Not so long ago I was asked to investigate a complaint of bullying within an organisation.
The employee had initially complained of minor bullying by 2 of her colleagues 4 years previously to her manager.
The manager responded by doing.............nothing.
So the problem grew.
The complainant raised it a year later with her manager.
He responded by doing nothing.
And so the problem grew.
By the time I had been called into investigate it the issue was beyond internal resolution. The original complainant was off long term sick with stress, the alleged perpetrators had been suspended and the manager had been moved to a different role. A number of co-workers had resigned because they found the office culture and atmosphere too unpleasant.
The costs of this mismanagement are hard to calculate but they likely run into the tens of thousands of pounds and all because a readily resolvable issue was swept under the carpet by the manager who did not want to face the issue – he found it easier to sweep i under the carpet.
That response is not unusual – in a busy working day it is easy to be distracted by e.mails, phones, meetings, customers etc and to leave your people issues to one side.
So what should the manager have done in this instance?
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but there are some basic lessons to be learnt that can apply to most organisations;
· People are the most valuable assets that most organisations have – ignoring their feedback and hoping problems will disappear is akin to pretending that the warning light on your car’s dashboard is nothing to worry about
· Listening to staff, understanding their concerns and seeking to reasonably resolve them is one of the most powerful things a manager can do
· Talking to staff about their alleged shortcomings (conduct, performance etc) is not an optional extra for managers – it is a fundamental part of their job and to be done properly involves objectivity, integrity and sensitivity
· Resolving such issues requires openness and clarity of communication and an acceptance that this process may be difficult for some staff in the first instance – but doing it right first time round is so much more rewarding, productive and sustainable than avoiding.
Remember - a chronic problem rarely solves itself.
For more insights and learning book now for the Managing Conflict in the Workplace event on Thursday 31st October at Wincham Hall, 9 – 12.30.
E.mailchris@worksolvepeoplesolutions.com for more details.
HR Professional with over 25 years experience across a variety of sectors. Since October 2010 has been the Director of Worksolve People Solutions Ltd, a HR consultancy offering full range of HR…
