Healthy workplace presentation

An Introduction into Maintaining a Healthy

Workplace EnvironmentKyle Blanchfield JD

Peter Ladd PhD

An Introduction into Maintaining a Healthy Workplace Environment

Conflict in the Workplace

9:00 AM - 9:45 Destructive Workplace Emotions 9:45 AM - 10:15 Compassion Fatigue (Burnout) 10:15 AM -10:30 Break 10:30 AM -11:15 Lateral Violence 11:15AM - 12:00 Conflict Styles That Cause Lateral Violence 12:00 - 1:00 PM Lunch Conflict Resolution in the Workplace 1:00PM -2:00 PM Changing the Emotional Climate of the Workplace 2:00 - 3:00 PMMediation Skills 3:00 -3:30 PM Reconciliation Skills 3:30 - 3:45 PMBreak 3:45 - 4:15 PM Overcoming Workplace Trauma

DESTRUCTIVE WORKPLACE EMOTIONS (LADD, 2005)

Here are three of the most destructive workplace emotions

Anger

Resentment

Revenge

Reason Leaves

StressBuilds

Explosion Distance Reason

Returns

Frustrated

Feeling Stuck

Buried Feelings

Lash Out Indirectl

yFeel Like a Victim

Feel Violated

Get Even

Develop a Plan

Get Even Retaliate

DESTRUCTIVE WORKPLACE EMOTIONS (LADD, 2005)

Here are three more of the most destructive workplace emotions

Anxiety

Egotism

Jealousy

Uncertain Feelings

Focus Narrows

Constant Worry

Symptoms Develop

In Crisis

Need to be Right

TalkingDown

Cut Off From

Others

Defend Position

at all Costs

Isolated and

Alone

Fear of Losing

Something

Warning Signals Claims Force

Losing Somethin

g

Compassion Fatigue (Burnout) (Ladd &Churchill, 2012)

Exposure to Second Hand

StressOveruse of Compassion

Emotional Exhaustion

Confusion Over Beliefs

Resentment

Burnout

Lateral Violence (Ladd & Churchill, 2012)

Sometimes Compassion Fatigue Leads to Lateral Violence

Negative Group of People

Feeling Frustrated Peer Pressure Indirect

Lashing Out

Web of Violence

Feeling Victimized

Difference Between Venting and Gossiping

Venting

Focusing on Your Own Conflict

Getting What is Inside of You – Out

Intention is to Relieve Stress

Helps to Heal the Climate of the Workplace

(Blanchfield & Ladd, 2013)

Gossiping

Focusing on the Conflict of Others

Focusing on the Behavior of Others

Intention is to Attack Others

Helps to Destroy the Climate of the Workplace

Three Types of ConflictConflicts requiring

judgments

Conflicts with Differing Points of View

Conflicts with a Toxic Environment

(Ladd & Blanchfield, 2016)

How Do We Communicate?Aggressive

Passive

Passive Aggressive

Assertive


Conflict Styles that Cause Lateral Violence (Ladd, 2007)

Forming an Alliance Conflict Style:

Conflict Style:

Forming an alliance with another person against another worker buffers direct confrontation at the expense of directly solving problems.

These form of triangles can lead the odd person out to form their own triangles against you, leading to a web of triangles.

Resentment can develop in these alliances where you gossip about the other person instead of solving problems directly

Forming alliance can give an outside party power of the relationship.

Conflict Styles Cont’d (Ladd, 2007)

Find Someone to Blame Conflict Style

People stop talking about their problems by focusing on outside problems

By focusing on outside problems, they avoid facing their problems

They feel better about themselves by attacking outside problems

By avoiding their problems while attacking outside problems, their problems are hidden and can to get worse.


Back and Forth Conflict Style

The harder you try to solve the problem, the worse the problem gets

The back and forth may reduce an effort to solve problems No matter what the problem, the same back and forth style

is used to solve other problems This style, many times, will cause a standoff where people

leave more angry


Avoiding conflict causes problems to accumulate, where it becomes difficult to solve an accumulation of problems.

Filtering out certain conflicts while dealing with other conflicts gives the relationship more harmony, until the filters break down and then chaos can occur.

This style fits well with guilty and resentful people. These emotions may dictate what people can talk about.

This conflict resolution style can lead to hidden agendas where people keep secrets.

Using an Avoidance Conflict Style


Using the Past Conflict Style

The Past

The Past

(Ladd, 2007)

Using the past can complicate present problems. Using the past sends the message that conflicts are ongoing

and will never end. Using the past to solve problems freezes people in time

where they make judgements based on previous judgements. Using the past says you rather win than solve present

problems.

Non-Toxic ClimateIn a non-toxic climate, staff share strong

values, work together to pursue professional development opportunities, and are committed to improving their work. For the most part, their discussions focus on workplace problems and solutions. They help support openness and trust, and talk to each other about professional problems. Of course, as in any climate, will have its share of conflict and other problems that are hard to resolve, but it is the optimal framework for resolving them. A non-toxic climate feels a bit like a family: Although individuals may not always get along, they will support each other when push comes to shove. It would take a major crisis to put a dent in it. (Blanchfield & Ladd, 2013)

Toxic Climate A workplace with a toxic climate isn’t

necessarily an unhappy place. Staff will hide their opinions against others and appear happy except under the surface is this brewing anxiety and resentment. People in a toxic climate spend a great deal of energy on preventing change, or they are threatened by leadership that inhibits change. Usually, a leader will communicate through memos and directives and usually one way. By constant judgements, a leader can become an extremely powerful person in any given workplace. However, over time, a toxic climate can become much stronger than the leader or the people in the workplace. (Blanchfield & Ladd, 2013)

Workplace Climate SkillsEmpowerment

Empowerment in the climate of a workplace is not about people giving others power by creating different levels of power for “power brokers”. In some ways, this can lead to an imbalance of power through jealousy, resentment and people protecting their turf. Empowerment is creating an atmosphere where people feel that they can empower themselves. The question is, “How do I as a worker empower other workers and still get the job done?


Workplace Climate Skills ContinuedAssertiveness

Assertiveness is expressing yourself through clear communication of your point of view. It also includes respecting the rights of others while knowing what you have said has an impact on them. Being assertive is not only about what is said but how you say it. The question you may want to ask yourself is, “Am I assertive without being, passive, aggressive or passive-aggressive?” It is direct communication without personal conflict connected to it.


Workplace Climate Skills ContinuedCommon Ground Finding common ground reduces

the distance between people who are in conflict with each other. The more common ground in a workplace climate, the less distance between the people in the workplace. The big question is, “How do I reduce the distance between people in the workplace and establish common ground?” It may be a simple as checking in with each other on a daily basis. It may be more important to find out what you have in common than to constantly focus on your differences. (Blanchfield, Blanchfield & Ladd, 2007)

Workplace Climate Skills ContinuedGenerosity By sharing ideas, opinions, and

differing points of view, workers not only allow for conflicting opinions, but also for a climate of generosity to form within the group. Even when people agree to disagree, it is amazing how that is viewed as an act of generosity. People do not seem as self-centered when they are open to criticism. The lack of generosity has the opposite effect. When people are not open or accessible to others, their points of view begin to lose credibility. How open are you to being generous about other people’s points of view?


Workplace Climate Skills ContinuedHumor Humor can make a workplace

setting more relaxed, manageable, enjoyable and interesting. Humor has a remarkable way of reducing stress in workers and a workplace. It also can reduce power imbalances between people while creating teamwork. Effective workers recognize humor as a valuable ingredient in spreading a climate of good will across a workplace. How do you go about making the climate of the workplace more enjoyable? (Blanchfield & Ladd, 2013)

Workplace Climate Skills Cont’dCritical ThinkingChecked Beliefs vs. Unchecked BeliefsBroad Viewpoint vs. Narrow ViewpointAccurate Thinking vs. Uninformed ThinkingCalculated Decisions vs. Random DecisionsProactive Behavior vs. Reactive Behavior(Ladd, 2009)

Workplace Climate Skills Cont’dTrust

The Need to Reach Out

Being Dependable

Sharing Intentions

Creating Confidence

Being Genuine

Sense of Loyalty


Conflict Resolution Styles (Ladd & Blanchfield, 2016)

Deals with point of view confl

Deals with point of view problems.

Mediators clarify people’s points of view.

Success happens when disputing parties make an agreement

Deals with emotional climate problems.

Peacemaker help overcome emotional differences in a group.

Success happens when the emotional climate makes a positive change.

Mediation Skills in the Workplace (Ladd & Blanchfield, 2016)

Creating a MediationClimate

Finding Common Ground

Isolating Issues

Negotiating Options

Finding an Agreement

Conciliation SkillsFind out what is viewed as unreasonableUse the skill of pacing to lower stressHelp people attack problems not peopleGet distance before problem solvingGet closure so reason can return

Anger

Frustration stems from buried anger. Find out where the anger originated.Develop options to un-stick the frustrationChallenge person to get their frustration to the surfaceTalk directly to people to avoid gossip and innuendoEmpower people to avoid victimization


Resentment

Conciliation Skills ContinuedLook for boundaries that may have been crossedto cause a violationHelp workers get emotionally back in balanceDevelop plan to clear up the violation not cause more violationsShow that biding time “freezes” people in timeShow that retaliation caused escalation of the crisis

Revenge

Look for certainty within much uncertaintyTry to expand a person’s focus Change personal worry to concernPinpoint symptoms and practice stress reductionSeek counseling if worker is in crisis mode


Anxiety

Conciliation Skills Continued (Ladd & Blanchfield, 2016)

Never argue with an egotist. There need to be right is most important to them.Be highly descriptive and do not explain yourselfUse the “broken record technique” when egotists defend their position at all costsWelcome egotists into the group even though they may be obnoxious people

Egotism

Look for what a person may be afraid of losing: control, another person, time, etc.Find out what the person’s warning signals may be to avoid more serious jealousyWatch for counter claims when jealous people put in their claimsRemember the use of force, many times, seems justified to jealous peopleExplain how being afraid of losing something may cause, actually losing something

Jealousy

Surviving the Workplace (Ladd, 2009)

Hardiness: having the capacity to last, endure, persevere and possessing determination and grit Coping: facing and dealing with adversity, disappointments, difficulties, or disasters and rebounding “bouncing back”

Surviving the Workplace Cont’d (Ladd, 2009)

Flexibility being able to adapt and being capable of shifting gears (having plan ABCD) Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. (Victor Frankl, Holocaust survivor, psychiatrist)

Open Forum

Here is a chance to talk about maintaining a heathy workplace environment.

Ladd, P.D. (2005) Mediation, Conciliation and Emotions: A Practitioner’s Guide for Understanding Emotions

in Dispute Resolution. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

Blanchfield, K.E. , Blanchfield, T.A. and Ladd, P.D. (2007) Conflict Resolution for Law Enforcement: Street Smart Negotiating. Flushing, NY: Loose Leaf Law Publications.

Ladd, P.D. (2007) Relationships and Patterns of Conflict Resolution: A Reference Book for Couples Counseling. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

Ladd, P.D. (2009) Emotional Addictions: A Reference Book Addictions and Mental Health Counseling.

Lanham, MD: University Press of America

Ladd, P.D. & Churchill, A. M (2012) Person-Centered Diagnosis and Treatment in Mental Health: A Model for Empowering Clients. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Blanchfield, K.E. & Ladd, P. D. (2013) Leadership, Violence and School Climate: Case Studies in Creating Non-Violent Schools. Lanham, MD: R&L Education.

Ladd, P.D. & Blanchfield, K. E. (2016) Mediation, Conciliation and Emotions: The Role of Emotional Climate in Understanding Violence and Mental Illness, Revised Edition, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

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