Common workplace challenges and how to overcome them

Over the course of your working life, it’s likely you’ll have to face a range of challenges at work. While challenges in the workplace are never fun, there are ways you can approach them to minimise disruption and stress – and maybe even turn them into positives. 

Problems in the workplace can grow worse and affect your mental well-being if not addressed straight away. They can come in a wide range of forms, like miscommunications, disagreements with colleagues and job stagnation. In this article, we look at eight of the most common workplace challenges and solutions to help you overcome them.  

1. Communication barriers

One of the most common examples of challenges at work is poor communication. This might be between a manager and employees, between co-workers or with clients and customers – all scenarios can break down good company culture and result in a toxic work environment. 

There are a few things you can try to improve communication at work. One is practising active listening – paying full attention to your colleagues when they talk, and confirming you understand their meaning. Also pay attention to your non-verbal cues when you speak to others, as they can undermine your message. Another tip is to ask for feedback from your co-workers about your communication style, so you know if your tone or messaging needs refining. 

2. Conflict resolution

It’s an unfortunate fact of life that conflicts happen in the workplace. Whether due to communication barriers, differing opinions or work stress, conflicts are an example of professional challenges that can negatively affect your mental health and should be addressed right away.

The best way to solve a conflict at work is for the two (or more) parties to openly communicate their concerns. Through active listening and constructive feedback, work on a solution to the problem that satisfies all sides. If you’re still no closer to resolution, it might be time to contact a neutral party or an HR representative to help mediate the disagreement. 

For personal conflicts or similar problems in the workplace that you feel threaten your safety, escalate to management or HR as soon as possible. Record the details of the incident – including the names of any witnesses – in case you need to file an official report. There are labour laws in Australia that protect the safety of workers – you should never feel unsafe in your workplace. 

3. Adapting to change

Another example of common work issues arises from a lack of flexibility. If you find it consistently hard to tackle changes at work, you might often find yourself stressed or anxious. The good news is that you’re in control of how you handle change, so with some conscious effort you can become more adaptable and flexible. 

Over the span of your working life you’ll likely have to deal with new employees or managers, different workflows, or upgraded technology or equipment, and the better you learn to navigate change the happier you will be. Adaptability is a valuable personal quality to have and something you can work on.

When it comes to being adaptable and overcoming challenges at work, examples include embracing new technology to make you more efficient or working in a different team and learning new skills. Instead of seeing change as something to fear, try to frame it as an opportunity to learn and improve. It’s not easy to see all challenges at work in a positive light, but it’s well worth trying for your peace of mind. 

4. Work-life balance

One of the most common problems at work can be achieving the right work-life balance for you. When you’re first starting out in your career, you might feel you need to prove yourself to your employer, which can often result in being overworked and experiencing burnout. Burnout can have lasting negative effects, like insomnia, anxiety and high blood pressure, and can damage personal relationships. 

To maintain work-life balance, it’s important to first identify what a good balance looks like to you. You may want to work hard while you’re young and have fewer personal commitments, then plan on scaling back once you have a family. (Something you can work into your five-year plan.) Ways you can achieve better work balance include: 

• Remote or hybrid work to reduce commute time
• Reducing overtime
• Working fewer hours, going part time or freelance
• Changing to a less mentally or physically demanding role
• Changing to a job with more flexible conditions

5. Managing workload and stress

A lot of workplace issues can be directly connected to heavy workloads and the resulting stress they can cause. When you feel overwhelmed at work it can lead to anxiety that crosses over into your personal life. But being busy at your job doesn’t have to result in feeling frazzled. 

There are several ways to address workload stress. First, reflect on your time-management skills and whether you are organising your responsibilities in an efficient way. Write a to-do list, prioritise tasks, minimise distractions and see if a more systematic approach helps get things done faster. If you’re still struggling, consider delegating work to a colleague or seeking advice from a manager. With open communication you should be able to solve issues to do with workload. 

6. Navigating office politics

Whether you work in an office, on a job site or in the field, there will be workplace politics to navigate. Even companies with a good work culture can experience challenging workplace issues related to ‘office’ politics. Friction can arise from interpersonal issues, favouritism, competitiveness, poor communication, budget issues and many other factors.

There’s no solution to workplace politics, but the best approach is to try and get along with everyone and not cause any conflict. You don’t have to be friends with everyone at work, but you do have to be able to work with them effectively, which means being on friendly terms. If you’re joining a new organisation, it’s a good strategy to stay as neutral as you can and focus on learning your role while you get a feel for the office culture. Office politics is unavoidable, but by being empathetic and keeping communication open, you can minimise conflicts. 

7. Career development and growth

You might also experience problems in the workplace to do with lack of career development. Your role may have stagnated, with few opportunities for advancement or training. In certain sectors, like government, career progression can seem especially slow. 

One way to overcome lack of career development is to proactively seek growth in your own time. You might do a course after work, request training on the job, or seek the advice of a mentor. If your workplace has limited opportunities, you might network in your industry to find a new role. A career plan coupled with a commitment to lifelong learning will help you keep moving in the right direction towards your ultimate professional goals. 

8. Technology and automation

Many challenges in the workplace are related to new technologies. Some jobs have changed, some have disappeared and others have emerged as a result of advancing tech and automation. One way to overcome workplace challenges when it comes to tech is to try to be adaptable and embrace the changes. 

For instance, if your role may be partially done by AI, you can upskill in the relevant technology and harness it to become more efficient. In most cases, you can use automation technology to make your job easier. There’s no slowing technological progress – the only way to ensure job stability is to work with technological advancements so that your skills are always relevant and in demand. 

There are many types of challenges at work you might have to overcome. Some will be minor and some may have the potential to affect your confidence or your motivation to work. Luckily, most major work problems can be overcome through open communication and being adaptable to change. Master those two and with some experience under your belt, you’ll be well placed to tackle any challenge that comes your way.