If you are of a certain age you will know that the above quote came from Rodney King, lamenting the fact that he was beat up my the police, who were not punished for doing so. Good for him: rather than fan the fast-spreading flames, he took the high road. I find myself repeating Rodney's plea lately, when reflecting on the destructive dynamics among some of my clients' employees. Yes, I did place the apostrophe in the right place. I have 2 clients in 2 states, experiencing similar conflicts among coworkers.
My brother says I should lock them both in a room and tell them they can't come out until they have agreed to get along. A more traditional approach is to sit down with them and attempt to mediate their concerns, make sure both feel "heard", and then . . . well, I guess, then you sit together until they agree to get along.
It sure isn't simple: if I take sides I am condemning one to a miserable work experience and not facilitating the other's growth. If I tell them they are acting like spoiled children (my brother's other suggestion) I have probably inspired them to dig their heels in harder. Have you ever seen a 35 year old pout? (Shudder)
All 4 employees add value to their organizations. Each has strengths that serve the organizations' missions. All 4 need their jobs.
So -- you are the boss: what do you do? (Oh, you thought I was going to solve this conundrum? Nope -- your turn. What say you?
No comments:
Post a Comment