• Describe, in detail, the situation involving workplace drama and/or negativity.
• Interpret the managers role in either fueling or permitting the drama or negativity.
• Explain how the manager might have behaved differently and propose some recommendations for the manager to foster a more positive, drama-free work environment going forward.