Posts Tagged ‘work conflicts’

…there are a lot of people talking behind each others’ backs in your office?

You might try what one of my friends did this week, and in so doing, took a huge step on the road to being a truly great boss. He confessed to talking behind other people’s backs himself, and then said he was going to do his best to stop such nonproductive behavior. He encouraged people to be more direct with their concerns and complaints, and pledged to do the same.

Invictus

Nelson Mandela

“Where did you get that idea?” I asked. He confessed he was inspired by a movie he saw this weekend, “Invictus,” in which Nelson Mandela attempts to lead his fledgling democracy by example.

(Good thing you didn’t see “Bitch Slap,” I replied.)

NOTE TO READERS: If you have a burning question…What do you do when….? send it along, and we’ll try to find you an answer.

Dear Readers,

Has this ever happened to you? A new department is expanding and your department has to accommodate the new employees by doubling up on office space. That’s the news I got a few weeks ago. Not only am I losing my wonderful office mate – a philosophy professor fond of quoting both famous novelists and Dr. Seuss – I must now share my 10 x 12 foot university office with not just one, but two other lecturers.

Sharing office space with someone else is an art, and our talents are being called into service more frequently than ever before for a host of reasons. The sagging economy is the most obvious. Since office space is the second largest expense after paying for staff, it’s not surprising that managers eye it as a budget item that could use a trim.

Some businesses see shuffling employees into a shared space as a way to facilitate teamwork. Other organizations feel forced to choose between adding space or upgrading technology, and technology wins out. Younger employees tend to be more comfortable with that choice than older workers, who have long viewed the size and location of one’s office as a measure of professional stature.

In any case, since it’s rarely possible with today’s tight budgets to reverse the decision – and my case is no exception – I decided to see if there are ways to make the most of being shoehorned in with near strangers. And, of course, there are.

First there are space-saving measures. Experts advise clearing the desk of photos and hanging them on the wall. Continue to think vertically. Add space on your desk by adding shelves on top or tucking things underneath. Often the space surrounding your legs can be used for extra storage.

Organize, organize, organize. Key folders and equipment should be within reach. But be ruthless about disposing of everything else you don’t need. Organize the items that remain by category. Books should be grouped by topic or alphabetized.

Next comes attitude adjustment. Plan to be in problem solving mode. Make sure to talk initially about what everyone needs to get their jobs done, and then check in on a regular basis. Your goals should be to stay out of each other’s way yet facilitate productivity any way you can. If that means speaking more softly, or moving your file cabinet a couple of inches to the left, do it. Then you’ll have some capital to spend when you need to request some important concessions to satisfy your own needs.

If you do not know your new office mates at all, try looking at the bigger picture. It’s quite possible you will pick up some useful tips. In fact, it’s almost impossible, unless you are completely closed to new ideas, not to be enriched by spending time getting to know another human being. Often the more different someone is from you, the more enriching the experience.

Most cities have companies that rent out shared office space to people who would otherwise work from home, Office Nomads in Seattle and Independents Hall in Philadelphia are two examples of companies that promote “co-working.” It’s an arrangement where people can drop in irregularly or pay a monthly fee for regular use of a desk, locked file cabinet, telephone use and conference space, and as much networking as they want. Office Nomad’s current members include an executive starting a U.S. division for an international food company, a copywriter, and an urban planner. Its website states, ”We are dedicated to cultivating a dynamic, creative and productive community office…[for people] who think that by working together they can accomplish more than they could by working alone.”

The idea of creating a dynamic office can also be pursued by people who work for the same employer. After all, you are far more likely to have at least some overlapping goals. Office Nomads co-founder Susan Evans says she and her partner developed what they lovingly refer to as a “Don’t Be a Jerk Policy” as part of the agreement that members sign. It calls on co-workers to refrain from anything that would interfere with “peaceful operation or enjoyment” of the space. Sounds simple enough. Where do I sign?

I’ve got a disability that’s not obvious to anyone but that can occasionally make it hard for me to work. It is usually controlled by medication, but that’s not 100 percent reliable. Is this something I should disclose during a job interview?

Dear Readers,

If you are a job seeker wrestling with this question, you are not alone. Depending on who is doing the estimating, somewhere between 17 and 32 million people of working age (16-64) have a disability. As defined by the U.S Census, a disability is “a condition that limits or prevents working.”  Even almost two decades after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was drafted to provide equal opportunity to people with disabilities, this group has among the highest unemployment rate in the U.S.

Whether you are disabled or not, take a minute to think about the various ways a disability can affect someone. An enlightening chart in Richard Nelson Bolles’ book, Job Hunting for the So-called Handicapped (Ten Speed Press, 2001), may broaden your perspective. Under the heading, “No Two Disabled Persons Are Alike,” the chart lists some of the variables. For example, some disabilities are hidden while others are visible. They may range from mild to moderate to severe to profound. They may have occurred at birth (congenital) or after age five (adventitious). They may affect one’s ability to see, hear, speak, move, think or learn, or feel or behave. In areas that are not affected, the disabled person may be normally or extraordinarily gifted. The disability may be viewed either as a disaster or a challenge, and it  may result in social isolation or support.

If you have a disability that is not always apparent, deciding whether to disclose it to a prospective employer can be a difficult decision. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers a worksheet on its website that can help anyone think through this issue, whether you are wrestling with a permanent disability or temporary medical condition. It lists possible emotional reasons you may want to keep the condition to yourself (I feel guilty.), or tell others (I feel dishonest – I’m just not comfortable keeping it a secret.). It lists practical reasons to consider as well (Examples: I need to take time off for medical appointments; I’m afraid of a bad job evaluation; I need an on-the-job accommodation; or I need a medical leave of absence.)

The MS Society’s accompanying “Disclosure Decision Worksheet” helps people chart the possible positive and negative consequences of your decision, based on why you are informing your employer, whom you tell, and how much you say.

If you decide to disclose your condition, or you have no choice because it’s readily apparent, Bolles lists numerous employer fears that you should plan to address. Among them, along with his advice, are the following:

It may cost more to hire this person: If hiring you will entail no extra costs, make that clear. If you will require some accommodations that cost money, lay out the expected expenses and provide an upper ceiling on what it will cost, expressing your commitment to come in at or under that figure.

I don’t understand the disability, and I’m afraid to ask: Ask the interviewer if they have any questions. Explain what you do well, what your limitations are, and list the things that you’ve learned through being disabled.

Won’t this person be a safety hazard?: Share your past safety record.

What if it doesn’t work out and I have to fire her. Am I inviting a lawsuit?: Explain that people with disabilities are fired at the same rate as everyone else.

This applicant may have trouble communicating with other employees: Make sure that you are articulate and animated during your interview. Demonstrating your communication skills is the most effective way to allay fears along these lines.

What if a person with a history of mental illness turns violent on the job?: Discuss a potentially volatile situation in the past that you handled with aplomb.

Still up in the air? Additional information and guidance can be found from the Job Accommodation Network, a government-funded website that covers job accommodations, self-employment, and small business opportunities. Another useful source is the Epilepsy Foundation of America.

I am a director of a college-level educational service who routinely spends much time hiring new employees. Standards are high and hiring is competitive. Applicants can find very specific application instructions including minimum job requirements and information about our services in many places: on the application itself, our website and brochures, and by simply visiting (and even using) our service in person.

Despite all of this easily available information, my last three interviewees have had 1) little or no idea of what we do and/or 2) spoke incorrectly to the point of insult about our services and the people who use them. They all expected me to then explain to them what it is we do – essentially to do their homework! (They all arrived either 15 minutes early or late, and addressed me by my first name.)

What happened to preparing for an interview? What about learning as much as you can about the job beforehand? Being on time? And while we’re at it, being courteous and adopting an appropriate level of formality?

Dear Readers,

You can see from the above letter that job applicants, especially those who are still in school or who have just graduated, still have to learn the basics when it comes to interviewing for a job. All job applicants need to realize the importance of making a good first impression – and that it starts from the first piece of communication, even if it’s an email.

If you are a teacher or parent, please share the above letter with your students or children. You will be doing them a huge favor.

And Once They’re Hired?

I overheard an employee treating a customer disrespectfully. She’s generally a good employee, but she has gotten very defensive when I have tried to correct her in the past. Any advice?

Dear Readers,

Even the most skilled manager can have difficulty keeping her criticism constructive. But that’s generally the goal. Sound advice can be found in Richard Gallagher’s new book, How to Tell Anyone Anything: Breakthrough Techniques for Handling Difficult Conversations at Work (AMACOM, 2009). Gallagher, a corporate trainer, suggests “starting at a safe place,” which means first asking the employee about her reaction to the customer. He suggests a three-part approach: 1) observation: “I can tell you’re frustrated,” 2) validation: “Lots of people feel that way,” and 3) identification: “I’d be frustrated if that happened to me.”

Gallagher admits that putting that much energy into being supportive of people who are doing something wrong initially “feels like drinking poison to people.” But he claims it is useful because “It makes it clear you understand their view of the world, so they have nothing to argue about.” This sort of understanding gives you power for the next step: engage the other person in solving the problem.

Next comes the step of asking questions about the situation. In this case it would be something like, “What are your expectations for interacting with customers?”  “The goal here,” Gallagher writes, “is to be curious, not furious.” After some back and forth, it is easier to be frank about the problem. You might say something factual about the need to hold onto customers. And explain that keeping customers requires that each customer finish a transaction feeling respected, even if they don’t seem to deserve it.

Finally, you should ask for her help in meeting the company’s goals regarding customers.

Gallagher offers several options that reframe criticism: Instead of telling people they are doing a bad job, tell them what standards they could meet to help them do a good job. Instead of saying what is unacceptable, let them know what will work better. Instead of telling them to change, show them how they will benefit.

In real life, following a several-part approach when you are angry about an employee’s or colleague’s behavior is no easy task. Gallagher suggests stepping away from the situation, if you can, until your emotions calm down.  He also points out that this sort of approach requires much practice.  If you have trouble with it, try again the next time. Even occasional interactions that incorporate empathy and reframed criticism can vastly improve overall relations in a workplace. So don’t give up.

Dear Readers,

Why should I fill her in on the project? She always contradicts everything I say.

Legal? We try to avoid them. You can’t work with those people.

How many times have you heard – or said – something similar about a fellow employee or another department? Sticking with a stand off is about the most unproductive stance one can take, yet it is among the most common responses to conflict.

Trying something new, then, can make you stand out. Sometimes for criticism. Many people consider President Obama’s attempts to build a bridge of bipartisanship across Republican and Democratic party lines either suspect or foolish. But even if you do not agree that forging new alliances is possible in politics, it’s worth trying at work.

Reaching out to “the other side” in hopes of finding “win-win” solutions is at the core of the executive training offered at the Harvard Program on Negotiation (PON).  Even though there is no record of Obama taking negotiation courses while he was studying at Harvard, Susan Hackley, PON’s managing director, agrees that he is modeling many of the values her esteemed group teaches to the business community: adopting a problem-solving rather than adversarial stance, listening to learn, and seeking value beyond the obvious.

“I would say that this kind of approach is essential in this tough economy, as workers seek to keep their jobs while meeting their employers’ needs, and employers seek to stay relevant and competitive in a changing landscape,” says Hackley. “With so much uncertainty, it’s important to be able to negotiate effectively – getting you more of what you want at a time of diminishing resources, managing tensions among co-workers, balancing home-work demands, etc.”

Addressing tensions among co-workers is the goal of an assignment I give each semester to my business students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I ask them to spend some time with a colleague they typically try to avoid and then write up what they discover. More often than not, they report back that they’ve learned all sorts of new, unexpected information, most of which helps them appreciate the other person more, ultimately leading to better relations.

One student who works at Circuit City, for example, selected a co-worker he thought was lazy because he worked such a short schedule, and when he was there, pawned off customers to other salespeople. It turned out that this “lazy” guy worked two other jobs and avoided answering customers’ questions because he didn’t know much about the product line and didn’t want to mislead them. Armed with new insights, the student put down his hackles and vowed to educate his co-worker about the products. Everyone’s productivity and customer satisfaction suddenly had a new opportunity to improve.

If you don’t have the stomach for spending time with a colleague you normally avoid, you can simply ask a question or two when opportunity knocks. If you find that something a fellow employee does mystifies or annoys you, try in advance to craft an open-ended, non-judgmental question that gets at the heart of the matter. If a co-worker is always late, for instance, ask her about what her trip to and from the office is like. Then listen carefully, because most likely you’ll hear some things that are not entirely what you expect.

If you decide to experiment with this idea, please write and tell us how it works out.

Do you have questions about your job or the best way to handle a workplace challenge? Leslie Whitaker would like to hear from you. E-mail Leslie@ctwfeatures.com and join the conversation at her Web site, www.lesliewhitaker.com.