13 February 2013
Katrina Di Gravio
Gary Waller
Matt Erickson
Working with Difficult People
and
Interpersonal Conflict
Agenda
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Difficulty in Your Department/School
What is “difficulty” and what are its consequences
Cases
Types of difficult people
Some approaches
Office of Conflict Management and Human Rights
Your Conflict Style
• Do’s & Don’ts
• Policies & Resources to Help
• Wrap & Feedback
The Case of Prof. Fabrikant
Key Observations from the Cowan Report
• Inadequate preparation for academics who take on
leadership/management roles at all levels
• Decentralized structure and poor communication among units
• Poor record keeping and turnover resulting in serious lack of
institutional memory
• Failure to distinguish between academic issues and
management issues re: management rights and
responsibilities
• Extended interpretation of academic freedom leading to
abuse
• Lack of institutional policy and/or failure to understand and
apply policy appropriately
Difficult People – Case Study
A Case to Consider - Professor Choler
(Gunsulas, p. 119)
A Major Decision
• Ignore or Respond
• What are the factors
What is YOUR ROLE
(and the role of others)
• You
• Others
How is Conflict Viewed in Your Unit
The Case of Anna
(Crookston, p. 11)
Some GENERAL caveats and
principles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Alone or …..
A Plan
Behavior, not Personality
Civility and Collegiality
A “mature” department
Preparation
HR web site
Conflict Management web site
Types of Difficulty
• Is it helpful to categorize
• Various labels – Crookston, Gunsulus, Buller,
Leaming
•
•
•
•
Crookston, R.K. Working with problem faculty. Wiley, 2012.
Gunsulas, C.K. The college administrators survival guide. Harvard, 2016.
Buller, J.L. The essential department chair. Anker, 2006.
Leaming, D.R. Academic leadership. Anker, 1998.
Example from Leaming, 1998
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Substance abuse
Obstinate
Weak teacher
Gossip
Snitch
Loud, abusive
Lean, mean venting machine
High maintenance
Unmotivated
The (Sanitized) Worst Case in Your Unit
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Groups of two or three
Share basics of specific cases
Describe the case
Focus on analysis
Develop a plan
Examples of specific language
Help each other
What’s said here, STAYS HERE
The Worst Case in Your Unit
• Assume you want change – the plan, step by
step, timing, language, hurdles, likely
consequences
• What help do you expect from others –
colleagues, dean, other uW units, Conflict
Management, Human Resources, Police
•
•
•
•
Describe the behavior
Examples
Frequency
Effects
What Are the “Costs”
The Consequences of Doing
Nothing
•
•
•
•
•
•
For you
For your colleagues
For the “victims”
For you unit’s mission
Short term and long term
Remember Prof. Fabrikant and the Cowan
Report
The Crookston Approach
•
•
•
•
•
•
Clarify values and expectations
Follow policy
Build trust with colleagues
Evaluate yourself and your perceptions
Listen
Take effective action
Get, set – GO
• When do you start
• What is your very first step
• What responses do you anticipate
Managing Interpersonal Conflict
Conflict Management & Human
Rights Office
Matt Erickson
MC 4049
ext. 33765
erickson@uwaterloo.ca
Services
Human Rights Related
•Case Consultation
•Issue identification
•Policy and legislative implications
•Resources and support
•"Formal" versus "informal" responses
•Confidentiality
•"What's my role?"
•Option development
•Facilitation
•Investigation
•Education
•Mediation
Services
Conflict Management
•Mediation
•Group Facilitation
•Resolution Support Personnel
•Education & Training [e.g. 5 Dysfunctions of a Team]
•Conflict Coaching
•Meeting Facilitation
•Conciliation
Ethical Behaviour Policy #33
• “Those who receive complaints or who
perceive what they believe to be violations of
this policy shall act promptly to notify an
appropriate administrative officer, normally
one's immediate supervisor, the department
Head, Chair or Director, to provide or initiate
the appropriate remedial or disciplinary
measures.”
Ethical Behaviour Policy #33
• Further, as required by the Ontario Human
Rights Code, the University has a responsibility
to provide an environment free from
harassment and discrimination, and
accordingly must deal effectively, quickly and
fairly with any situation involving claims of
harassment or discrimination that come to its
attention.”
Ontario Human
Rights Commission
• DIRECTING MIND: “generally speaking anyone
who performs management duties is part of
the directing mind of the corporation.”
• “all managers are aware of their duties and
responsibilities under the code and the
internal policies.”
Ontario Human
Rights Commission
• Corporate liability may be found:
“...where an employee responsible for the
harassing behaviour, or knew of the harassing
behaviour, failed to take steps to remedy the
situation and is part of the directing mind.”
What Do People Get Excited About?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Position
Freedom
Knowledge
Reputation
Money
Inequity
Relationships
Your Style
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Conflict Inventory
A self-assessment tool
Purely personal
No right or wrong
What’s “better” depends
Do it, score it, talk about it
Dealing with Conflict
• Styles of Dealing with Conflict:
Avoid
Accommodate
Compromise
Collaborate
Compete
Pros and Cons
•
•
•
•
•
When to use
How to decide – the factors
Personalize it
Your “typical” style
Are you able to switch appropriately
Do’s and Don’ts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Listen
Stay calm & cool
Be realistic
Be patient
Count to 10
Avoid emotion
Avoid over reacting
Ask questions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Speak calmly
Contrast person &
situation
Contrast unique &
dispositional
Focus on the behaviour
Keep your confidence
Look for agreement
Confront only if
appropriate
Bring others to bear
Typical Mistake
(from OHD Conflict Workbook for Students)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Avoid
Don’t listen
Judge
Be defensive
Be right
Stonewall
Blame
Psychoanalyze
Win
Managing Difficult Conversations
(Conflict Management and Human Rights web site)
Policies & Practices
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Policy 33: Ethical Behaviour
Policy 40: The Chair, (section 1)
Policy 36: Dispute Resolution for University Support Staff
Policy 49: Extra University Activity
Policy 69: Conflict of Interest
Policy 73: Intellectual Property Rights
Policy 77: Tenure & Promotion of Faculty Members –
(sec. 1, para. 4, professional conduct)
• UW/FAUW – Memorandum of Agreement; Article 6 (Academic
Freedom) & Article 8 ( discipline)
• UW Policy 18: Staff Employment
Campus Resources
•
•
•
•
•
Conflict Management and Human Rights
Human Resources
Counseling Services
Police Services
Etc.
Take it Back to Work
Summary and Wrap
Seek help as necessary:
Conflict Management & Human Rights Office: Matt Erickson, Director
Human Resources: Kenton Needham, Director
Policy 36: Dispute Resolution for University Support Staff
MOA, Article 8: Discipline
Thank You
And
Best Wishes!