Efficiency is a beautiful concept, but it is often a moving target for a business owner. Just when you think you’ve achieved a new level of efficiency, human nature comes to the forefront.

Disagreements can disturb workflow and trigger back-room gossip sessions. And, isn’t it strange how one error seems to set off a cascade of other mistakes, until everyone in the office is flustered?

If you’re a manager, you might chalk up such days to an out-of-sorts employee. Or, maybe you assume that one of your staff-members stayed up too late the night before. Perhaps a simmering disagreement finally erupted into something more serious.

When the workplace is unsettled, here are three ways to help pull everyone on the team back together:

1) Show good humor. When managers model good humor, it lightens the day. Research suggests that humor can have a wide variety of benefits in the workplace. Just the physical act of smiling releases beneficial hormones!

2) Provide encouragement. Keeping pace with a busy workflow can be tough. Be kind to your employees and find simple ways to celebrate their successes. Never forget to praise an employee for a job well done.

3) Show empathy. You may be surprised to know that empathy is a skill. When your staff comes to work each morning, you may not know what their lives are like behind the scenes unless they share some personal details with you. Grief, anxiety, and physical illness also can drain the energy of your staff. Empathy can go a long way toward helping people cope with on-the-job challenges.