HR Pulse - Fall 2008 - (Page 55)

The doctor-nurse dynamic is easily the most plagued by disrespectful behavior. According to Anderson, “the nature of a physician is that of a very driven individual. Exceptional cognitive intelligence (IQ) is not always equally balanced with emotional intelligence (EQ /EI) and can have a dramatic effect in a hospital setting. An achievement-oriented, high IQ, driven physician with the accompanying career status is a recipe for conﬂict, even bullying.” So why is this issue so difﬁcult to nip in the bud? Workplace bullying is a taboo subject. Indeed, many readers will be intrigued by this article largely because they had no idea this problem existed. According to the 2007 U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, however, more than half of these situations involve public humiliation. We see employees being disrespected, harassed, mistreated—we may even participate in these behaviors—but rarely do we choose to accept that these behaviors are detrimental to our organization. Disrespectful behavior, and bullying in particular, has yet to be accepted as anything beyond an issue at the individual level. Organizations must take responsibility for this issue as one that occurs largely in environments where workplace cultural norms have been disrupted, even disregarded. Establishing healthy cultural norms that encourage respect in the workplace requires buy in from the top of the organization. Policy without corporate will, though, is useless. Following written policies and guidelines on appropriate behavior should be part of employee training and continuing, open communication. Most hospitals have guidelines and procedures in place for dealing with employees who feel bullied. These measures mean nothing, though, if it is the senior staff—the same staff expected to manage these complaints—propagating the behavior. Dr. Gary Namie, founder of the Workplace Bullying & Trauma Institute, notes that “the characteristic common to all bullies is that they are controlling competitors who exploit their cooperative targets. Most bullies would stop if the rules changed and bullying was punished.” Lastly, the victim has little in the way of support once an issue has been identiﬁed. Though there has been a movement toward prevention in recent years, legislation addressing workplace bullying has only been passed in 13 states. In some cases, employees have been so distraught that they’ve ﬁled police reports. The problem in hospitals, notes Anderson, “is accountability is often lacking for disruptive physician behavior that anyone else would have been immediately terminated for.” If the issue is often ignored and beyond the grasp of the law, how do we go about quashing the bullying bug? The solution lies in having effective conversations. As the critical human operating system, conversation is the tool that promises to fuel a struggling work environment. Effective communication between employees allows for easy access to information that would otherwise be jumbled and confusing. Most importantly, though, conversation fosters respect. In fact, the word respect, from the Latin “respectus,” means “to look back.” Effective conversation allows us to step into another’s reality, to “look back” at how they feel and craft an approach that instantly increases respect and understanding. Conversation is the conduit through which crystal clear understanding can occur. Respect and understanding have a reciprocal relationship. We do not respect others because we understand them; we respect them because they understand us. Having effective conversations allows us to rewind the “disrespectful behavior continuum” and reenergize the workplace. Recently, a co-worker of mine shared an interesting story that serves as a great analogy for our mission. Her 8-year-old daughter had been having trouble with a bully at school who terrorized everybody in the class. When her daughter came home crying one day, my co-worker asked if she knew why this bully was acting out. Her daughter noted that he hardly had any friends at school. The next day she showed up in class with a hand-made card that said, “I’ll be your friend if you treat me nicely.” That bully not only stopped bothering her, he became her personal bodyguard! By stepping into the bully’s reality, she was able to craft her approach accordingly. This is the most effective way to identify the reasons behind a bully’s behavior. Identifying the bully’s motives alone, however, is only a portion of the process required to curb disrespectful behavior in the workplace. The following is an approach that I’ve formulated with help from respected psychological authorities in the areas of relationship building and workplace behavior. 1. Say STOP 2. Convey XYZ feedback1 a. “When you do X,” b. “the impact is Y.” c. “I need you to Z instead.” 3. Inquire. Why are you doing this to me? 4. Document the problem every time it happens (time, place, nature of incident) 5. Get a trusted perspective 6. Decide what you need2 a. Apology b. Repair c. Escalate d. Clarify information. 55 HR Pulse Fall 2008 >>

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Pulse - Fall 2008

HR Pulse - Fall 2008 Contents Pulse Points Executive Director’s Letter President’s Message HR Leader Profile: Irma Pye Sammy’s House: Making a Difference in Austin Working Mother Magazine’s 100 Best Companies Increasing CEO Engagement Pastoral Care Retaining Scarce, Critical Talent The Engagement Dilemma Diversity Considerations…More than AAP & EEO Quashing the Workplace Bullying Bug How to Become a Strong Human Resources Partner Citizen Lobbyists Descend Upon Capitol Hill Conference Highlights Schedule at a Glance Sponsors Exhibitors Advertisers’ Index

HR Pulse - Fall 2008

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