Bullying in the workplace: Shape'em

 

When qualified staff are scarce, human resources managers have to find a way to deal with loose cannons – and they can’t just shove them off the deck. Crown Research Institute Scion, in Rotorua, prefers to spend considerable time and money on its workers to make sure they have the skills and support needed to function as a team. Scion shows that when a company is united behind its workplace relations policies, bullies do not thrive.

 

Alyson Howell is People Development Manager at Scion, a crown entity that employs many world-class scientists. Because many of them are highly sought-after specialists in their field, it is vital to retain them, Alyson says. “Fortunately we don’t have a huge problem in this area, largely because we have gone to great lengths to implement  processes to prevent these situations arising.”

 

“Scientists don’t grow on trees, we say. When you’re working in the field of science you have to recruit from all around the world. We have 32 nationalities. It’s hard to get people, and when you get them you want them to stay because they might be one of very few people that have that ability because it’s so specialised. In science, fresh ideas are important but continuity is very important too,” Alyson says.

 

Scientists have a reputation for being temperamental and difficult to get along with, but Alyson doesn’t see it that way.

 

“Scientists are like all people – they come in all shapes when it comes to their human relationships. So our approach has been to grow their interpersonal skills. We’re into teamwork and collaboration. Science can be a very isolated activity and people like to work in single-cell offices. But teamwork is really crucial to us to be an innovative organisation. Inevitably we get issues between people so our approach has been to increase the level of self-awareness across the organisation.”

 

Alyson says it is too easy to assume that intelligent people will know about effective relationships. Having worked in the area of human relations for many years, it is easy to forget that the insights she has learned from her studies are not obvious to everyone. “When you say to a scientist ‘Have you read any books on communication or done any courses?’ most often they have not.”

 

Last year Alyson held four workshops called “Face to Face” to develop Scion workers’ interpersonal skills. The workshops started with the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) self-awareness process, and then there were sessions on listening and questioning, assertiveness, and giving and receiving feedback. The other tool Alyson uses is the “Belbin Team Roles Process” which helps people in teams to play to each other’s strengths.

 

The workshops were not compulsory, but were well-attended which Alyson takes as a sign that people are always interested in communication.

 

When working relationships break down, Scion calls in a mediator, which Alyson has found effective even in cases where people are indulging in power games. “People have come to agreements and worked out how they can work together, and are now working together. In situations where somebody’s personal situation seems to be a contributor, we have paid for them to see a counsellor. It’s better to do that earlier in the person’s career so if we identify a problem early, we get them some help.”

 

Sometimes people come into the workplace without an understanding of the relationships and processes within it. This could lead to a bullying situation. One preventative solution Alyson has found is to pair the younger scientists with a mentor. “This gives them a wise head to talk with and if they get into scrapes their mentors can help them out. The mentor is a confidant and somebody who’s able to really help them move through issues.”