Banish Incivility FOREVER from Your Workplace!

Transcription

1 Definition of Conflict: Strive to create a work environment where happy, productive, and loyal people can flourish. -McLeod & Tetzlaff, The Employee Experience tension or struggle arising from mutually exclusive or opposing actions, thoughts, opinions, or feelings. Conflicts are typically temporary, isolated events and are generally resolved by rational means. While conflict can be a precursor to violence, most conflicts resolve positively and do not progress to violence. Source: NIOSH Examples of Conflict in the workplace: A disagreement over schedules, and scheduling practices A perception that one is treated unfairly Conflict occurs naturally as we interact with one another. It is a normal part of life that we will not always agree with other people about the things we want, what we think, or what we want to do. Most conflicts arise in the moment because people of the same relative amount of power see the same situation from two different points of view. Two major causes of conflict are: communication and emotions. Research reveals that constructive arguments over ideas but not nasty personal arguments drives greater performance. We must distinguish between people who are having a bad moment or day or people who just don t like each other versus victimization. 1

2 Definition of Incivility Banish Incivility FOREVER from Your Workplace! The quality or state of being uncivil, a rude or discourteous act. Have you seen this in your workplace? Swearing Yelling Failure to greet others in a room, or public hallway Failure to acknowledge others with simple politeness Leaders who accept their employees being rude to another department because We were really busy that day Consider this - Do you have a culture of incivility brewing under the surface? Bullying (persistent and severe form of incivility) is not a conflict, it is a form of victimization. Reflects a power difference In healthcare, we often assume physicians are the bullies, actually leaders bully 42% of the time We are still eating our young in healthcare THE PRIORITY ACTION FOR ORGANIZATIONS: A Great Employee Experience is defined as a Top Priority Strategic Imperative. Results of Wildly Successful Focus Groups (34 groups; 17 different healthcare organizations; average group size of 12): 80-90% of action items involve behavior. Behaviors ARE a driving force toward a great employee experience; and therefore, organizational greatness. 2

3 Standards of Behavior and their place in your work environment. 1. Do you have them? Are they alive? 2. Were they written by a team of leaders or a team of employees? 3. Is there an employee group tasked with the efforts to keep them alive? 4. Are they used as celebration, or coaching? Are they the carrot or the stick? 5. The importance of the 3:1 ratio. Conflict is to be worked through to resolution. Incivility is to be ceased, prevented, and not tolerated. Dealing with conflict early and effectively. 3

4 A new chain of command employee-to-employee Solve problems at the lowest possible level with the least amount of bureaucracy and paperwork. -Sue Tetzlaff, The Employee Experience A Coaching Template for employees to resolve conflict on their own, or with your guidance. 1. Initiate the conversation Acknowledges the conflict ( different approaches ) Acknowledges the common ground ( patient safety ) Acknowledges a desire for resolution ( possible solutions, work this out, get together to discuss ) 2. Prepare for the conversation Think about how you might have contributed to the situation or conflict; this can help you understand the other person s perspective. The clearer you are about your possible role in the situation, the better equipped you ll be to act in a positive way. Rehearsing what you intend to say also can help. Consider the content of the conversation - DESC (from TeamSTEPPS): o Describe the specific situation (gain clarity around the conflict as it helps in finding a solution). o Express your concerns (and be open to hearing theirs). o State other alternatives (seeking a solution both parties may offer alternatives). o Consequences stated (if unresolved). 4

5 3. During the conversation Banish Incivility FOREVER from Your Workplace! Speak directly by sticking to objective information. Sticking to the current situation. Listen actively. Seek to find a win-win solution. Seek to improve the relationship. Determine if additional follow up or assistance is needed. I believe we can change the world if we start listening to one another again. Simple, honest, human conversation a chance to speak, feel heard, and [where] we each listen well may ultimately save the world. -Margaret J. Wheatley, EdD Notes for leaders in today s work environment. Your employees may have conflict through texting or social media. They may never have had a face to face conversation on their conflict. Make sure you differentiate that for them. Tips for when faced with employees who can't resolve their own conflicts: Acknowledge that a difficult situation exists. Acquaint yourself with what's happening and be open about the problem. Let individuals express their feelings. Some feelings of anger and/or hurt usually accompany conflict situations. Before any kind of problemsolving can take place, these emotions should be expressed and acknowledged. 5

6 Define the problem. What is the stated problem? What is the negative impact on the work or relationships? Are differing personality styles part of the problem? Meet with employees separately at first and question them about the situation. Determine underlying need. The goal of conflict resolution is not to decide which person is right or wrong; the goal is to reach a solution that everyone can live with. Looking first for needs, rather than solutions, is a powerful tool for generating win/win options. To discover needs, you must try to find out why people want the solutions they initially proposed. Once you understand the advantages their solutions have for them, you have discovered their needs. Find common areas of agreement, no matter how small: o Agree on the problem o Agree on the procedure to follow o Agree on worst fears o Agree on some small change to give an experience of success Find solutions to satisfy needs: o Problem-solve by generating multiple alternatives o Determine which actions will be taken o Make sure involved parties buy into actions. (Total silence may be a sign of passive resistance.) Be sure you get real agreement from everyone. Determine follow-up you will take to monitor actions. 6

7 Determine what you'll do if the conflict goes unresolved. If the conflict is causing a disruption in the department and it remains unresolved, you may need to explore other avenues. An outside facilitator (such as HR) may be able to offer other insights on solving the problem. In some cases, the conflict becomes a performance issue, and may become a topic for coaching sessions, performance appraisals, or disciplinary action. Source: UC Berkely Human Resources Incivility is to be ceased, prevented, and not tolerated. Desired results: To reset the relationship to a place of mutual productivity at work and respectfulness in their work relationships. The goal is to take your personal power back, not to take theirs away. It is to bring balance to the relationship. To set the boundary and hold to it firmly. How Leaders can coach employees through incivility, or how you can deal with incivility if it is happening to you: Confront it optimally the very first time the behavior happens. Set the boundary for the relationship right away. o Do you feel safe taking a first shot at it? o Do you need help to take the first shot at it? Elevate to a corrective conversation if it happens again. 7

8 Severe incivility (potentially dangerous, violent, etc.): If there are one or more bystanders, look one of them in the eye and ask specifically for them to help you. Tell them specifically what to do if you can (call 911, call X code, come stand next to me, etc.) Seek safety exit the situation. Keep a log/journal of each and every incident; as well as your actions to stop it. Get help/support during an incident and to assist in resolution. Employees can also use the 5-Point Correction Conversation: 1. State what you experienced 2. State the impact 3. State what you expect 4. State how you will monitor ( or give feedback in the moment) 5. State the consequences if it happens again If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. Desmond Tutu 8

9 Actions for Preventing Incivility Hire People with Great Behaviors (sign behavior standards before even granting an interview). A great orientation/on-boarding process heavy emphasis on behavior standards ( this is how we behave around here! ). Exercise the ability to terminate in the probationary period if behavior issues identified. Always be working on relationships o Rounding Always be working on your culture/employee experience o Positivity o Transparency o Recognition, Celebration, Appreciation, Gratitude o Accountability o Just Culture o Resiliency/Wellness o Collaboration o Keeping Vision & Behavior Standards Alive "Each one influence one by becoming a bridge builder and role model for civility and respect. Act in a manner whereby you respect yourself, demonstrate respect for others, and take advantage of every opportunity to be proactive in promoting civility and respect in your workplace 9

10 What to Do About Bullying and Incivility at Work Organizations Admit there is a problem. Define the creation of a great employee experience as a top strategic priority for the entire organization. Define policies and conduct ongoing training on how to detect, correct and prevent bad behaviors. Draw a line in the sand declare it is a new day! Support the targets of bullying. Hire, evaluate, and fire for behaviors. Leaders Develop the will and skill to detect, correct, and prevent bullying. Master the 5-Point Conversation. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. Homework Assignment: Are YOU uncivil? Emotional Intelligence requires that we are honest with ourselves about our behaviors. We cannot lead effectively and role model great behaviors without a close look at our own! Reading Resource: