Ah … a shift without conflict, misunderstandings and rifts. Sounds like a scene from a Disney film. Well, Disney isn’t that far off from developing, implementing and managing its own fairy-tale workplace where adults seek to work in harmony and unison.

It is just as reasonable for the retirement residence sector to explore the nature of conflict and aim for harmony.

Our business of caring is based on exceptional customer service where excellence requires strong relationships and staff who understand their role in promoting positive interactions.

And they must combine that nurturing and empathetic spirit with remarkable time-management and organizational ability.
Staff members often find multi-tasking a dance of deadlines. All departments must work in unison. If one part of the machine is not as efficient or organized, the whole may be affected. Ask any marketing professional about the impact on a residence tour when the “ship” is not shipshape.

We’ve all had experiences when we get caught up in blaming each other for our bad day, and conflict rears its ugly head. The challenge is to resolve the issue instead of attacking the person.

Conflict in the workplace usually surfaces as criticism about another staff person, resulting in subjective interpretation, gossip and innuendo, all of which fracture relationships. A good day is determined by “who is working with whom” rather than by everyone working together so that every day is a good day
for everybody.

Why is it so difficult to maintain harmonious relationships in an industry that prides itself on caring for the frail? Not many of us are comfortable addressing conflict at work or in our personal lives. Dealing with discord constructively requires seeing the issue behind the emotion, depersonalizing the moment and avoiding judgment. As we work closely together day after day, we often find ourselves intertwined in each other’s lives, sometimes feeling like we have two families, one at home and one at work. It is tricky to avoid being hurt by co-workers’ comments, feeling they somehow “should have known better.”

Disney understands that a happy staff creates a happy business. From interview to hiring, orientation, performance planning, operations, and policies and procedures, the organization is focused on maintaining the mission of Disney, paying attention to empowerment, accountability and success. Without a well-defined framework of measured and consistently practised values, organizations can easily become unstable in the face of unresolved conflict.

It’s easy to find out if this is happening in your workplace. A consultant beginning an organizational review will first ask to see reports of sick time, overtime and work-related injuries broken down into departments, shifts and work areas or units. Generally, the greater the conflict, the higher these statistics are. The consultant will also request the results of resident- or family-satisfaction surveys. They’re all pieces of a bigger puzzle. In workplace conflict, it’s common to see employees refusing to pick up shifts or work with particular staff members, or choosing to work independently rather than ask a difficult co-worker for help. In the absolute worst-case scenarios, senior leaders find themselves at a loss to resolve issues, address complaints and get staff to assume accountability. This slippery slope can lead to far more serious ramifications: accusations of bullying, refusals to work and inflexibility in accommodating the changing needs of residents. The basis of conflict can be rooted in a misunderstanding or a conscious choice to undermine others.

Hidden agendas are difficult to manage, so your workforce needs boundaries of respectful communication that encourage building relationships, solving problems and working as a team.
Let’s address basics:

The interview
Do you talk about past experiences listed on the resumé, making it an easy point of reference for the applicant? Or do you conduct an interview that gauges the depth of values and commitment the applicant will have to build and maintain positive relationships?

Develop value questions that all departments can use for interviewing all staff designations. This should be used for the first interview, when you ask questions exploring how flexible and how focused staff will be on solving issues or participating as a member of the team. I will often ask applicants what program they would like to run or perhaps if they know how to clean a birdcage. I may never ask these individuals to actually run a program or clean a birdcage, but the answer gauges an applicant’s desire to participate, demonstrate flexibility and step outside her perception of her role in the organization.

Actual skills for the job can be explored at the second interview. That’s right, the second interview. Never decide to hire before a second look. Breathing should not be considered a skill. Yet in this age of staffing shortages, we tend to compromise; avoid this at all costs.

Orientation
Develop a clear orientation process that draws attention to communication, respectful relationships and team-building as the primary responsibility of the new staff member.

Performance
Enhance your performance-measuring tools to highlight the value portion of the work appraisal. Tasks are easy to achieve. So if your organization’s performance evaluations are predominantly focused on the task portion of each job, don’t be surprised if employees who thrive on conflict and negativity are efficient, competent and difficult to discipline.

Policy
Develop policies and procedures that clearly define expectations of conduct: a communication charter, conflict-resolution process and list of meeting rules. Ensure those designated to direct staff are equipped to assume leadership roles and understand what this entails. In the absence of established process, many leaders feel vulnerable directing staff to respectful relationships, especially if they belong to or share a common union with those they lead.

Communication
A communication charter defines what is expected within the organization. Your charter may include being honest; using words of greeting; saying “please” and “thank you”; listening; agreeing to disagree; and not speaking of others unless present. Rules need to extend to written communication. For example, exclamation marks, bold text and underlines should only accompany messages of celebration. All written messages should begin with “please” and end with “thank you” to prevent other staff from misinterpreting the emotion of the message.

Meeting rules
Your communication charter should also govern conduct in meetings. Meeting rules outline what happens if guidelines are violated, including ending the meeting if necessary. The rules are read before all meetings to ensure consistency. It may sound difficult at first, but outcomes are resoundingly successful, leading to full participation at meetings, and fostering consensus in decision-making rather than rewarding the squeakiest wheel. This in itself influences staff to assume accountability for solving problems.

Conflict resolution process
A conflict resolution process simplifies what is expected when a staff member is experiencing conflict. Employees must demonstrate that they have attempted to resolve their issues. Steps are as follows: speak one-on-one with the employee or person involved in the conflict; if this step is not successful, find a third person that both parties involved agree to who will help achieve resolution; if neither step is successful, bring the issue to the manager and request union support (if applicable). The only time it may be necessary to jump to step three immediately is when or if the conflict is a clear violation of the Residents’ Bill of Rights and/or the Canadian Human Rights Act, involving harassment, abuse or negligence.

Your conflict resolution process should not be used, or viewed, as disciplinary but rather as a key to encourage staff to solve their own problems. Both the communication charter and the conflict resolution process can be adapted for admission packages for both residents and family members to ensure they understand their responsibility in maintaining healthy relationships.

Certainly consideration must be given to stress experienced by our residents, and each case will need to be treated differently. But we all know that some family members take their frustrations out on staff members. They should understand that since employees are held to a standard of conduct and communication, family members should be measured by a similar code of conduct and communication.

And if all else fails, book your trip to Disneyland. Revel in the experience of “Everyone is a VIP.” Look, listen and learn, because behind those fairy-tale characters and happy faces lives an organization that does not compromise on how it hires, trains and supports its staff to exceed customer expectations. Service to seniors is no different. Staff must be ever mindful that they work where others live; not that others live where they work. At the end of the day, it is their attitude that will dictate whether the residents feel they are in their own “home sweet home” or a guest in someone else’s house.

Further Reading: 8 Steps to Harmony in the Workplace.