Positive/Effective Work Environment &Workplace Bullying Awareness &

Prevention

Jacinta M. Kitt

Definition

A work environment that provides a high quality service in an atmosphere of respect, co-operation, openness & equality.

Positive / effective work environment

Creating and maintaining positive relationships at work

Positive language and behaviour Encouragement and recognition Listen as well as talk Beware of non-verbal messages Discuss and resolve conflict Address and challenge inappropriate behaviour without

personal criticism Show compassion warmth and good humour Don’t take yourself too seriously

The Manager’s Role

Being an effective manager

Modelling appropriate interpersonal behaviour

Using effective communication skills to deal with difficult situations

Emotional & Social Intelligence

Fine-tuned and insightful Self-awareness and Self-Management

Positive and productive relations and interaction with others

Good Self Managers

Have good emotional self control

Tend to be even tempered

Can be passionate

Think clearly when they are experiencing strong feelings

Make decisions based on their hearts & their heads

Stress as a Social Issue

Toxic relationships are considered to be as major a risk factor for disease & death as smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure or cholesterol.

Social Stressors at Work

Workplace bullying or harassment

Poor management practices

Toxic inter-personal behaviours

What is inappropriate interpersonal behaviour in the workplace?

Inappropriate interpersonal behaviour is behaviour that impacts negatively on a person’s ability to do their job.

Why managers don’t intevene:

Don’t know what to do & lack skills

Have skills (been trained) but lack confidence

Choose to ignore because it will detract from time & energy spent on task

No point because they (the manager) will not be supported by the organisation

Haven’t done anything in the past - why now?

Fail to identify behaviours as problematicRayner & McIvor, Uk Dignity at Work Project, 2006

What is bullying? Heinz Leymann

Bullying is the systematic erosion of:

a person’s possibility of communicating

their reputation

their relationships

the quality of their work/school/family life

health

Organisational Responses to Bullying

Dismissive

Minimum Compliance

Reactive

Proactive

Organisational Beliefs & Attitudes

Bullying is a form of abuse, with serious individual & organisational effects.

We have to do something.

Creating a bullying free environment will have knock on beneficial effects on effectiveness & productivity.

The organisation’s culture & climate can prevent or promote bullying.

Bullying will not thrive in an organisation with a positive effective work environment.

The organisation’s response must cover prevention, intervention & minimisation.

Problems are more quickly resolved when aired & dealt with than when repressed or hidden.

It is the organisation’s responsibility to provide a psychologically safe working environment.

Proactive

Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act Code of Practice Prevention & Resolution of Bullying at Work

Policy & Procedures (formal & informal)

Clear responsibilities (re prevention)

Communication Monitoring (incidents)

Training & supervision

Review

Access to “contact person”

Preventing Bullying

Anti- Bullying Policies & Procedures important & necessary.

Anti-Bullying Philosophy absolutely vital.

Inter-personal Behaviour

Performance issue Professional standards Potential for stress Prevents bullying Psychologically safe environment Positively good for you