Today's workspace

JOSEPH MASANGO | Thursday April 26, 2012 00:00

The challenges of the times we live in are such that hardly a week passes by without employers and employees or employee  representatives, having locked horns over either a dispute of right or a dispute of interest.Most of them eventually reach some settlement.  However, whether or not they eventually settle, some end up with a soiled relationship, one characterised by deep-rooted conflict which will have escalated to an extremely strained level.

While they would have been pained by the experience, many parties are not known to, post the event, do anything to try to normalise or improve the relationship.  If anything, some become, or give the impression, of being sworn enemies, seemingly forever.   At that time the parties will have gone beyond mere differences of interests (which themselves can be negotiated). The relationship will have become one which is attended by deep motivations, values and needs which appear irreconcilable.   Unfortunately, due to the purpose of their existence, the parties cannot afford to remain so for 'too long'.   This is where RbO (Relationships by Objectives) programme can prove useful.   It may come at the instance of either the employer or employee representatives.  I have been asked to write about this issue, as those interested did not see a similar article I wrote a year or so ago.

The RbO programme was introduced by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in USA years back. The following submissions come from Professor Mark Anstey (2002), my former supervisor at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, SA.Like traditional mediation, it is facilitated by an outsider, a third party.   However, unlike traditional mediation, the RbO programme extends the process beyond the issues in dispute, and focuses on tackling the relationship itself and experiences of both line management and employees in the organization.  It concerns itself with, among other things, the managers' and employees' behaviours, attitudes, communication and perceptions. 

The programme draws its values and techniques from three sources, these being traditional dispute mediation, Organization Development (OD) and Management by Objectives (MbO).  Like OD, the focus is developmental, and has a humanist approach to issues.However, as opposed to OD, the role and importance of employee representatives as an integral stakeholder in an organization visibly comes alive, and is beyond question.    The programme is 'at one' with MbO in that it focuses on, among other things, clear goal identification, action plans, deadlines and regular evaluation of progress.  The parties who participate in the programme are employer and employee representatives. 

Some of the critical success factors for the RbO programme are found below:

*There has to be commitment from both parties to undergo the programme, with outside/third party assistance; 

*The process should happen in a retreat setting, away from daily work 'interruptions';

*The parties must enter a mind set where the focus is not on what is wrong with the other party but, rather, what the parties (both of them) should do to improve their relationship; 

* The programme ought not to replace aspects that are already locked in Collective Labour/Bargaining Agreements, as these have their own processes and cycle for change;

*A team of facilitators is essential to handle the numbers of participants and to cope with the level of administrative and facilitative tasks required; 

* The parties must follow, to completion, the usually recommended five phases of the programme.

  I would add to Anstey's submissions the following:

*The organization must see the soiled relationship as a business problem;

* As part of the business case for the introduction of the RbO programme, its prime mover ought to show the return on investment (ROI) to the workforce and to the business, to convince the decision makers and any relevant Doubting Thomas that indeed the programme is 'a do-able' and a necessary business solution;

*The parties must put aside anything that can serve as a roadblock or show-stopper to the progress of the process;

* The participants from both sides must accept that 'to err is human', and must not set very high standards for the other party, while setting low standards for themselves (standards of reasonableness, care for each other, conduct, and such). Some of the benefits which Anstey says the RbO programme may bring are summarized below.

* There is potential for deeper trust and improved understanding of each party's needs, pressures and roles.

* There is potential for reduction of rhetoric, posturing, stereotyping and distancing that is associated with excessively strained relationships.

I would add the following:*Undergoing an RbO programme may assist the organization with its war for talent efforts, one of 'a must' business agenda items in today's world of work, as job candidates, particularly skilled, professional and managerial, are known to also consider an organization's climate or maturity before deciding to join it or continue to be employed by it;

* The programme can set the scene for the parties to resolve previously unresolved issues, e.g. through the use of a compromise.  

* Going the extra mile from traditional approaches by focusing on the relationship itself, the costs of facilitators and related matters are far outweighed by the likely outcomes, such as  reasonably sustainable relationships and in turn the right business environment for organizational performance, at least in the foreseeable future.The RbO is one programme I would recommend for employers and employees whose relationship has reached levels outlined above.

Masango is a Doctor of Laws (LLD) candidate.  He writes fully and completely in his personal capacity.   He can be contacted on Email  trendsglobal@yahoo.com