The 4 biggest workplace challenges and how to overcome them

These are the four biggest workplace challenges and how to overcome them. Source: Getty

Most of us in the workforce would know that not all workplaces are rainbows and sunshine.

And, they’re not always meant to be.

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“Workplaces are a professional environment, not a social one”, Indeed’s head of career insights, Jay Munro, tells Yahoo Finance.

But there are some challenges getting Aussie workers down more than others.

So what are the four biggest workplace challenges, and how do we overcome them?

Micro-management

Overbearing managers who keep an extremely close eye on workers are a huge challenge for Aussies.

But they’re not something you can’t overcome.

Munro said it’s best to tackle micro-management before it starts by meeting with new managers to discuss how you’d like to be managed, and to identify their management.

But, if it’s already happening, then it’s all about communication.

“Often managers micro-manage because they’re concerned that they need to,” Munro said.

“So raise the issue with them - show them evidence that you don’t need micro-management.”

Moving into management roles without the right support

Sometimes you get promoted into management roles, which is great, Munro said, but when there’s no support for you in that role, it can be quite difficult.

“We often don’t ask for help because we don’t want to look like we can’t do the job, particularly if it’s a promotion,” he said.

“But ultimately you’ll do a better job if you’re well-prepared for it.”

If your workplace is under-resourced, and there’s not a manager available to help you out, there are still things you can do.

“There are heaps of sources online to find out good management practices,” Munro said, “But really, it should be the workplace that supports new managers.”

No avenues to improve your career

Around 20 per cent of people looking for a new job say they want to seek other opportunities and try something different, because they can’t do that in their own workplace.

So, if you feel like you’ve hit the ceiling where you currently are and you’re experiencing some dissatisfaction in your role, you don’t have to leave the job.

“Try and get some clarity around why you’re not feeling fulfilled,” Munro said. “You can’t expect anything to happen until you understand it.

“The advice we give is to spend time doing a self-reflective exercise to figure out what you want, figure out what your skills are and see how they fit into your workplace. Managers can’t do that for you.”

Next, it’s time to organise a time with the right person in your organisation to discuss it.

“Be mindful of how you communicate - always put a positive spin on it. If you’re trying to expand your role to things that aren’t within your remit, you need to be positive about it.”

And don’t expect changes to happen all at once.

“Be open to maybe not getting it all at once. It might be drip-fed, it might be a trial process, it could be dipping into a different function, but you can’t expect complete change.”

Not getting along with others

You can’t choose the personalities that you work with, but you will definitely be spending a lot of time with them.

“You may not naturally select to socialise with these people,” Munro said.

“But remember to be professional - it’s a professional setting not a social one. Sometimes it helps to call it out - be transparent and upfront about where you’ll clash.”

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