Mediating Solutions

Communication - Teamwork - Productivity

               

 

There are a few updates and reminders I feel compelled to share. First, this weekend we begin Daylight Savings - as it always sneaks up on me,  here is your reminder (and mine). Next, I want to share that on 3/19 I will be speaking at the HR Star conference in Los Angeles - Let me know if I should look for you there.  Finally, I want to make you aware that April is Workplace Conflict Awareness month.  With that in mind, I want to encourage you to find time to take note of, and make changes that address issues of workplace conflict.  Perhaps our newsletter will help you get started.   

 

In this edition you will find pieces on communicating and managing conflict - both for at home and at work. We have other articles, links, and ideas that examine the future of leadership, the (over)use of metrics, and the value of work-life balance. Finally, as always, we have included links to fun activities for you in and around Los Angeles.

 

We hope you spring forward with energy and enthusiasm, and that our newsletter offers you new ideas for improving your workplace and your life.

Are Metrics Killing Morale?

Metrics.  They’re everywhere.  They’re ubiquitous and overused.  And they’re killing us in the workplace. 

Before entering into private practice, I worked for a non-profit organization that decided to begin a new reporting protocol to track the services used by our client population.  That might sound reasonable, except that a similar program was already in place, and the original reports were not being replaced by this new, more time-consuming one.   Further, there was no clear purpose or benefit for the added information.  Our already over-worked team was shaken at the idea of being asked to duplicate their time-consuming paperwork. 

My husband, an IT professional, has experienced different challenges with metrics.  He has been asked to track and report on the usage of each piece of equipment (information that he notes has never led to change) and each client interaction.  The latter with the unfortunate focus (and reward) being on the number of clients served.  This client-service tracking led some techs to reduce their customer service or take costly short-cuts.  In this case, the metrics incentivized poor service.   

And while working with clients, I have learned of similar challenges and frustrations that were tied to seemingly irrelevant record keeping and tracking.  Some of these situations were at the core of staff member conflicts, taking the form of insubordination, or inter-team conflicts.   

Looking at the above situations, the use of metrics brought about an increase in workplace tensions and conflict, a lowering of productivity and morale, and a reduction in customer service and satisfaction.   How did this happen?  Aren’t metrics supposed to help us improve processes, customer service, and profitability?   As I see it, yes and no. 

Yes, they can (potentially) help us improve these things, but no, they aren’t always the right answer for accomplishing the goal.   

Here’s the limitation - Metrics cannot take the place of good management, careful oversight, or involved, committed employees.  They cannot make necessary inferences and watch for confirmation of the results.  These qualities are why we prefer a person for customer service over an automated system.  And these human elements are at the core of eliminating theft, building productivity, and enhancing customer interaction.  Humans have the ability to ask a question, seek more information when needed, interpret, intuit, and comprehend.  Data limits this – and us.   

If we really want to bring about important change, or track concerns or issues in the workforce, we need to communicate this to our managers and employees.  We must enlist their intelligence, creativity and support in accomplishing the goals intended.  We need to engage them in planning, and conversely, we need to listen to their needs.  To accomplish our goals and build a strong team, we need to bring about change in a cohesive way; One that allows for unguarded information sharing, open communication and reciprocal trust.  Only then can we begin to work collectively to reaching our goals – and only then will the goals actually matter.

You Never Listen to ME!

How do you get your point across when your spouse (or sibling, friend, parent) won’t listen? When it comes to having differences of opinion, it’s often difficult to get those closest to us to listen and really hear what we are trying to say.

When we know others well, we develop a short-hand with them. This feels great when our spouse (sibling, friend, etc.) seems to just “get” us, easily understanding our actions or decisions.  But it feels lousy when we are on opposite sides of an issue - especially if they are jumping to conclusions or won’t hear our perspective on a subject. What can be done?

It’s very important to have ground rules for discussing difficult issues. It provides both sides with a road map that promotes listening and understanding, and it creates opportunity for shared decision making and planning. Here are some basic ground rules to try:

1. Take Turns - One person gets the floor at a time. S/he explains his point of view, rationale, supporting details, etc.  The other person listens.
2. No interruptions – This means no dissenting comments, and whoever has the floor is the only one sharing information or opinions.
3. Clarify - After each person is done speaking, the listener must ask questions to clarify what s/he heard. The purpose here is to assure both sides that the listener understands the perspective of the speaker.  Achieving a full level of understanding is key - and does not require the listener to be in agreement.  Reaching a point of strong clarity may take some time and lead to added discussion.
4. Confirm – Once clarity is believed to have been achieved, the listener needs to sum up what s/he understood to be the point of view or rationale of the other side. If the listener doesn’t have it right, return to step 3 and continue the discussion.

These four ground rules are to be used for hearing each side to a story. While hearing only one side may seem sufficient as it changes the thoughts of the other person, take advantage of the momentum and find out what the other party was upset about or uncomfortable with in the first place. By determining where the initial misunderstanding or disagreement came from, you can prevent future disagreements from arising. You may even create a stronger short-hand with this person as a result.

By: Candice Gottlieb-Clark

After a long, hard stint in the military, which most likely included multiple deployments, many soldiers look forward to coming home and transitioning into civilian life. In fact, they are so eager to begin the conversion process that they pay very little attention to the explanation of the benefits they have earned through years of valor, commitment, and dedication. The resulting lack of knowledge can create hardships for discharged soldiers and their families.

 

What information should these veterans acquire to make their journey back into civilian life more welcoming and satisfactory? First, they should become aware of the federal and state entitlement programs that are available to them . . . and learn how to enroll in them. Second, they should understand how to access health care for themselves and their family members through the Veterans Administration and through local veterans’ centers. Third, they should become familiar with the new GI Bill and the educational benefits it makes available to them and their family members. Fourth, they should become aware of their local job market and learn how to accomplish job-related skills, i.e., job search, resume writing, interviewing, et cetera.

 

The military establishment is not intentionally keeping important transition information from its veterans; even so, it has come to their attention that a growing number of discharged soldiers are unaware of the benefits they have earned through their service. This lack of knowledge creates undue burdens during what is already a challenging time.

 

Some branches of the military are adding new programs that will help level the playing field for discharged troops. One beneficial change is to offer a class that is focused exclusively on benefits, and to offer it just before the soldiers are ready to leave the military. The timing of the class is important. Veterans are most focused on gathering information about their civilian transition just before they are released from service.

 

We thank our military members for their service, and we want them to enjoy the benefits they have merited. A civilian transition is difficult enough without unnecessary hardships. Telemental health counseling, via state-of-the-art video technology, can help our troops ease their way into civilian life. They can get the help they need through this safe, private, and convenient approach to therapy.

 

Nesta Aharoni

www.AccessToTherapy.com