Managing Workplace Conflict
Manager’s Training
California State Training Center
“Can’t We All Just Get Along”
Rodney King
Objectives
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Introduction and Housekeeping
Learning Objectives
Learning Skills
Discussion and Application
Wrap Up and Feedback
Kimberley Garth-James,
PhD., believes in Getting Along
At Work
My education and experience
include doctorate and masters’
degrees in public administration
(management); and, 20 years in
public service.
Skills: Trainer and Educator,
Project Manager and Public
Relations Expert
Hobbies: Reading and Jogging
Housekeeping
• A Collaborative Approach to Learning
– Expectations of Trainer
– Cell Phones
– Sidebar Conversations
– Breaks
– Questions and Answers
• Post-Notes
Learning Objectives
Based on a review of the conflict
management literature and feedback from
government workers, we developed the
following course objectives:
• To define conflict and identify its sources
• To understand workplace conflict and
how it prevents “getting along” at work.
Learning Objectives (continued)
• Learn the conflicts that challenge you as a
manager in your workplace.
• Learn from the your mistakes and how to
better manager difficult employees.
• Learn approaches to help you
successfully manage the workplace and
“getting along” at work.
Skills
After taking this course you should learn
these skills:
• How to identify conflict factors at work.
• Apply approaches to impact conflict at
work.
Skills (continued)
• To help you demonstrate that “getting
along” in the workplace is tied to improving
job satisfaction and worker productivity.
• Effectively comply with your responsibility
as a public manager, which includes
managing conflict.
Conflict At Work
Hundreds of people are victims of
workplace violence. Would you agree?
• What stories have you heard?
Labor organizations say that workplace
violence is the biggest problem facing
employees and managers.
Conflict Is…?
Some people think of conflict as it is defined
in Government Code 87300, which requires
state agencies adopt a Conflict-of-Interest
code.
– Refers to economic interests and politics
Definition of Conflict
Conflict is defined as workplace
violence; a full range of behaviors:
• disruptive, aggressive, or hostile
behavior.
• emotional abuse
Definition of Conflict (continued)
Results in:
• personal injury, property damage
• impedes the normal course of work
• causes fear among workers, managers,
and clients for their safety
State Definition and Policy
Zero Tolerance Policy
• Government Code Sections 12940-60.
Managers must ensure:
– All individuals have the right to be
safe from harassment, abuse and
threats.
– They execute their responsibility to
safeguard the health, welfare, and
rights of their employees, and visitors.
State Policy (continued)
• “In fact, it is the employer's legal
responsibility to provide a safe
and healthful workplace for
employees.”
(California Labor Code section 6400.)
• Must attend trainings
Sources of Conflict At Work
Roles
Procedures
Relationships
Communication
Conflict Factors Challenge Managers
Conflict challenges supervisors and managers
who spend 30% to 40% of their time on
managing:
• Workplace anxiety
• Worker distrust
• Low morale that adversely affects productivity
• Dysfunctional work teams
• Job stress and home life problems
• SOMETIMES physical injury or death.
– CASE Example
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Case
State Worker Exacts Revenge
On a bright summer afternoon a middle-aged man state worker rode up the
elevator to his job as he routinely did for 10 years. Today, he was toting a black
satchel on a dolly similar to the kind lawyers use except that his contained two
pistols, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. This was the day
he planned to get even with a co-worker that had formerly said something to
anger him. No one took notice of the man as he strode down the hall to the coworker’s cubicle carrying the black bag. The people inside received no warning
before the man suddenly fired upon them. Managers didn’t know what to do.
He continued his rampage, shooting those who attempted to warn their
colleagues. He sought out and shot employees who tried to hide and others who
were trapped in their offices. As SWAT teams surrounded the floor his two pistols
jammed, and the desperate gunman took his own life with the remaining weapon. The
unsuspecting state agency’s management learned a hard lesson: that even the
most seemingly sheltered environments are not immune to violent crime.
They have since instituted an emergency plan and better access control
procedures as well as added training on how to use the new internal warning
systems among other precautions.
Think about this scenario. What would you do to prevent and manage this situation?
Successfully Impact Workplace
Conflict/Violence
1. Pre-hire Screening
– Check References
2. Human Resource Trainings
– Skills trainings to handle difficult employees,
and manage stress
Successful Conflict Management
Skills (continued)
3. Attend the supervisor’s training on how to
manage conflict
4.
Access Resources
– Know your resources on how to impact
workplace conflict (violence)
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/pro
tection/workviol/wvlinks.htm
– Use Workplace Violence Forms
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/pr
otection/workviolform.htm
– Osha Fact Sheet On Workplace
Violence
http://www.annlaw.com/files/workplace%20vi
http://www.annlaw.com/files/workplace%20v
iolence%20factsheet.pdf
olence%20factsheet.pdf
5. Read Books
• Conflict Resolution, Morton Deutsch, New
Haven Press
6. Invite law enforcement to the workplace
1. Discuss violence and prevention
Successful Conflict Management Skills
(continued)
7. Use Commonsense and Risk Management
– Use your agency’s emergency management
plan on how to handle dangerous situations
(people, behaviors)
– Be good listener
– Use a Mediator and Facilitator
8. Impact (reduce) domestic violence in the
workplace
http://www.endabuse.org/workplace
Managers Must Comply With State Law
• Document threats of violence, violence in the
workplace.
• Report domestic violence to executives and
comply with agency rules, including
contacting law enforcement.
• Discuss the Zero Tolerance of no violence in
the workplace with staff at regularly meetings
• Offer stress sessions after traumatic incidents
(Source: California Labor Department and Office of Safety and
Health Act (OHSA))
Wrap Up
• Review Course Objectives
• Feedback
– Comments from Post-Its
– Evaluations
Notes
• Government Code 87300, requires state agencies
adopt a Conflict-of-Interest
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"Assets and income of public officials which may be
materially affected by their official actions should be
disclosed and in appropriate circumstances the
officials should be disqualified from acting in order
that conflicts of interest may be avoided."
Gov. Code section 81002(c)
"No public official at any level of state or local
government shall make, participate in making or in
any way attempt to use his official position to
influence a governmental decision in which he
knows or has reason to know he has a financial
interest."
Gov. Code Section 87100