resolutionpathways

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Mission and Values Do Impact Workplace Fairness

When considering conflict in the workplace we tend to think of it primarily in terms of interpersonal relationships.  However, conflicts can occur when employees don’t see their contributions as being consistent or relevant to their own beliefs and values.

During my morning news scan I was drawn to the resignation letter of Elizabeth Shackelford, a Foreign Service officer working for the U.S. Statement Department, in which she takes both Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the Trump administration to task for their “stinging disrespect” of the foreign diplomatic corps.

In the letter she states that she left the private sector to join the State Department because she believed in the values they promoted around human rights and democracy.  But, in her view, the current leadership had radically changed their support for those values, if not by words then by actions, making her feel that she had to leave.  She goes on to say that others feel the same way and if the State Department stays on this trajectory, more employees will leave.  She closes her letter by saying: “I would urge you to stem the bleeding by showing leadership and a commitment to our people, our mission and our mandate …”

This letter exemplifies that employees are not just motivated by good compensation packages or a decent work environment.  Rather, they are also motivated by how closely the organization’s mission and values support their own beliefs.  

Having worked in a non-profit environment for several decades, I saw this was the case in many circumstances.  Professionals who are not driven by achieving the biggest bottom-line or highest salary, often choose government and non-profit work because they want to use their skills and knowledge to better serve and benefit the public and society.

Leaders need to recognize this and pay attention to how mission and values affect the well-being and work mindset of their employees as much as they use these as guideposts for the organization’s goals and outcomes.  As a 2012 article in the Harvard Business Review states: “Why is meaning so important? Because when people find meaning in the work, they also feel a sense of ownership. The work means something to them personally.”

This is not to say that mission and values remain static.  Sometimes drift occurs when the words of the mission do not support the actions of leaders. Here leaders can proactively minimize conflict by periodically testing for drift with employees and customers and then making appropriate course corrections.

During other times mission and values deliberately change as leadership turns over, markets shift and environments change.  Continual communication and consultation with employees about change and the reasons for it becomes critical.  Employees who feel their own value system cannot support the change may choose to leave and unfortunately that may be inevitable with some.  Or, with coaching and training, others may feel they can adapt.  Either way, leaders should not be apprehensive to be open and transparent with employees.  Fairness does not always mean employer concession but rather ensuring employees have knowledge and options.   The alternative of saying or doing nothing will leave employees feeling confused and mistrustful – a scenario that is most certain to breed conflict than to manage it.

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Conflict IS NOT a 4-letter word

- Sharad Kerur

Thank you to everyone who “liked” and messaged me on the launch of Resolution Pathways.  You were all extremely supportive and encouraging.  One Facebook message from my aunt in London, England said: “Looks you have started a new venture. We do not understand what it is all about but we wish you every success.”

Well Auntie, permit me to explain.

While the world might be a nicer place if there was no such thing as conflict, as long as there are people with individual personalities, conflict is inevitable.

The origin of the word “conflict” is derived from the Latin “con” which means “together” and “fligere” which means, “to fight”.  Taken together it means “to strike together” or essentially to fight with one another.

And nowhere is the field for conflict riper than at the workplace.  This is not surprising since we spend as much if not more time with co-workers than we do with family and friends.

Workplace conflicts carry huge costs.  Lost productivity, stress, mental health, absenteeism, sabotage, strained relationships and so on are all products of conflict that goes unchecked.  

One survey conducted by CPP Capital estimated that employees in the US spend about 3 hours per week dealing with conflict, equating to approximately $359 billion in paid hours in that country.  The study also noted that 25% of employees either call in sick or stay away from work to avoid conflict while 67% avoid colleagues due to bad feelings from conflict.

In the Canadian context, the Conference Board of Canada estimated that in 2012 unmanaged or unresolved conflict contributed to employee absenteeism and cost the Canadian economy an estimated $16.1 billion.

A 2009 study by Psychometrics Canada found that 99% of the 357 HR professionals surveyed routinely deal with conflict in the workplace.  The most common causes of conflict cited were “warring” egos, personality clashes, poor leadership, lack of honesty, stress, and clashing values which typically resulted in personal insults and attacks, someone being fired or leaving the organization, and sickness or absence.

The time and expense spent firing, hiring and getting new employees up to speed are sizeable and cost a lot more if lawyers and litigation are involved. A complaint that escalates to a lawsuit or involves criminal charges can easily cost several thousands of dollars and take years to settle.

And most recently there has been a stream of sexual harassment revelations related to more than 40 celebrities, politicians, journalists and other persons considered role models.  This has dramatically raised an awareness that something more radical is needed to contend with and proactively prevent the extreme, criminal and violent elements of workplace conflict.

While we tend to think of workplace conflict in the negative, one positive is the opportunity to manage conflict in a constructive way for all workplace participants. HR professionals report better motivation, higher performing teams, a better understanding of others and increased organization success when workplace conflict is surfaced and dealt with properly.

However, these goals cannot be reached unless organizational leaders acknowledge the existence of conflict and the need for change. The Psychometrics Canada study found that nine out of ten of the HR professionals surveyed rate the ability to handle conflict as either a very important or critical skill.  But the study also states that there is a serious gap between the importance of conflict management skills and the effectiveness of current leaders.

The complexities and sheer volume of work that faces all of us in modern-day workplaces means that matters like conflict take a back seat to other seemingly more pressing issues. But like a cut on our arm, left untreated, a severe infection can set in and eventually no treatment from any doctor will help.  Good leaders will recognize conflict early on and make it a priority to manage it effectively.