Creating a Respectful Workplace

Safety Services Nova Scotia31st Annual Conference

March 21, 2013Gary Slauenwhite BBA, FBA, MBA

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◦ to the organization (production, costs, reputation)

◦ to employees collectively (division among work groups, cliques)

◦ to employees individually (motivation, career development, personal home life).

Negativity at work can be very harmful:

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The concerning danger of workplace negativity is that it is contagious

Those who have negative feelings will seek out others who feel the same way, and then try to influence those who don’t

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Workplace negativity is an attitude that people have toward their work, bosses, colleagues, or customers.

So – what’s the bottom line?

What do we mean by workplace negativity?

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It’s a matter of attitude and behavior – YOURS!

Your attitude and behavior determines the nature of your workplace environment.

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A work climate of distrust or mistrust (especially towards management)*

Lack of recognition for the level of contribution and effort*

An excessive workload* Distracted or disenchanted employees Anxiety about the future Lack of challenge in work, boredom with

work tasks Feeling of loss of control over personal well-

being

Some causes of workplace negativity

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It’s not enjoyable to come to work anymore Too much time spent on complaining, griping,

gossiping Bad mouthing to other departments, customers,

clients Managers spend too much time dealing with

negativity Question the motives or “hidden agendas” behind

changes/requests High absenteeism (sickness, stress), employee

turnover Adversarial management/employee or

employee/employee relationships (verbal abuse, aggression, physical abuse)

Some outcomes of workplace negativity

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Respect: esteem; consideration; regard; admiration; high opinion; revere

Respectable: worthy of esteem; well-behaved; proper; correct; well-conducted

How do we create a respectful workplace?

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Employees are performing their work – doing a good job.

Employees are following the rules (the spirit of the rules) – rules are a safety net for conduct at work.

People get along with each other – they are polite, courteous, inclusive, have social conversations as well as work conversations, comfortable about sharing personal stuff.

Respect at the workplace is displayed more than explained.

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Employees talk to each other and attempt to resolve any disagreements, hiccups.

They have high expectations of each other and they invest time and energy in helping one another.

Work is a place they feel good about being there.

There is an open forum to express opinions, discuss problems/issues between employees and management

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Employees enjoy responsibility and strive to work with more responsibility

Customers routinely give positive feedback Where injury, accident and harassment

claims are low When something goes wrong, the focus is

on isolating and understanding the cause and not blaming people

There is a sense of empowerment where workers feel they can improve their job

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A respectful workplace cannot be mandated, commanded, constructed – they are developed, cultivated, formed over time.

It takes work, a lot of patience, good leadership and commitment to get there.

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A respectful workplace is one where there is a respectful culture – similar to a safe workplace having a safety culture.

The responsibility for a respectful workplace is a shared responsibility between the employer/manager and individual employees. The same as the Internal Responsibility System in the OHS Act.

Each one has the ability and responsibility to contribute to and help create a respectful workplace.

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Benchmark◦ Identify the problem(s) – evaluate the present

work environment.◦ Identify the people or groups of people who are

being negative and what they are negative about

Steps to developing a Respectful Workplace(from an organizational perspective)

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Where do you want to be…◦ In six months, 1 year, 2 years, etc.◦ Are these goals measureable (how will you

measure them)◦ How will you deal with obstacles◦ What will your respectable work environment look

like?

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How will you get there?◦ SWOT – current strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, threats◦ Who will take the initiative (one person, team)◦ What resources are available and committed

(time, money, people, technology, etc.)◦ Internal and external resources

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Communication◦ Develop a communication plan◦ Use various forms of communication – different

media for different audiences◦ Be current in communicating◦ Encourage worker input at the outset of the

initiative ◦ Ensure there are feedback mechanisms in place

throughout the process◦ Create dialog (horizontal and vertical) and be

open and honest in the dialog

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Participation◦ Who are your major stakeholders◦ What is their degree of influence over other

workers◦ What kind of influence do they have◦ Ensure there is a role for each worker to play (be

creative if you have to)

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Create short term wins – build momentum with rewards and incentives◦ Establish stages of change that are achievable

and measurable◦ Celebrate successes – even the small ones◦ Track progress – visualize it◦ Recognize collective change in behavior and

outcomes – plaques, coffee parties, etc.◦ Recognize individual change in behavior and

outcomes – performance reviews

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Consolidate improvements/changes◦ Modify your approaches to achieving your goals

and objectives as necessary to reflect what you are learning along the way

◦ Develop policies & procedures manual

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Evaluate ◦ The progress/outcomes at set stages ◦ Re-examine the workplace at the end and

compare with your benchmark findings◦ What further changes are necessary

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Manager’s need to recognize that negativity at the workplace is the result of bad/poor behavior.

When addressing the issue it is important to focus on the behavior not the person (otherwise they become defensive and create more negativity by accusing you of attacking them)

Employer’s/Manager’s Role

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Provide opportunities for your workers to make decisions about and control and/or influence their own job. (allow them to have input)

Give workers opportunity to express their opinion about workplace policies and procedures. ◦ Listen for good and legitimate issues/concerns –

solicit input for solutions◦ Group discussions, lunches, one-on-one

Treat your workers as adults with fairness and consistency.

Some things you can do as a manager:

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Do not create “rules” for all workers if only a few are violating the norms

Help workers feel like members of the group – share the same information with everyone

Give workers the opportunity to grow and develop their skills◦ From an OH&S perspective:◦ Involve your workers in OH&S – promote

champions from within (WHMIS, First-Aid, Inspections, etc.)

◦ Give them something they enjoy/like to excel in and then support them in that role. (time, training, tools)

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Provide good leadership and strategic direction – (mission, vision, values, goals)

Provide appropriate rewards and recognition Challenge pessimistic and negative

thinking/expression Confront individuals with their unacceptable

behavior – focus on creating change (be specific)◦ Be assertive towards those who are determined to

be pessimistic/negative Don’t get caught in the negativity cycle

(words, actions, non-verbal expressions)

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Take “time outs” when dealing with stressful situations – regenerate your positive/respectful batteries

You are part of the team – not just the boss◦ Your workers need to feel that management is part

of “us,” not “them” The job of a manager is to actively help your

workers succeed.◦ Focus on giving your workers exciting, challenging

assignments, and help them succeed at them◦ Your job is to positively motivate your workers,

encourage involvement, and support their ideas◦ It’s about interpersonal skill, emotional intelligence

and social interactions

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Every negative person has a story – and don’t we know it!

In fact, we all have a story. What part of you are you feeding (negative or positive)

Employee’s Role

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Avoid spending time with a negative co-worker(s)

If you have to work beside a negative co-worker(s), set limits. ◦ Don’t allow yourself to be drawn into their

negativity/discussions Don’t become a sympathetic audience for

negativity Stay positive and let your co-worker(s)

know you are only interested in positive conversations

Some things you can do as a worker:

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Counterbalance a negative story/comment with a positive one

Be prepared and willing to become an agent of change◦ The more positive you become the more other co-

workers will want to work with you (they’re tired of the negativity too but don’t know how to make the change)

Suggest your negative co-worker(s) get assistance (EAP, manager, HR)

Inform your manager of the situation – they can help.

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A respectful workplace is one where there is a respectful culture

The responsibility for developing that respectful culture is a shared responsibility – it doesn’t belong only to the employer/manager

Each one of us, regardless of our position, has the responsibility and ability (through our attitude and behavior) to make our workplace a respectful workplace

Conclusion

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Thank You!