Swatting Flies

Posted on Jan 28, 2015 in Conflict Resolution,HR,Latest Articles . 0 Comments.

Summer Break, BBQs and Swatting Flies

It’s that time of year…

Welcome back! If you have not been away or had any time off, we hope that you have had a quieter yet productive time across the festive and school holiday period.

Here at the ZALT Group we know the time of year not by the usual measures of weather and calendar but by the number and nature of conflict in the workplace. There are flies buzzing, cricket being played, BBQs cooking and workplace conflict is low.

During the holiday season, people do some silly things, you know office parties and the like. So when we get those calls we know it is the ‘holiday season’. Then it quietens down….. However we know what February has in store…. It is as inevitable as the flies buzzing around your BBQ, some serious workplace conflict is only one month away. Are you prepared?

The flies of February

Why I hear you ask? Many people reassess their position at work during the summer months and for some this is the time where they say NO MORE to behaviour or issues that have concerned them. So at the first sign of an annoyance the “I won’t take it anymore” resolve results in a significant, even premeditated outburst.

I am going to deal with these flies!

In late February last year a panicked call came in from a business owner. His Retail Manager had decided over the holidays that he was not going to tolerate the behaviour of his Team any longer. Whilst he’d had a summer epiphany, no one else had. So he came back cracking the whip taking aim at his team. Within a month there were 2 bullying claims and 2 resignations and the Regional Manger had been called back from her leave.

We quickly worked with the Manager and the team. Looking to re-establish Team behavioural norms, upskilling the Manager, Team Leaders (and the Regional Manager) with the capacity to handle both conflict and respond to inappropriate behaviour. We took them from dysfunctional to functional. It was then up to them to take that further and deliver real success to the business.

For others, summer holidays gives time away from colleagues and the daily irritations so they are able to recalibrate themselves. Although our experience tells us this is often temporary and the patience and resolve tend to hold off until the end of the public holidays in April when the conflict reignites around Easter.

So as the weather heats up in Feb and the flies become a real issue, we know that February will deliver some serious workplace conflict. Colleagues and managers will come out ‘swatting’, not at flies but at each other.  We are here with the Aerogard (well the environmentally friendly version of course) so give us a call if you need some support.

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