Early intervention in conflict to minimise the risk of a Workers’ Compensation claimA FOCUS ON WORKER WELL-BEING

Early Intervention

• Conflict management should start long before a conflict & long before an incident or series of incidents leads to socio-psychological harm

• Starts with a culture in which managers expect and workers deliver on their responsibility to attend or present for work in a fit state (physically and mentally) – ready to perform their duties in a professional, respectful, safe & skilled manner

Major Pitfall

• Workers at all levels within a business often fall into the

mindless habit of presenting for work as though that

task blurs into one with the rest of their greater life

• There should be a clear distinction between our private

lives and our professional work space

• In our private lives – we get to make choices for our

own benefit and to suit our own interests

• At work – we should be making choices in the best

interest of the business

At work all workers should…

• Remember that at work they are representatives of the employer

• Speak to others as though they are representing their employer/the business

• Behave as though they are representing their employer/ the business

• Follow set procedures for tasks and follow set policies including those relating to behaviour

Make decisions to act in the best interest of their employer and not how they feel at the time

That is:

• Always remember the bigger picture

• Be alert, mindful and present in the moment

• View the workplace from 2nd or 3rd person more often than from 1st person

Professional Boundaries

Boundaries can be set and maintained by:

• Working with a professional & customer service oriented attitude

• Displaying professional technical skills to a high level of competency

• Respecting own and other staff member ’s personal dignity

• Remaining slightly detached & aloof from each other

• Adhering to work policies & procedures

• Being a worker/employee and not a friend

Physical Boundaries

Personal Professionalism

Procedural Professionalism

Policies and Procedures

• Responsibility of all Managers to know about each policy

• Responsibility of all Managers to follow each policy

• Manager ’s responsibility to ensure staff know & adhere to policies

• Not good enough to find that when a worker is under pressure or in an unsafe situation that they don’t know or can’t remember the relevant policies

Social Pain is REAL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7EFYwUopf8

Professional & Personal Boundaries

Assertive & Confident Behaviours

• Choosing to respond (not react)

• Resilient

• Mindful

• Self management of incidents

Aggressive

Assertive

Passive

There is only 1 type of professional behaviour that creates a constructive culture

• Only 1 type of behaviour is constructive, treats all parties with respect & builds relationships.

• Only 1 of type of behaviour is not driven by fear, stress or mindlessness

WIN/WIN

Self Management

Choosing to Respond not React

Speaking up respectfully ‘in the moment’

• Self management is being able to interact calmly and professionally at all times

• It is making sure that at all times we speak and act respectfully and appropriately

• It is being able to recognise when we are not respectful and then apologise

• It is being able to speak up respectfully when someone says or does something to us that is not appropriate

Stress Management

Stop being busy - start being smart (mindful, resilient, calm, positive, confident, assertive, above the line…..)

• A new approach to busyness - Busy by Tony Crabbe Piatkus Why zebras don’t get ulcers by Robert ZapolskyWillpower by R Baumeister and J Tierney The miracle of mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh The seven habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey Optimism by Bob Browno Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ePYet3Fbts

o Some Effects of Stress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9mIDshQPcc

Let’s explore…A more calm approach – staying ‘CALMER’

•C – Calm

•A - Analyse

•L – Learning

•M – Mirror

•E – Evaluate

•R - Review

Mediation Investigations Training

Click here to find out more about our Conflict Management Training