The pressure is on in today’s workplace, and the working environment can be intense and stressful – worries over job security; budget cuts; redundancies; increased workloads; competing with colleagues for the same job in a shrinking workforce and watching colleagues leave while surviving the latest redundancy programme.
Managers feel pressurised to produce results, meet targets and deliver quality services. Motivating staff, responsible management and developing a healthy workplace can easily fall off the action plan. However, investing time to create a working environment where concerns can be raised as early as possible is vital to a healthy working environment, crucial in today’s economic climate and totally achievable in any organisation.
How to minimise allegations of bullying in your workplace
- create a common understanding of the behaviour that is acceptable in your workplace
- create an environment were issues can be raised as early as possible
- train workers on how to raise issues, receive and give constructive feedback and work together to solve problems
- managers are able to spot unnecessary conflict in their teams and have the skills to deal with interpersonal issues early and effectively
During my work with organisations to repair the damage caused by unhealthy conflict at work, including formal grievances and allegations of “bullying”, I was struck by how many of these situations could easily have been avoided if the matter had been dealt with sooner. The importance of this came up in a Guardian Careers Live Q & A, Dealing with a difficult colleague on 28 July 2010, click below to view the full discussion.
Many workplace issues, if dealt with early, can be resolved. However, there are times when third party intervention can be the only answer. The following is a real life scenario where workplace mediation helped to prevent a situation escalating to the point of a break down and minimising the impact on everyday business:
Welcome to Opt’s first blog post.
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